Bowiea Volubilis

South African "Climbing Sea Onion"

This plant is popular in traditional African medicine, so much that it has become endangered in the wild. They use it to treat everything from heart conditions to infertility. It is a very interesting conversation piece, with feathery leaves climbing from the green bulb.

The bulbs for sale are about the size of a small gumball (maybe half an inch accross). They were propegated through tissue culture (I would never sell a wild-collected bulb). They can grow much larger, old bulbs can be bigger than a softball. They grow faster when the bulb is covered up. Like most South African bulbs, they need well drained soil. They are summer growing. Not frost/cold hardy as far as I know.