Babiana spp.

baboon root

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Babiana spp. is a genus of about 90 cormous perennials in the iris family (Iridaceae), native mostly to the winter-rainfall regions of western South Africa and Namibia, with one species on Socotra. The common names baboon root and bobbejaantjie come from the baboons that dig up and eat the corms. Plants grow 10-40 cm (4-16 in) tall from a fibre-coated corm and bear lance-shaped, strongly pleated, usually hairy leaves that are often held stiffly upright like a fan. In spring they raise spikes of funnel-shaped, freesia-like flowers in blue, mauve, purple, violet, crimson, cream, and yellow, frequently marked with contrasting blotches; the flowers of several species carry a sweet scent. Pollination is by bees and long-tongued flies, while the bird-pollinated B. ringens produces a sterile side branch that perching sunbirds use as a stand. After flowering the leaves die back and the corm rests through the dry summer. The genus is frost-tender and adapted to mild, dry-summer climates with a wet winter growing season.

Native Range

Babiana spp. is native chiefly to the western and southern Cape of South Africa and to Namibia, where most species grow in sandy, seasonally dry, winter-rainfall country. A single outlying species occurs on the island of Socotra.

Suggested Uses

Babiana spp. species are grown in rock gardens, raised beds, and gravel gardens in mild, dry-summer climates, and widely in pots and bulb frames elsewhere. They suit the front of sunny borders and naturalise in sandy ground where summers are dry. The spring flowers draw bees and, in some species, nectar-feeding birds.

How to Identify

Look for low fans of lance-shaped, deeply pleated, hairy leaves held stiffly erect, rising from a corm. Spikes of funnel-shaped flowers in blue to purple, red, or cream open in spring, often with contrasting throat markings, recalling a small freesia or sparaxis. The ribbed, hairy leaves and the fibre-wrapped corm separate Babiana spp. from the smoother-leaved Freesia spp. and Ixia spp..

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 1'4"

Width/Spread3" - 6"

Colors

Flower Colors

red

Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~5 weeks

Spring

Flowering is in spring, mainly from late winter to mid-spring in the native range, with each corm sending up one or more short flower spikes. Bloom lasts several weeks, and the flowers of scented species are strongly scented in warm sun. Plants then die back for their summer rest.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

blue, purple, violet, red, cream, or yellow

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

2-3 years from seed

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Plants grow in full sun on sandy, sharply drained soil at a pH of 5.5-7.0. Corms are planted in autumn, watered through the cool growing season, and kept dry once the leaves yellow and die back in late spring. They are frost-tender, hardy to about USDA zone 8, and are grown in pots or lifted where winters are cold and wet. Summer wet during dormancy rots the corms. Plants are set 8-10 cm (3-4 in) deep on lean soil with little feeding.

Pruning

No pruning is needed beyond cutting off spent flower spikes if seed is not wanted. Yellowing leaves are left to die down so the corm can build reserves, then cleared. Crowded clumps are lifted and divided during summer dormancy.