About
Babiana vanzyliae is a perennial plant that grows to approximately 15 cm in height. It features hairy, ribbed leaves that are lanceolate in shape. The flowers are fragrant and range in color from yellow to pale blue-purple, often displaying white edging and blotches on the lower lobes.
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
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Bulbs
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, City and courtyard gardens, Patio and container plants
- Native to
- S Africa (N Cape)
- Fragrance
- Flower
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow under glass from corms in autumn in peat-free, loam-based compost and grow on in full light. Apply a weak, balanced liquid fertiliser every 3 weeks before flowering. Dry off as the leaves die down in summer. Outdoors, plant 20cm deep in autumn in light, rich, well drained soil in full sun
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed as soon as ripe in autumn in a temperature of 13°C-15°C. Remove offsets when the corms are dormant in autumn. 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