Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae
Bulbine frutescens ‘Hallmark’ (bulbine ‘Hallmark’, Hallmark cat’s whiskers) is a compact, ornamental succulent native to southern Africa. It features narrow, fleshy green leaves and bright, star-shaped yellow flowers held on upright stems, giving gardens a cheerful, soft-textured look. This cultivar is commonly used as a drought-tolerant groundcover, edging plant, or accent in rock gardens and xeriscapes because it is hardy, low-maintenance, and performs well in warm, sunny conditions.
This cultivar is rated low risk and is not considered a significant threat to Hawaiʻi’s natural areas. It has not shown tendencies to aggressively spread or invade native ecosystems. With normal garden care and responsible planting practices—especially avoiding dumping garden waste in natural areas—it can be enjoyed as a safe, attractive landscape plant in the Hawaiian Islands.
High Risk Traits:
- The wild type is a potential weed (Listed as a Quarantine Weed under Western Australias state-wide quarantine system which means they are prohibited from entering the state)
- Related Bulbine species regarded as weeds
- Tolerates many soil types
- Spreads vegetatively
- Starts to spread vegetatively after 1 year
- A geophyte (may persist in soil if above ground vegetation is removed)
- Limited biological and ecological information outside native range makes accurate risk predication difficult
Low Risk Traits:
- No reports of naturalization or invasiveness reported to date
- The cultivar 'Hallmark' is self-sterile, so seedlings are unlikely to be produced
- Medicinal and ornamental uses
