Ledebouria sandersonii

Ledebouria sandersonii, commonly called the fairy African hyacinth and scientifically previously Scilla sandersonii, is a deciduous or evergreen, bulbous perennial, from 6 cm to 10 cm in height. The bulb is ovoid in shape, averaging about 3 cm in width. The plant may grow solitary, in clumps or groups. It is variable in appearance across the large distribution range. 

The species distribution is in the east of South Africa, from the Eastern Cape and the Free State to KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, as well as in some neighbouring countries. The photo was taken in Mpumalanga.

The habitat is moist places where the plants grow in shallow soil of montane grassland or bushveld, often on rocky outcrops or along shallow seeps. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century.

The plant is cultivated, considered good in a container (Pooley, et al, 2025; Pooley, 1998; iNaturalist; https://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).