Drimia mzimvubuensis
26th May 2014
A very curious little bulb from South Africa, its taxonomic position is under review. After a short association with
Sagittanthera the new genus Aulostemon has been created to include it - I am sticking with Drimia
for the moment, more out of laziness than and strong feelings on the matter. I got it from a succulent sale where it
was being treated like a Lithops, and looked just like one.
In fact the above ground part is the bulb which is made up of a few short fat obovoid bulb scales. In habitat in the
Eastern Cape Province it forms small clumps of bulbs on sheer south facing cliffs. I am promised stems of long lasting white flowers
in spring.
30th June 2016
I keep it quite dry and it has been very simple and completely uneventful. I think the bulb has swollen and shrunk a little
with the changing season but that has been the sum of the excitement. Finally in summer this year it produced a few
grassy leaves. It is strangely enchanting.
17th July 2018
Once I started to pay less heed to the advice to keep it dry, it has started to grow more strongly
and produced this flower spike.
22nd July 2020
Found only on cliffs above the Mzimvubu River in the Eastern Cape, where it was first discovered in 2002.