Babiana ringens aka Babiana Ringens

Babiana ringens is in the iris family, named Iridaceae. Kew gives its home range as South Africa’s Cape Province. It places the plant in a subtropical climate. The RHS says it is not native to Britain or Ireland. It also lists Antholyza ringens as another name for this species. Chicago Botanic Garden calls it rat’s tail baboon root. The RHS also gives the name Aunt Eliza.

Kew calls this plant a tuberous geophyte. This means it has a storage organ below ground. Chicago lists it with bulbs and says it grows upright. The two sources use different terms for its growth type. Neither says how tall or wide this species grows. The supplied records give no details about this species’ leaves. The RHS describes leaves for the genus as a whole. That account does not cover this species alone.

Chicago gives pink and yellow as the flower colours. It lists blooms from March through April and May through June. These entries span March to June in that garden’s record. They do not show when it blooms in its Cape home. The supplied pages do not describe this species’ flower shape or scent. Nor do they describe its fruit or seeds. They give no account of how pollen reaches the flowers.

Chicago lists full sun and part shade as suitable light levels. It gives a hardiness range of USDA zones 9–11. The care record drawn from the page says to give moderate water. Yet the page labels that entry as soil, which leaves some doubt. No source states the soil type or pH it needs. None says how water needs change with the seasons. The subtropical label gives a broad sense of its climate. It does not give a precise limit for cold. The evidence gives no UK hardiness rating.

Chicago suggests this plant for beds or borders. Its upright form and pink or yellow blooms suit that role. But that page is an archive from before February 2022. It no longer gets updates. The supplied records name no pests or diseases for this species. They give no proof of parts to eat or uses as medicine. No source here shows that it is safe for people or pets. These gaps do not prove that the plant is safe.