Baboon Flower Babiana nervosa

Baboon flower is a perennial flower in the iris family (Iridaceae) native to the Western Cape of Africa and introduced to Australia and Wales. The Genus name is derived from the Afrikaans word bobbejaan, meaning baboon as this is a favorite food for baboons. The specific epithet nervosa means ‘veined’, referring to the prominent veins on the leaves.

The plant grows 6 inches to 1.5 feet tall from corms in a clump 1 to 2 feet wide. It prefers well-drained rocky to clay soil in full sun. Keep the soil moist when growing and blooming, but dry once it goes dormant in the summer. Plant corms in fall 4 to 6 inches deep. 

The spring flowers are to mauve, purple to pink, cream-colored to pale yellow, often with contrasting marks and dark purple to black anthers. the round corm is covered in thick reddish covering called a tunic. It been awarded The Royal Horticultural Society's Garden Merit Award.

Use baboon flowers in pots that can be brought in during cold months or plant outdoors as an annual in zones lower than 9 or as a perennial in warmer winter zones.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  The corm is susceptible to thrips and red spider mites that mostly attack the leaves.