Babiana is a large genus in the family Iridaceae, consisting of about 80 species. Most of these (about 49 species) are concentrated in the south western Cape, with the rest mainly in Namaqualand and northern Cape. Their range is from southern Namibia to the Eastern Cape to southern Zimbabwe. There is one species from Socotra, off the coast of Somalia, but it is doubtful whether it is actually a Babiana or not.
All Babianas are deciduous, either winter or summer growing. Most are winter growing. Like most other winter growing (or Mediterranean climate) Irids, they start their growth cycle in autumn when the first rains fall. The leaves push through the soil and the plants grow. They grow through the winter, and as spring approaches, they produce flower buds. Some species flower early in spring, and others late, almost into summer. Most species are in seed in early summer, and as the rains finish and the weather heats up, they go dormant again. To successfully grow them, one needs to remember this growth cycle. Start to water them in autumn, water through the winter, and stop in late spring when the plants show signs of going dormant. They will do best in a sunny aspect with free air circulation. The plants are drought tolerant and they vary in hardiness, but probably will not like anything below 25°F (about -5°C).
Growing medium - they all require well drained potting medium consisting of 2 parts sand, 1 part loam and perhaps 1 part compost, depending on the species. Because of the contractile roots, Babianas pull their corms to the bottom of the pot, and they grow best in large pots (12 inch or more).
Babianas also do well in the garden, and we have planted quite a lot out in our beds. We have some between paving stones (in a similar situation to their natural growth habit) and although our garden is watered year round, they don't seem to rot and they flower profusely each spring. Our garden soil is very sandy and well drained, and perhaps that explains it. Most of the Babianas that are commonly grown are hybrids, mainly of Babiana stricta, but many of the species are far more beautiful and rewarding. The flowers are long lasting and brightly coloured, and many are scented as a bonus. Above information furnished by Rachel Saunders when she led the Pacific Bulb Society list discussion for the topic of the week in April 2003.
Babiana ambigua is winter growing, found on sandy flats and slopes in the South African Cape. This one is easy to grow in the garden. The first photo below by Bob Rutemoeller and the second photographed in the wild in the western Cape by Mary Sue Ittner.
More pictures of what I believe is this species taken near Villiersdorp August 2006 by Mary Sue Ittner
Babiana angustifolia is found on damp clay flats and lower slopes in renosterveld in the northwest and southwest Cape. It blooms late winter early spring and has blue to violet flowers with back or red markings on the lower tepals. This picture was taken in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens bulb collection by Kristina Van Wert.
Babiana curviscapa is a species found in Namaqualand in flat sandy places. Photo of this one growing in Northern California by Bob Rutemoeller
Babiana disticha, a winter grower found in the northwest and southwest Cape of South Africa. This one is growing in Western Australia, the first photo below by Sheila Burrow. In the second photograph by Bob Rutemoeller the plant doesn't have the yellow that all the books say is usually found in this species. Hidden below it is a Sparaxis grandiflora ssp. acutiloba. Perhaps it's a hybrid.
Babiana flabellifolia grows in doleritic clay outcrops in rock cracks where it is protected from the predators. The leaves are wedge shaped and the flowers violet with cream markings. This one was photographed in habitat in Nieuwoudtville by Mary Sue Ittner.
Photos taken by Mary Sue Ittner of plants growing in the rocks and the doleritic soils near Middelpos September 2006 in the Roggeveld, a range extension discovered a few years ago.
Babiana framesii is found on rock outcrops. The first one photographed in Namaqualand by Mary Sue Ittner was growing in sand not too far from the road. The second two photographs below were taken by Bob Rutemoeller in Nieuwoudtville in September 2006 of a particularly nice specimen growning not far from the road.
This plant is a reliable bloomer in my Northern California garden where it blooms in February and often gets rained on as illustrated in the second photo. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner.
Babiana montana is a short plant found on sandstone and limestone slopes. It has mauve flowers with yellow and purple markings and flowers in winter. Photos taken in the Overberg by Cameron McMaster near Napier and at Boskloof.
Babiana nana as the name implies is a low winter growing species from the Cape where it is usually found on sandy coastal flats and dunes and blooms late winter-early spring. It has a nice fragrance. The flowers in this photo by Mary Sue Ittner did not photograph as purple as they were. This plant multiplied rapidly in my Northern California raised bed and was very beautiful when the flowers weren't destroyed by rain.
