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Home > Plant profiles > Tulbaghia ‘Silver Lace’ and ‘Highland Wonder’
Tulbaghia ‘Silver Lace’ and ‘Highland Wonder’
 Botanical names: Tulbaghia cominsii ‘Silver lace’ and Tulbaghia leucantha ‘Highland Wonder’.
Common name: `Society Garlic`.
History: Linnaeus first documented Tulbaghia in 1771. It was never widely grown in gardens due to the scent of garlic that it emits. Popularity increased when traditional medicine began using it to treat fevers colds, as well as tuberculosis.
Origin: South Africa.
Name: Linnaeus in 1771 gave the genus its name to honour a relationship with Ryk Tulbagh, governor of the Cape Colony of South Africa. Originally named Tulbagia, it was corrected to Tulbaghia in 1792.
Comments: Extremely easy to grow and very tough plants. In frost prone areas provide a dry winter mulch. A beautiful container subject, ideal for the front of a border or a herb garden. They have a long flowering period and are very robust. They are under threat of extinction in their natural environment due to over collection for culinary and medicinal use’s.
Potting tips: Pot size is very much dependant on the size of the plant. A minimum of a 12.5cm standard or bulb pot is necessary for young plants and pots up to and including 30cm for larger specimens. A peat based compost best suits the plant. The compost should contain a high ratio of potash to promote flowering. Peat allows the roots to grow very fast indeed, a large drawback when re-potting as it is hard not to break the original pot, though advantageous when watering as the roots trap water within the pot. The retention of water is especially important as in full sun they are subjected to quite high temperatures, resulting in the ambient temperature of the pot and the medium being high. Watering should occur in the evening during periods of hot weather. Repeating the drying and wetting process to encourage flowering. A 1cm layer of round aquarium gravel placed on the surface prevents any weed seed from germinating but also protects the surface of the compost from drying out too quickly in the summer months making it easier to re-wet.
There are other advantages to using clay pots with peat-based composts. Clay pots are porous and allow the roots and compost to breathe and so they never become too wet during their dormant period. Also, there is less risk of losing them if the temperature falls unexpectedly low and the plants are subjected to a sudden frost. To propagate, the growing medium should be washed off allowing the individual bulbs to be exposed and divided. A very sharp knife or scalpel is needed as some species can form very tight clumps.
Contacts:
International Bulb Society,
P.O. Box 336
Sanger,
CALIFORNIA.
USA
www.bulsociety.com
Australian Bulb Association
6 Waratah Way,
Wodonga, 3690,
Victoria,
Australia.
Phone: +61 2 6056 2510
Fax: +61 2 6056 2510
Family: Alliaceous.
Size (HxW): 20cm x 15cm.
Depth and spacing: Plant as to the same depth as in the pot and 15cm apart.
Watering: Water freely when in growth, reduce when in flower, and as the leaves whither, keep almost dry when dormant.
Frost tolerance: ‘Silver lace’ fully hardy, ‘Highland Wonder’ half hardy.
Flowering time: Spring to autumn.
Soil: Well drained, humus rich, fertile soil best suits these plants. pH 7.5.
Aspect: ‘Silver lace’ Full sun to semi-shade, ‘Highland Wonder’ Full sun.
Climate: Cool to temperate.
Fertilizer: Apply a general purpose fertilizer annually in spring.
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