Bulbinella latifolia subsp. latifolia

Botanical gardens are where you can see rare and unusual plants. Originally found among South Africa’s distinctive Renosterveld vegetation, this most attractive evergreen, clump-forming perennial is now making its home in Sheffield. Collected in the wild on the Roggeveld plateau (one of the coldest parts of South Africa) by Professor James Hitchmough of Sheffield University on a plant hunting expedition, the seedlings have been grown on in the South African garden area of Osborn’s Field (area J on the downloadable map).  

Bulbinella is a genus from the southern hemisphere in the Asphodelaceae family. Most of the species are found in South Africa.  There are twenty-three species, with fourteen species native to the Cape Floral Province. This bulbinella stands nearly three foot (90cm) tall with  flower spikes in bright lemon. The star-shaped flowers are in dense racemes, and the narrow somewhat fleshly leaves arranged in a rosette.  Some of these larger species make excellent cut flowers.