Jelly Burn Plant (Bulbine frutescens), a member of the lily family, is native to desert grasslands in South Africa. The name Bulbine comes from the Latin word "bulbus", meaning onion or bulb. This name is misleading, however, because these plants do not have a bulbous base. A clump-forming succulent, it grows to 1.5 feet tall with a 2-foot spread. The leaves are tall, fleshy, green cylinders, similar to the onion leaf blade. The tall spikes of small, star-shaped yellow flowers bloom on stalks 2 to 3 feet above the foliage. The plant produces 10 to 12 stalks per individual plant, which bloom continually in mid-spring and again in the fall.

Hardy in USDA Zones 9a to 11, Bulbine frutescens survives to 20 degrees F., but at that temperature the foliage will be damaged. In its native habitat it is known as the burn jelly plant, because the fresh leaves produce a jellylike juice that is wonderful for burns, rashes, blisters, insect bites, dry lips, acne, cold sores, and areas of cracked skin. The Rastafarians make an infusion of a few fresh leaves in boiling water, which they take for coughs, colds, and arthritis.