#babiana

Babiana odorata

Babiana odorata is said to have pale yellow flowers with contrasting blue anthers, as well as a wonderful fragrance. While our plants received under this name are certainly fragrant, they have a greater range of flower colors, with purples and blues and bright yellow added to the mix, so perhaps they are hybrids. In any case, they are the first of the babianas to bloom each year, starting around the beginning of February. The pleated leaves are typical of the genus, which belongs to the Iris Family. Most of the species are from western South Africa, in the winter-rainfall zone, so they go dormant in summer.

Babiana cv.

26-SEP-2025

Inktober Cont. Day Forty One: Babiana/ Baboon Flower

Babiana rubrocyanea

The Iris Family has an enormous number of species native to South Africa, including quite a few in the genus Babiana (known as baboon flowers). Babiana rubrocyanea stands out on account of the contrast between the blues and purples seen on the outside of its flowers, contrasting dramatically with the red and white seen in the center. This species comes from the winter-rainfall region in western South Africa, and it is totally dormant in summer.

Babiana odorata

Babianas are sometimes called "baboon flowers", referring to the fact that baboons sometimes eat the corms. They belong to the Iris Family, and although some species occur farther afield, the majority come from the winter-rainfall region in western South Africa and adjacent southern Namibia. This one is the delightfully scented Babiana odorata, from north of Cape Town. It has developed into a good-sized clump over the last 10 years, going dormant in the summer months and coming back with the fall rains each year.

Babiana rubrocyanea

Babiana is a genus in the Iris Family, with most of the species found in the winter-rainfall area in western South Africa. Pictured is the strikingly-colored Babiana rubrocyanea, featuring a strong contrast between the red and white of the flower's center and the purplish blue of the outside. From north of Cape Town.

Babiana odorata

Babiana is a genus in the Iris Family with many species found in South Africa. This one comes from Western Cape Province, to the north of Cape Town in the winter-rainfall region of the country. Its flowers vary in color, with shades of blue, yellow, lavender and white. It gets its name from the fragrance emitted by the flowers.