About
Babiana rubrocyanea is a compact perennial characterized by its slender, hairy leaves that can reach lengths of 15 cm. During the spring, it produces clusters of funnel-shaped flowers, displaying a blend of purple-blue petals accented by a vibrant red throat.
About the genus
Babiana consists of perennial plants that grow from corms. They feature upright, ribbed leaves that are narrowly lanceolate in shape. The plants produce spikes adorned with funnel-shaped flowers, which are frequently fragrant.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H1C
Plant details
- Plant type
- Bulbs
- Habit
- Columnar upright, Tufted
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Patio and container plants
- Native to
- S Africa (W Cape)
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow under glass from corms planted in free-draining, peat-free, loam-based compost in autumn. Grow on in full light and apply a weak, balanced, liquid fertiliser every three weeks before flowering. Dry off as the leaves die down in summer. Corms can also be bought in spring for planting outside for a one-off summer blooming, but after this would need to be grown under glass and allowed to winter grow. Plant corms 15cm (6in) deep
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown as soon as ripe in autumn in a temperature of 13°C-15°C (55°F-59°F). Remove offsets when the corms are dormant in autumn and pot into equal parts peat-free, loam-based compost and sharp sand
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free