BABIANA. Baboon flower. Some of the most dazzling of the South African bulbs are included here. The plants are prolific, quickly forming compact, many-stemmed colonies. They have elongated corms, from which new shoots rise in the fall. Several pleated, fuzzy, sword shaped leaves are held nearly erect along each stem. Each stem bears in spring a spike of 1/2" to 1" blossoms colored white to royal purple or maroon. These are fine container plants but are also suitable for a variety of sites in the open garden. Sun, reasonably well drained soil, little or no watering after the plants die down in late spring. Hardy to 15oF or less, though the foliage is damaged at around 20oF.
rubrocyanea (stricta var. rubrocyanea) is a spectacular species. It grows only 6-8" tall. However, the flowers are exceptionally large and colored deep purple with crimson centers. A must for the bulb fancier.
stricta hybrids. There is by now a large assortment of named and unnamed hybrids involving B. stricta. ‘Blue Gem’, one of the showiest, has blossoms of intense blue-violet on 6-10" stems. Of our own selections, ‘Bright Eyes’ is one of the most floriferous, the flowers purple overall with lighter centers. ‘Dark Mood’ has blossoms of rich, deep maroon. Those of ‘Scintillation’ have brightly contrasting lavender and white segments. And ‘Snowdrop’ has (what else?) pure white blossoms. Other, unnamed hybrids offered cover nearly the entire color range.