by Melody Kendall

I am not usually the type of person that colors outside the box.  Following rules and being on the straight and narrow have been my usual modus operandi and, if the truth be told, my comfort level. Six years ago I took a brief trip on the wild side.  When touring a local public garden, I took some unauthorized cuttings.  Whether you scoff and ask “what's the big deal,” or react with a sharp intake of breath, I still get heart palpitations thinking about that adrenaline rush.  This slight straying from the straight and narrow allowed me to acquire cape balsam (Bulbine frutescens), that has forever changed my garden. 

That small bulbine cutting has since grown into multiple plants that are featured throughout my landscape. In fact, in a recent yard redo project I created an entire section showcasing this low-water, low-maintenance pollinator friendly plant.

The leaves of the cape balsam are thick and fleshy, well adapted to store water. There are two colors of cape balsam flowers: yellow and orange. The plant cutting that I took on that fateful day was the orange variety of bulbine. The orange has longer thinner leaves than the yellow variety that look more grass like and tend to stay in a globular shape with the flowers growing throughout the globe. The yellow has thicker, fleshier leaves that grow in clumps and the flowers tend to originate around the circumference of this irregular plant mass.  Both types add great interest in the garden with their 3+ foot wide spreading green shapes, the interesting succulent-like leaves and the 12” to 15” thin stalks displaying small orange or yellow blossoms on the ends. Needing little water once established, these evergreen native perennials from South Africa are hardy down to 25 degrees F and can take multiple hardships in stride while still providing volumes of pollinator friendly blooms.  Enjoying full sun but doing quite nicely, thank you, in mostly shade, the bulbine blooms from early spring through late fall and only requires removal of spent flower stalks to neaten their appearance. The flowers also work well in flower arrangements. 

The bees and butterflies definitely reap the rewards of my little pilfering adventure.  The neighbors have commented multiple times about the look of these plants in my landscape, so I have been giving out the little self-started seedlings to anyone who wants one.  I hope to pay back my bad behavior in this manner with the aim of balancing my “garden karma.” Though I don't think I will do anything like that again, I am glad that I discovered this amazing plant. 

Plants self propagate, seedlings in 4" pots

Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143.  Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.

Photo credits: Mel Kendall

Information links:

UC Davis arboretumYellow https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/plant/cape-balsam

Monrovia-orange https://www.monrovia.com/orange-stalked-bulbine.html