Barleria lancifolia near Broederstroom in Gauteng

The habitat of Barleria lancifolia lies in rocky areas among grass and shrubs. It grows in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Limpopo, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The plant is not threatened. Pollination is performed by a variety of insects, notably several kinds of butterfly.

This plant should be grown in sunny garden spots. It is rewarding in terms of flowering, withstands drought and mild frost. It usually flowers after rain.

There are 60 species of Barleria in South Africa and about 250 in the genus worldwide, mainly in the tropics (Manning, 2009; www.plantzafrica.com).