Babiana nana var. angustifolia is the name given for this plant, but that is no longer a name I see used although there is a reference to a plant by that name in Jeppe, 1998 (see References). Its identification is in question. It is one of the first to bloom for me blooming in February in Northern California. It is fragrant, smelling like cinnamon, and very delightful. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner
Babiana patersoniae, is a winter grower found on clay slopes in the South African Cape province, Caledon to the Eastern Cape. This one is growing in Western Australia, photo by Sheila Burrow.
Photos by Cameron McMaster of plants growing at Boskloof, Bredasdorp, and in mass near Napier in the Overberg.
Babiana patula is mauve to blue with yellow markings or all yellow, very fragrant. It grows on clay flats and lower slopes in the Cape. The first photo by Mary Wise and the second Photo by Bob Rutemoeller of one blooming near Villiersdorp August 2006.
Two more pictures in habitat by Cameron McMaster near Napier in the Overberg
Babiana purpurea has fragrant pink or purple flowers and is found in the southwest Cape on clay slopes and flats in renosterveld. The first photo taken at Drayton siding near Caledon September 2003 by Bob Rutemoeller and the additional photos by Cameron McMaster taken at Bot River, and Boskloof in the Overberg.
This plant purchased as Babiana blanda which is very rare, is instead Babiana purpurea. It comes back every year where it is growing in a pot in a raised bed and is an early bloomer (January or February). Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Babiana pygmaea is yellow with a dark purplish or brown center and grows on gravelly flats in the southwest Cape. I grew this one from seed, but it never came back after it bloomed. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner
Babiana ringens is found on sandy flats in the South African Cape province. This first picture taken in Western Australia shows the flower an the second shows the 'perch' which is supposedly for birds to perch on whilst they are drinking the nectar. Photos from Sheila Burrow. The next three photos were taken in the wild in South Africa. Two were taken by Bob Rutemoeller near Darling, South Africa, September 2006. The third was taken by Rod Saunders.
Babiana rubrocyanea is found on granitic sands in the southwestern Cape. The first two photos weretaken in Western Australia by Sheila Burrow and the third by Doug Westfall in Southern California where his plants were attracting a lot of attention.
Photos taken in habitat near Darling, South Africa September 2006 by Mary Sue Ittner. In the last picture it is shown with Romulea eximia.
Babiana sp. is probably a good way to describe the following pictures. They could be and probably are hybrids from Babiana stricta. Two are descendants of a batch of seed described as mixed species. They have been good garden plants, growing and increasing in the ground or as container plants. One blooms a couple weeks before the other. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller
The plant below was received from a friend and wasn't what it was labeled to be. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner
Babiana sp. This picture is of a Babiana species being grown by Alan Horstmann in South Africa that could very well be a new species not yet described.
Babiana spp. at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. Photo by Liz Waterman
Babiana stricta has purple, blue, white or yellow flowers with stems overtopping the leaves and centrally placed dark anthers. It grows on clay soils in renosterveld from Piketberg to Swellendam and has been used in breeding to create many of the garden hybrids. Photo by Bob Rutemoeller taken August 2006 in Tulbagh.
Babiana thunbergii is a coastal plant growing on sandy dunes and flats in the northwest and the southwest Cape. Once known as Antholyza plicata it has stiff, pleated velvety lanceolate leaves and red recurved unusual flowers. Photos from Cameron McMaster taken in the western Cape.
Babiana tubulosa has small white to cream flowers with red markings. It grows in the wild on sandy flats and lower slopes. This one was growing in the wild in the west coast of South Africa. Photo by Bob Rutemoeller
Babiana truncata in the Babiana revision is now considered to be an inaccurate name and is now included under Babiana flabellifolia. Unfortunately there seems to be some confusion about that species as well.
Babiana vanzijliae grows in rocky sandstone in the northwestern Cape. This species has often been spelled as Babiana vanzyliae, but it was originally spelled differently and the Babiana revision returns it to the previous spelling. This species was blooming in mass near Nieuwoudtville in a wet year. Also in the picture is Hesperantha pauciflora and an unidentified Spiloxene, possibly Spiloxene serrata Photo by Mary Sue Ittner. The second photo from Dirk Wallace is a close-up.
Babiana villosa grows on clay flats and slopes in the southwest and northwest South Africa Cape. The flowers are mauve, pink, or dark red. The red one is striking plant that is doing well in Mary Sue Ittner's Northern California garden. The first two photos below were taken by Bob Rutemoeller and the last of a pink one was taken in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens bulb collection by Kristina Van Wert..
This red flowered variety grows in the wild near Tulbagh. These pictures were taken August 2006 when it was blooming in mass along with Geissorhiza inflexa which was the exact same color and hard to tell apart from a distance. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller. The first picture is a habitat shot followed by Mary Sue taking a close up and Bob and her close-ups.
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