Bulbine frutescens

A low-growing succulent perennial that produces bright orange and yellow flowers from March to October. Drought-tolerant and easy to care for, it makes a reliable and eye-catching choice for gravel gardens and sunny borders.

Bulbine produces dense clumps of succulent grass-like leaves and slender flower spikes carrying tightly packed yellow or orange star-shaped flowers with fluffy yellow stamens. In the Mediterranean it flowers almost continuously from spring through late autumn, with peaks in May and September; it slows during the hottest weeks of July–August and during cool damp winters but rarely stops entirely. The clear sap is traditionally used to soothe burns and insect bites. Hardy to -5°C with mulch protection, it tolerates drought, poor soils, salt spray and reflected heat, and recovers quickly after being cut back.

A low-growing ground cover at 30–40 cm tall, Bulbine spreads to 60–80 cm and is ideal for the front of dry borders, gravel gardens, sloping banks and low retaining walls. The orange-flowered form 'Hallmark' is particularly long-blooming and combines beautifully with the deep blue of Plumbago auriculata, the silver foliage of Salvia rosmarinus and the magenta of Lantana montevidensis. Plant in informal drifts along paths and driveways where the warm flower colours pick up the tones of Mediterranean terracotta and sun-bleached stone. Performs reliably in shallow terracotta troughs, where the trailing habit softens hard edges.