Bulbinella hookeri
Approx. 0.5 litre pot
About this cultivar:
Bulbinella hookeri was first described by John William Colenso and William Jackson Hooker from Kew (father of another famous plantsman Joesph Hooker), and was given its current name by Thomas Frederic Cheeseman. It is a tough SOB that flowers yellow with greeny bronze foliage. Apparently you can eat the roots (hence the common name of Maori Onion) but I've never tried them.
- Position: Full sun, partial shade, indirect sun
- Soil: Almost any soil, grows well in Ballyrobert!
- Flowers: July, August, September
- Other features: -
- Hardiness: Fully hardy - grows well in Ballyrobert!
- Habit: Clump forming, Columnar or Upright
- Foliage: Deciduous
- Height: 15 - 45 cm (0.5 - 1.5 ft)
- Spread: 15 - 45 cm (0.5 - 1.5 ft)
- Time to full growth: 2 to 5 years
- Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Colour: Yellow, green
- Goes well with: Grow them at the front of the border as an interesting specimen to make some plant-aholics 'ohh' and 'ahh' and remind yourself of your horticultural refinement. Else, use them as miniature-red-hot-pokers (Kniphoifa).
About this genus:
Bulbinella is a genus of plant in the family Xanthorrhoeaceae, first described as a genus in 1843. They grow like everywhere in parts of Sotuh Africa and New Zealand.
They are characterised by the presence of a dense terminal raceme of flowers, often yellow but also white, pink, yellow or orange depending on the species. The have narrow or thread like but never succulent leaves. The leaves decay into prominent fibres at the base of the stem.
Although very exotic looking plants they are quite easy to grow as long as there is 'not too much' sun, shade, water, drought etc. Rest assured we grow them in our own garden in Ballyrobert!
Grow them at the front of the border as an interesting specimen to make some plant-aholics 'ohh' and 'ahh' and remind yourself of your horticultural refinement. Else, use them as miniature-red-hot-pokers (Kniphoifa).
