Many South African bulbs perform wonderfully in our warm climate gardens and babiana is an outstanding example.

In its native lands, this plant is a favorite food of baboons, hence the less than engaging common name. Even with this handicap, babiana is receiving much-deserved attention from smart gardeners.

Offering intoxicating 1 1/2” blooms in brilliant blues, purples and magentas, babiana excels as an edger for paths, the front of borders and in containers. Each bulb, or in this case, corm, produces multiple flower stems, making reasonably priced babiana an especially good value. No prima donna, babiana is happy in most any sunny site with dry or average soil.