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BulbsHerbaceous Perennial

Babiana nana

dwarf baboon flower

A rare, compact cormous perennial with lance-shaped ribbed green leaves and large rose-violet scented blue or purple flowers with white markings appearing in the spring

Synonyms

Gladiolus nanus

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Iridaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Babiana are cormous perennials with ribbed, erect, narrowly lance-shaped leaves and spikes of often fragrant, funnel-shaped flowers
Name status: Correct
Plant range: South Africa (Cape)

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow under glass from corms in autumn. Plant into John Innes No 2 compost and grow on in full light. Apply a weak, balanced liquid fertiliser every 3 weeks before flowering. Dry off as the leaves die down in summer. Corms can also be bought in spring for planting outside for a one off summer blooming, but after this, would need to be grown under glass and allowed to winter grow. Plant corms 15cm (6in) deep

Propagation

Propagate by seed as soon as ripe in autumn in a temperature of 13°C-15°C (55°F-59°F). Remove offsets when the corms are dormant in autumn. Pot into equal parts loam-based compost and sharp sand

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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