Boophone Plants

Boophone is a genus of three rare species from Africa in the Amaryllis family. These plants are herbaceous, bulbous perennials, meaning they lose their leaves once per year.

Boophone grows an eye-catching fan of grey-green leaves with wavy-edges topping a large scaly above-ground bulb! Some large bulbs in the wild are over a hundred years old. Boophone disticha and Boophone haemanthoides are two plants we offer from time to time.

Boophone derives its name from from bous = ox, phonos = slaughter (the bulb sap is poisonous). Several common names exist such as Oxbane, Century Bulb, and other names in indigenous languages which refer to the medicinal and other uses of the bulb.

Cultivating Boophone is not difficult as long as you know the climate of the species you’re growing. All Boophones need a very well drained mix. These species need to remain in (deep) containers for a long time.