| Common Name | Latin Name | Plant Family |
|---|---|---|
|
Baboon Root |
Babiana plicata |
Iridaceae |
None known
Cultivation & Habitat
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cool greenhouse, it will germinate in the spring[200]. The seed can also be sown in a warm greenhouse at most times of the year[1]. It usually germinates within 4 – 8 weeks at 20¡c[134]. Give young seedlings as much light as possible[134]. Sow the seed thinly so that it does not need to be thinned and grow the young plants on for their first year without disturbance. Give an occasional liquid feed to ensure that they do not become nutrient deficient. Pot the small bulbs up when they are dormant, placing 2 – 3 bulbs in each pot, and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least the next year. Plant them out into their permanent positions when the plants are dormant in the autumn.
Division of offsets when the plant is dormant in the autumn. They are freely produced[42, 200]. The offsets can be planted direct into their permanent positions if required.
An easily grown plant, it requires a warm, sunny, sheltered position in a well-drained light sandy soil[42, 79].
Plants are only reliably hardy in the milder areas of Britain and are best cultivated in pots in a cold greenhouse in most parts of the country[1]. They tolerate temperatures down to about -5¡c[200].
Plant the corms 20 – 25cm deep[79, 200]. If necessary, the corms can be lifted after the plant dies down in the autumn and stored overwinter in a dry frost-free place, replanting them in the spring[200]. If the plants are to be left in the ground over the winter then it is best to give them a protective mulch of bracken or some similar material[245].
The growing plant resents root disturbance[134].
S. Africa.
Become ungovernable, break the chains of the matrix; grow and forage your own food and medicine.
*None of the information on this website qualifies as professional medical advice. Take only what resonates with your heart and use your own personal responsibility for what’s best for you. For more information [brackets] [000], see bibliography.