Add a Ballet of Bulbine to Your Florida Landscape

You can see the ebullient little flowers dancing high above the grass-like leaves — fluid and in unison, a ballet of tiny orange petals bending and bobbing like there’s no tomorrow.

It’s almost as if they have to overcompensate for their industrial-sounding name.

After all, they have soft succulent leaves.

A graceful air.

Peachy-orange petals

But their name is bulbine.

But there’s a reason for that. Named for the bulb-shaped tuber of plants in the family Asphodelaceae, bulbine is hardy with a slightly woody base, drought-tolerant and easily propagated with strong roots.

For beauty and function, the bulbine shines.

Plant yours in a sunny, well-drained spot, and deadhead flowers to encourage continual blooms. Bulbine flowers best when given water during very dry or hot summers. No need to worry about serious insect or disease issues. It makes a splendid ground cover, with each plant forming a clump that can reach up to four feet over time.

Oh, and the best thing is that it’s adored by bees.

Plant this under-appreciated South African native in your Florida landscape and be prepared to give it a standing ovation every day. Tell your professional landscape designer you want to try something different, something sweet and lovely and hardy all at the same time. One landscape company who already knows about this unsung Florida treasure is ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design. Why not contact them? artistree.com; 941.488.8897

Category Florida-friendly/Native Plants, Landscape Design, News, Plant selection, Landscaping Tips