Watsonia meriana

Photo: Mary Ittner and Bob Rutemolle

Synonyms: Watsonia bulbullifera Mathews & L. Bolus; Watsonia meriana (L.) Miller var. bulbullifera Mathews & L. Bolus; Watsonia bulbifera; Watsonia angusta auct. non Ker-Gawl.

Common names: bulbil Watsonia; Watsonia

Watsonia meriana (bulbil Watsonia) is a perennial flowering herb (family Iridaceae) found in disturbed areas, coastal prairies and coniferous forests along the northern coast of California. This corm-forming, ornamental, South African native reproduces by growing bulblets. Bulbil Watsonia, which is generally avoided by wildlife as a food source, forms dense patches that may crowd out other plants. Bulbil Watsonia infestations tend to spread slowly on their own, but they may establish new populations by human movement of plant material and soil.

Cal-IPC Rating: Limited?

CDFA Rating: None?

Assessment(s)

Watsonia meriana Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.

Species ID Card

Invasive Species ID Card - To support field identification of early detection species, Cal-IPC has designed a set of Species ID cards that can be downloaded, printed double-sided, and trimmed to size.

Weed Management Notes

  • Management Notes - Information on management techniques and effectiveness from the University of California Cooperative Extension’s Weed Research & Information Center.

Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles

Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations

Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.

There are no Symposium presentations associated with this species yet.

Other Watsonia meriana Information

  • CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
  • Calflora - Distribution map and records of this species in California.
  • CalWeedMapper - Distribution map of this species in California with ability to determine regional priorities.
  • EDDMapS - Distribution of this species in North America.
  • Jepson Interchange - Information on this plant's taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
  • USDA PLANTS Database - Information on identification and distribution, with links to websites in individual states.
  • Additional photos

    Watsonia meriana_bulbils_EricWrubel
    Watsonia meriana (bulbil Watsonia) bulbils. Photo: Eric Wrubel
    Watsonia meriana_flowers_JuergenSchrenk
    Watsonia meriana (bulbil Watsonia) flowers. Photo: Juergen Schrenk
    Watsonia meriana_flowers (side view)_ZoyaAkulova
    Watsonia meriana (bulbil Watsonia) flowers (side view). Photo: Zoya Akulova
    Watsonia meriana_infestation_ZoyaAkulova
    Watsonia meriana (bulbil Watsonia) infestation. Photo: Zoya Akulova