Babiana villosula - Baboon Root / Flower - Indigenous South African Bulb - 10 Seeds

Babiana is a genus of flowering plants in the Family Iridaceae composed of about 80 species. Most of these species (about 49) are found in the south-western Cape of Africa, with the remainder distributed in Namaqualand and Northern Cape Province. The native range of the genus is from southern Namibia to the Eastern Cape to southern Zimbabwe, with one species from Socotra off the coast of Somalia. The genus name is derived from the Dutch word baviaan, referring to the African monkey that consumes the corms of plants in the genus.

A range-restricted species extant at seven of its 18 historical locations. It has lost over 80% of its habitat to urban development, wheat and vineyard expansion, invasive alien plant infestations. Occurs as small, severely fragmented subpopulations. Loss to urban expansion and alien plant invasion is ongoing.

USDA Zone - 9

Season to sow - Autumn