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Boophone disticha 'CF' (Clustering Oxbane Lily) – An interesting form of the large deciduous Oxbane bulbs. A mature bulb of the species can grow to about 7 inches in diameter with a thick covering of dry scales above the ground and is usually solitary, but this form continually suckers and individual bulbs, so far have been much smaller. Like the large form it has blunt gray leaves that can reach to 20 inches tall and have wavy undulating edges. We have not seen this form flower, but our regular form produces an inflorescence on older plants in late winter or spring and often when the plant is leafless that is composed of an umbel of many pink to red funnel-shaped flowers.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and water little to regularly while in leaf. It is best to protect this plant from frost though we did not experience damage on our plants in the January 2007 cold snap where temperatures dipped to 25° F three nights in a row. This plant is quite poisonous, and care should be given not to let animals browse it.
We first purchased the seed for this crop in the late 1990's from Silverhill Nursery. Some have suggested that this is Boophone ernestii-ruschii but the leaves are no wider than Boophone disticha, as they should be for Boophone ernestii-ruschii. Though this plant is most often listed as Boophane, it is noted in “The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs” by John Manning, Peter Goldblatt and Dee Snjman the Timber Press 2002) that the spelling of this plant's name has caused much confusion and that Boophone has been formally proposed as the correct form. The name comes from the Greek 'bous' meaning "ox", and 'phone' meaning "death" and is in reference to the poisonous properties of this bulb. The specific epithet 'disticha' is for the two-ranked leaves displayed in a fan-like formation. Other common names for this plant are Bushman poison bulb, Candelabra flower, Cape poison bulb, Century plant, Fan leaved boophone, Kaffir onion, Poison bulb, Red posy, Sore eye flower, Veldt fan, Windball, Fireball, Oxkiller fan, Tumbleweed. The names Windball and Tumbleweed are because the dried inflorescence can tumble about while dispersing seed and the sore-eye flower is in reference to the thought that a person exposed within a confined area to the open flowers may get sore eyes or a headache.
The information displayed on this page about Boophone disticha 'CF' is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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