Watsonia marginata is a very pretty plant, with attractive foliage and gorgeous spikes of cup-shaped pink or white flowers. It is easily distinguished from other species of Watsonia by both by its leaves and its flowers.

Watsonia marginata occurs in the winter-rainfall region of South Africa in the area between the Bokkeveld Mountains near Nieuwoudtville in the north to the Cape Peninsula and the Caledon district in the south, and is virtually restricted to areas of complete summer drought. It can be found growing from near sea level to middle elevations in the mountains, in stony clay soils and sometimes in seasonally marshy or temporary seep areas in sandy soils.

Watsonia marginata is a tough, low maintenance, easy plant in cultivation. It is shown to best effect when mass planted, but also looks good when planted amongst other plants in the rockery, or mixed border where even when not in flower, its leaves provide interesting colour and texture.

This watsonia requires a position in full sun, or one that gets sun for most of the day, and well-drained, compost enriched soil. It is tender to frost, hardy to a winter minimum of -1 ºC / 30 ºF (Zone 10) and in cold areas, requires a warm situation that is protected from the morning sun. In the summer rainfall regions, it must be planted in sandy well-drained soil or lifted every season, as the corms tend to rot if allowed to get wet during dormancy.

The leaves are made distinctive by being unusually broad, bluish-green in colour and with pronounced, heavily thickened, yellowish margins.

The leaves appear in autumn, and stand one-third to two-thirds as high as the flowerspike, i.e. 40 - 60 cm tall.

Watsonia marginata flowers are cup-shaped and Ixia-like compared to its tubular-flowered relatives.

The spike has a large number of short branches which are closely pressed against the main axis of the flower stalk, each carrying a few flowers, with the whole spike carrying up to ±50 densely packed flowers. The flowering season extends for about 4 weeks during spring to early summer (Sept. to Nov.).

Flower colour is variable, occurring in shades of mauve, pink or white, even maroon, and the centre of each flower is marked with magenta and white. There are also dwarf forms with pink or white flowers, where the flower spike is only about 0.5 m tall.