The starfish lily, Ferraria crispa, is a winter-growing bulb found along coastal areas throughout most of South Africa. It goes dormant over the summer. The leaves emerge in the autumn and grow to 12” tall. 1½ inch flowers appear in the late winter to early spring. These amazing blooms have deep-purple spots across white petals, and are highlighted with bright orange anthers. The flowers last only a day or two but an established plant will produce many blooms. They are quite fragrant as well.

The Josephine lily, Brunsvigia josephinae is found in the winter rainfall areas from the Western Cape to the western Karoo and the Agulhas region (the southernmost tip of South Africa). The large bulb (it can easily exceed 5 lbs) produces umbels of deep red flowers from February to April. Our native hummingbirds love these blooms. Note that our sale plants will take a few more years in the ground before they will flower.

The blood lily or cape tulip, Haemanthus coccineus, is found throughout the winter rainfall regions in Southern Africa. It is very hardy and adapts to a wide range of soils. It flowers in the fall before the fat, strap-like leaves appear. The bloom is large, blood-red, and cup shaped with a plethora of filaments topped with yellow anthers. It is truly a beautiful and unusual plant. We have blooming sized plants available.

On the smaller side, take a look at the genus Lachenalia (viooltjie in Afrikaans). These diminutive winter-growing bulbs will bring a pop of bright color to the winter garden. Hardy in the Bay Area, they will form clusters over time. We currently offer L. unicolor, L. aloides, L. pusilla, and the strikingly unusual Lachenalia viridiflora with its pastel turquoise blooms.