Forms a clump of 20-40 cm long cylindrical green leaves, like a plant in the leek or onion family. Bright yellow flowers on tall stems from September to March. Grows 20 to 75 cm tall. These attractive plants are useful for containers, rockeries, courtyards and cottage gardens as they can grow in small spaces. Best grown in groups. Good for pollinators.

Synonyms: Anthericum bulbosum, Bulbinopsis bulbosa

Common names: Bulbine Lily, Golden Lily, Native Leek, Native Onion, Wild Onion, Yellow Onion Weed, Leek Lily

Family: Liliaceae

Similar species: Bulbine glauca (Rock Lily), Bulbine vagans (Bulbine Lily), Tricoryne elatior (Yellow Rush Lily), Hypoxis hygrometrica (Golden Weathergrass)

Conservation status: Not listed as there are no known threats.

 

Description

Australian distribution

Corm: subterranean stem from 7 to 25 cm long, and up to 23 mm diameter. It is the organ of the plant from which the stems, leaves and flowers are produced and in which the plant food reserves are stored. Short fleshy roots also protrude from this corm.

Stem: simple, erect, succulent, leafless, lengthens as the flowers ripen.

Leaves: basal, hollow, narrow, cylindrical, channeled, 20-40 cm long, green-grey. The leaves don’t persist after flowering.

 

Uses

Horticulture

Very attractive ornamental for containers, rockeries, cottage and montane gardens. The plants can grow in limited spaces such as window boxes, small containers, tiny rock pockets, courtyards or other small-scale gardens. Plant in clumps for better effect. Trim off spent leaves to encourage new growth.

Bush tucker

Once the leaves had died back, the corm was roasted and eaten by Aboriginal people all year round. It would take a few years for the corm to mature. The corms of B. bulbosa are said to be the sweetest of the lily and lily-like plants, it is nutritious and rich in calcium and iron. The process of harvesting by Aboriginal women with digging sticks prepared the site for the germination of seeds for next season’s crop. This soil disturbance also prepared the site for the germination of associated plants such as Microseris lanceolata (Yam Daisy).

Fodder

Acceptable to stock and may be particularly used in dry winters. However, the plants are reputedly toxic to stock if grazed in large quantity (suspected of causing severe scouring, collapse and death in cattle, horses and sheep) but there is no scientific evidence of toxicity (Everist, 1974).

Wildlife value

The plant provides nectar to insects such as butterflies.

 

Reproduction

Bulbine bulbosa and pollinator

Flowers

Bright yellow alternating flowers with 6 ‘petals’, 10-15mmm long, 20 mm wide. Up to 50 flowers can be borne by long upright stalks, at the top of the stem. The flowers are not all open at once. They are often fragrant. Flowering occurs from September to March, throughout the distribution.

Fruit: capsules
Spherical, three-celled capsule of about 6 mm diameter and 3-6 mm long. The fruits are found at the base of the flowering stem. They split longitudinally at maturity and produce 1 to 13 seeds.

Seeds
0.8 to 2 mm long, cream when unripe and dark-brown when ripe. There are approximately 500 seeds per gram.

Germination requirements
No pre-treatment is required for germination. Seeds germinate readily in 2 to 8 weeks. Try germinating at temperatures around 16°C as hotter temperatures prevent germination.

Genetic seed viability
Possible chromosomal differences are unknown for Bulbine bulbosa at present.

How to grow the species in a Seed Production Area (SPA)

Seed collection and storage

Collect the seeds from late November to late December. Monitor closely as seeds are shed from the capsule 3 to 14 days after maturity.

Harvest the stalks by hand or with secateurs when the papery capsules turn brown and brittle, the seeds are dark-brown and the stems have changed from orange brown to light brown. Place the stems upside-down inside large paper bags and dry until the capsules have opened. Thresh lightly to extract the seeds from the capsules and sieve clean.

When stored in appropriate conditions, seeds retain viability for several years; according to germination tests done at the National Seed Bank, 95% of 23-year-old seeds stored in a freezer germinated whereas when stored in a cold room at 4°C no seed germinated. The seeds should be dried down to 5-6% seed moisture content and then be stored in a freezer.

Propagation

B. bulbosa can be propagated from seed or division.

Sow seeds in autumn, 2 to 3 months after collection. The seeds can be directly sown into pots or sown in trays with a thin layer of vermiculite or potting mix on top. They can also be hand-broadcast at revegetation sites.

Clumps can be divided successfully in autumn, after the flowering cycle. After division, store the new individuals in dry conditions until the following spring when they can be planted. After propagation, watering can be increased to encourage new growth.

The space between plants should be between 15 and 20 cm.

Growth at the SPA

The plants are best maintained with regular watering from spring to early summer. To encourage growth, the plants can be fertilised with slow-release fertiliser and seaweed fertiliser in spring. Seaweed fertiliser can also be combined with a water-soluble fertiliser and applied during establishment.

Ecology

Habitat

Open woodlands, grasslands, saltbush plains and sclerophyll forests; often abundant amongst rocks. Persists only on less disturbed sites and tends to occur in relatively dense localised patches.

Growth period

Growth starts after autumn rain and until mid-summer if sufficient moisture is available. After flowering, the plant dies down to underground tuber and re-shoots in autumn. With frequent watering, new growth can continually be produced

Habit

Perennial herb

Drought tolerance

Sensitive.

Site tolerance

Moist areas, with protection from strong wind. Can grow with very little sun throughout the year.

Soil tolerance

Found on a wide range of soil types, frequent on clays and on rich and well drained soils. Often associated with water-retentive soils or soils which are seasonally inundated (e.g. swamps).

Frost tolerance

Hardy.

Fire tolerance

Tolerant. Fire retardant plant.

Grazing tolerance

Threatened if grazed during spring and summer.

Pests

Snails and slugs

References
Carr, D. (1997). Plants in Your Pants: a pocket guide for the identification and use of the common plants of the northwest slopes. Greening Australia NSW, Armidale.
Cunningham, G.M., Mulham, W.E., Milthorpe, P.L., Leigh, J.H. (1981). Plants of Western New South Wales. D. West: NSW Government Printing Office.
Eddy, D., Mallinson, D., Rehwinkel, R., Sharp, S. (1998). Grassland Flora, a field guide for the Southern Tablelands (NSW&ACT). Canberra, ACT.
Parry, N., Jones J. (2009). Small native plants for Australian Gardens. Reed New Holland, Sydney.
Peate, N., MacDonald, G., Talbot, A. (2006). Grow what where. Bloomings Books, Melbourne.
Scarlett, N.H. (Ed.) (1992). Field guide to Victoria’s Native Grasslands. Victoria Press, Melbourne.
Sheperd, R.C.H. (2010). Is that plant poisonous? An Australian field guide for livestock, pets and people. R.G and F.J Richardson, Melbourne
Walker, K., Burrows, G., McMahon, L. (2001). Bidgee Bush, An identification guide to common native plants species of the South Western Slopes of New South Wales. Greening Australia NSW.

Links
Australian National Botanic Gardens: http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2003/bulbine-bulbosa.html
PlantNET – National Herbarium of New South Wales: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/