succulent
Bulbine
Bulbine frutescens
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 9–11, Bulbine is a fast-growing evergreen succulent. Expect 1–2 ft of height and 1.5–2 ft of spread; our lists space it 1.5 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part sun with little water once established. Expect orange and yellow flowers in March to November. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the filler role: a flowering plant that fills the middle or front of the bed. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Pacific Northwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Bulbine frutescens
- Plant type
- Succulent, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 9 to 11
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Fast-draining sandy or gravelly soil.
- Mature size
- 1–2 ft tall × 1.5–2 ft wide
- Spacing
- 1.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Mar–Nov · orange and yellow
- Roles in a bed
- Filler
- Styles
- low water, modern
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Toxic to dogs and cats. Not in the ASPCA database and no reliable toxicity data found; marked toxic as a precaution pending review.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $8–$15 (sometimes stocked)
- Plant in
- Spring
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer until roots establish, then only during long dry spells.
- Pruning
- Cut spent flower stalks; divide crowded clumps.
Sources: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List (from general knowledge; not re-checked unless verification is web-checked); Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder and grower tags; State extension service guidance and USDA PLANTS distribution maps; Rutgers NJAES Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States and state noxious weed lists; Typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box retail listings (estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Bulbine, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Adam's needle yucca 'Color Guard'Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'succulent · zones 4–10
- Daylily 'Stella de Oro'Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro'perennial · zones 3–9
- Indian hawthornRhaphiolepis indicashrub · zones 8–11
- Inkberry holly 'Shamrock'Ilex glabra 'Shamrock'shrub · zones 4–9
- Lilyturf 'Big Blue'Liriope muscari 'Big Blue'perennial · zones 6–10
- Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'perennial · zones 7–10
If you can't find it
Plants that do the same job and pass the same rules for the conditions Bulbine suits.
- Lily of the NileAgapanthus africanuszones 9–10 · flagged toxic to pets
- Mexican bush sageSalvia leucanthazones 8–11 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun'Gaillardia × grandiflora 'Arizona Sun'zones 3–10 · flagged toxic to pets
- African irisDietes iridioideszones 8–11 · flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants