- Botanical name: Albuca shawii
- Common name: Shaw's albuca
- Family: Asparagaceae
- Plant Type: Bulb, Deciduous
Yellow
Green
- Key features:
- Flowers
- Low maintenance plant
- Succeeds on poor soil
Albuca are bulbous perennials with narrow leaves and racemes of yellow or white flowers in summer. They hail from southern Africa.
From Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa, Albuca shawii, or Shaw’s albuca, is an unusual plant with nodding bright yellow, green-striped, almond-scented flowers in summer. The fine, aromatic foliage has a slight liquorice aroma when stroked or crushed.
Plant Albuca shawii bulbs in spring, ideally in a pot, as the plants are not reliably hardy in UK winters. Incorporate plenty of grit into the compost, as plants need good drainage, and grow in a sunny spot. Lift and store the bulbs over winter before replanting in spring. Alternatively, grow plants from seed.
How to grow Albuca shawii
-
Plant size
50cm height
10cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
-
Position in border
Front
- Sun exposure: Full sun
- Hardiness: Frost hardy
- Soil type: Well drained / light / sandy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do Plant in April |
M
Do not Plant in May |
J
Do not Plant in June |
J
Do not Plant in July |
A
Do not Plant in August |
S
Do not Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does flower in March |
A
Plant does not flower in April |
M
Plant does not flower in May |
J
Plant does flower in June |
J
Plant does flower in July |
A
Plant does not flower in August |
S
Plant does not flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
| Collect seeds | ||||||||||||
| Collect seeds |
J
Do not Collect seeds in January |
F
Do not Collect seeds in February |
M
Do not Collect seeds in March |
A
Do not Collect seeds in April |
M
Do not Collect seeds in May |
J
Do not Collect seeds in June |
J
Do not Collect seeds in July |
A
Do Collect seeds in August |
S
Do not Collect seeds in September |
O
Do not Collect seeds in October |
N
Do not Collect seeds in November |
D
Do not Collect seeds in December |
Albuca shawii and wildlife
Albuca shawii has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Albuca shawii poisonous?
Albuca shawii has no toxic effects reported.
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
