This deciduous South-African tuberous plant grows rapidly and clump-forming out of thick, tuberous, spreading roots. Out of those appear long, narrow, strap-shaped, greyish-green leaves which spread a strong garlic-fragrance when crushed. The plant flowers during summer with pink mauve, tubular flowers with a starry mouth in umbels of up to 20 blooms on a tall stalk above the leaves. The flowers are especially during the night very fragrant. The plant is self-seeding with hard, black seeds out of triangular seedboxes. The leaves are eaten. Flowers, leaves an tubers have medicinal use too. For a sunny spot in moist to wet soil. Temperary droughts are taken well. Reasonably winter-hardy. With temps below –15 °C winter-protection is needed.
