Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Iridaceae

Genus:

Babiana

Species:

Babiana melanops

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Geophyte

Height:

20 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

aug,sep,oct

Bloom Colors:

blue, purple, black

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, insects

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Like many fynbos geophytes, resprouts from underground corms after fire and may show enhanced flowering post-burn.

Source: Claude claude-opus-4-5-20251101 Batch

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

None required

Germination Time:

21–60 days

Notes:

Corms should be planted in autumn; seeds benefit from sowing in fall with cool night temperatures to trigger germination.

Source: Claude claude-opus-4-5-20251101 Batch