Bowiea volubilis Climbing Onion

Bowiea volubilis is one of the most unusual plants available to aquatic hobbyists — it is not a true aquatic plant but a South African geophyte (bulb succulent) that has adapted to the edges of water bodies and rocky, seasonally moist habitats. Its defining feature is a large, exposed, bright-green onion-like bulb from which it sends up wiry, twining, leafless climbing stems that branch repeatedly to form a delicate, scrambling framework reaching 30–150 cm in height.

In paludarium setups, terrariums with a water feature, or open-top aquariums with an emergent zone, the Climbing Onion thrives with the base of the bulb at or near the water surface and the climbing stems in the humid air above. It enters a dormancy period when the stems die back, after which the bulb should be kept barely moist until new growth emerges.

This is a conversation-starting collector's plant — its appearance is unlike any other aquatic-adjacent species, and the spectacle of its green photosynthetic bulb sitting on the water's edge and sending up a network of climbing tendrils is genuinely mesmerising.

Light: High; the green bulb requires bright light for photosynthesis; place in the brightest zone of the paludarium. CO2: Not required; a terrestrial/marginal species that uses atmospheric CO2 naturally. Fertilisation: Dilute liquid fertiliser applied to the substrate around the bulb base every 4 weeks during active growth. Placement: Paludarium emergent zone or open-top aquarium edge; bulb at water level, stems trailing upward. Propagation: Offset bulbs produced at the base of the main bulb; seed can be obtained after flowering but germination is slow.