I have a couple of Bulbine frutescens but they appear different in a few ways.
The orange one was a division at the end of 2016 and kept in the front porch that winter. It grew well last year and was overwintered in an unheated greenhouse. Bulbine frutescens by longk48, on Flickr
The yellow one was given to me early last summer. It appears to multiply below the soil, the inflorescence is less congested and the petals are not reflexed. It also produces seed which the orange form does not. Bulbine frutescens by longk48, on Flickr
It is also in bud at the moment.............
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Is one of them wrongly identified or are they naturally variable?
The first is Bulbine frutescens 'Hallmark' and correctly shows an elongated stem.
There are a number of other Bulbines with grass-like leaves growing across a large areas of Southern Africa, so it will be difficult to identify the second, which is not frutescent.
I acquired this yellow flowered plant as Bulbinella sp. although I never quite tied it down to a particular species. Its growth habit seems to make it pretty hardy.
'Hallmark' was of course named by our own Gordon Rowley and he distributed material of it.
The second plant is I suspect Bulbinella hookeri which is a dreadful weed. It is one of the New Zealand species, hardy in much of the UK, and produces copious seed which comes up everywhere. Eliminate it immediately!
It is easy to tell the difference between the two genera, Bulbinella has smooth filaments in the flowers and Bulbine has bearded filaments.
Both are in bud now outdoors.
Bulbinella it is then. It looked too different to be correctly named.
I can't see it becoming too invasive here in the Cotswolds. A few seedlings have popped up but are easily dealt with.
Bulbine frutescens by longk48, on Flickr
Bulbine frutescens by longk48, on Flickr
