Babiana nervosa: Country Or Region Of Origin
SW. Cape Province (South Africa)
Plant Profile: Babiana nervosa
Names
Baboon Flower, Blue Freesias
Phonetic Spelling:ba-bee-AN-uh ner-VO-suh
Genus:Babiana
Species:nervosa
Family:Iridaceae
This plant, recognized with The Royal Horticultural Society's Garden Merit Award, resembles a miniature gladiolus and features flowers akin to those of freesia. It thrives in well-drained soil and full sunlight, showing resilience to afternoon sun. When planting, space them 2 to 6 inches apart. The common name, Baboon Flower, originates from the fact that baboons in South Africa consume this plant.
It is classified as Tender III, meaning it can sustain damage when temperatures drop below 25 degrees F (2 degrees C).
Babiana nervosa Feature Summary
Tags
#purple
#fragrant
#red
#showy flowers
#fall color
#full sun tolerant
#fragrant flowers
#blue
#purple flowers
#pink flowers
#corm
#red flowers
#corms
#frost tender
#blue flowers
#spring flowers
#summer flowers
#tender perennial
#ornamentals
#spring interest
#early summer flowers
#partial shade tolerant
#problem for cats
#problem for dogs
#problem for horses
#tropical feel
Similar Plants
Babiana nervosa is often confused with:
Babiana nervosa Feature Summary
Attributes
SW. Cape Province (South Africa)
Leave corms in dry planting medium and store at 70 degrees F (21 degrees C)
Perennial
Bulb
Seed
Division
Fruit
Seed pods
Flowers
Smelling like lemons, these flowers bloom anywhere from mid-spring to early summer. They bloom in groups (up to 12 flowers, as low as 6 flowers) on each individual stem.
Purple/Lavender
White
Gold/Yellow
Red/Burgundy
Blue
Fragrant
Showy
Spring
Summer
6 petals/rays
Stem
Flowers bloom in groups (up to 12 flowers, as low as 6 flowers) on each individual stem.
Green
Straight
Whole Plant Traits
Bulb
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Less than 12 inches
9a
9b
10a
10b
Leaves
Landscape
Accent
Container
Problem for Cats
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Babiana nervosa Image Gallery
Babiana nervosa Attributes
Babiana nervosa: Bulb Storage
Leave corms in dry planting medium and store at 70 degrees F (21 degrees C)
Babiana nervosa: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Babiana nervosa: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Babiana nervosa Fruit
Babiana nervosa: Fruit Description
Seed pods
Babiana nervosa Flowers
Babiana nervosa: Flower Description
Smelling like lemons, these flowers bloom anywhere from mid-spring to early summer. They bloom in groups (up to 12 flowers, as low as 6 flowers) on each individual stem.
Babiana nervosa: Flower Color
Blue
Gold/Yellow
Purple/Lavender
Red/Burgundy
White
Babiana nervosa: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Babiana nervosa: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Babiana nervosa: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Babiana nervosa Stem
Babiana nervosa: Stem Description
Flowers bloom in groups (up to 12 flowers, as low as 6 flowers) on each individual stem.
Babiana nervosa: Stem Color
Green
Babiana nervosa: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Babiana nervosa: Stem Form
Straight
Zig Zags
Babiana nervosa Whole Plant Traits
Babiana nervosa: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Babiana nervosa Cultural Conditions
Babiana nervosa: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Babiana nervosa: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Babiana nervosa: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Babiana nervosa: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Babiana nervosa: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
10a
10b
9a
9b
Babiana nervosa Leaves
Babiana nervosa: Leaf Color
Green
Babiana nervosa: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Babiana nervosa: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Babiana nervosa: Leaf Feel
Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy
Babiana nervosa: Leaf Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy
Babiana nervosa Landscape
Babiana nervosa: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Babiana nervosa: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Babiana nervosa: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
