This is a small genus from South Africa and New Zealand, with fleshy, linear leaves and dense racemes of starry, bright yellow flowers. They have been completely hardy with us in Scotland, but if in doubt, apply a winter mulch of leaf mould to provide some extra protection. The New Zealand ones, which are those most commonly cultivated in the UK, and known locally as Maori onions.

Bulbinella hookeri is an easy and reliable rock or peat garden plant, thriving for us in quite wet conditions. It has dark green leaves, brown on the edges, matching the flower stems, which are spikes packed with masses of starry, six-petalled, bright yellow flowers.