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Scientific: Bulbine frutescens (Synonyms: Bulbine fruticosum, Bulbine caulescens)
Common: bulbine
Family: Liliaceae
Origin: South Africa

Pronounciation: Bul-BIN-e fru-TES-cens

Hardiness zones
Sunset
13-24 (as a perennial)
USDA 8-11 (as a perennial)

Landscape Use: Accent, mass planting as ground cover, rock gardens, container plant, smaller landscape spaces close to himan contact.

Form & Character: Low growing somewhat succulent subshrub, spreading like small urban sea anenomes, delicate, slightly stiff and pointed, informal, delicate.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, herbaceous perennial, basally clumping to 12-inches tall with similar to greater spread.

Foliage/texture: Linear, succulent green leaves to 12- to 18-inches long, similar to an onion leaf; medium fine texture.

Flowers & fruits: Tall spikes of small yellow to orange flowers, each spike is to 2 to 3 feet above foliage, 10 to 12 stalks per individual plant; bloom continually from mid-spring through fall; fruit inconspicuous.

Seasonal color: Yellow or orange flowers nearly year around.

Temperature: Tolerant of Phoenix cold, but struggles (like everyone else) during periods of extreme summer heat.

Light: Partial to full sun, but only moderately tolerates reflective heat in low desert. In contrast, Shade inhibits flowering.

Soil: Well-drained rocky soil is best.

Watering: Infrequent deep supplement irrigations during summer are definitely needed. Bulbine is not drought tolerant in Phoenix like it is in southern California.

Pruning: Dead head flower stalks (can be tedious), otherwise divide clumps every 3 to 5 years (if the plant is still alive).

Propagation: Division of basal clumps.

Disease and pests: None

Additional comments: Bulbine is a wonderful,somewhat delicate and free-flowering subshrub for smaller landscape spaces. It is clumping though and will develop a thatch over time so long-term performance in Phoenix is questionable. If planted in mass, position plants 18 to 24 inches on center for best effect. Cultivars 'Hallmark' and 'Tiny Tangerine' are more compact and produce orange flowers.