Silvery leaves dappled with dark green leopard spots and backed in rich purple, sprouting from little bulbs that sit on top of the soil like a cluster of pearls. In spring it sends up dainty stems of tiny green-and-white bell flowers. A quirky, low-maintenance gem for a sunny windowsill.

Also known as: Silver Squill, Leopard Lily, Wood Hyacinth

Origins & folklore: Ledebouria socialis comes from the dry grasslands and scrub of South Africa's Eastern Cape, where it stores water in its bulbs to survive long dry spells. The genus is named after Carl Friedrich von Ledebour, a 19th-century German-Estonian botanist, and socialis refers to the way the bulbs huddle together in friendly, ever-growing clumps.

Because the bulbs multiply so readily, a single pot slowly becomes a little colony – perfect for dividing and sharing with friends.

Size: Delivered in an 8cm plastic nursery pot.

Care guide
•    Light: Bright light with some direct sun – a sunny windowsill is ideal. In too little light the leaves lose their spots and turn plain green.
•    Watering: Water when the compost is almost dry, roughly every 1–2 weeks in spring and summer, and much less in winter. Water around the bulbs rather than over them, as they can rot if kept wet.
•    Humidity & temperature: Average household humidity is fine. Happiest between 15–27°C; keep above 10°C.
•    Feeding: A cactus and succulent feed once a month in spring and summer.
•    Good to know: Plant it in a shallow pot with gritty, free-draining compost (a peat-free cactus mix is ideal) and leave the bulbs sitting on top. It may rest and drop a few leaves in winter – that's normal.

Toxicity: Toxic if eaten. All parts can cause nausea and vomiting in people, and vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy in cats and dogs; the sap may irritate skin. Keep out of reach of children and pets.