- Home
- Succulents
- Albuca
- Albuca bracteata (False Sea Onion)
Albuca bracteata (False Sea Onion)
Ideally place in full sun, but it will also tolerate partial shade.
Water a few days after the substrate has dried out. However, only water during the growing season.
It can withstand temperatures as low as -6.7 °C for short periods. However, the plant is not frost-resistant.
Plant the plant so that the top of the bulb remains above the surface of the substrate—this will also highlight its side bulbs.
Albuca bracteata is also known by the common names False Sea Onion, Pregnant Onion, or Sea Onion. The epithet bracteata means “bearing bracts” and refers to the inflorescence, where the bracts are longer than the flowers themselves. In nature, this species occurs in forests, forest edges, dense woodland, and sheltered slopes.
The plant has semi-succulent, arching green leaves and forms a prominent bulb from which both leaves and flower stalks emerge. The bulb is smooth, round to egg-shaped, and can reach a diameter of up to about 10 cm. It readily produces offsets. When grown in a pot, the upper part of the bulb can be left above the soil surface, allowing the developing offset bulbs to remain visible.
The flowers are white with a broad green central stripe. They appear in a dense cluster during spring and summer, rising above the foliage on a flowering stalk.
For cultivation, a well-draining substrate and a bright position are suitable. Watering should be moderate, and the leaves may partially or completely dry back during the year. Albuca bracteata is an undemanding houseplant that grows well without special care.