Named in honor of the South African botanist Winsome Barker, Haemanthus barkerae is one of the more refined and elusive "Paintbrush Lilies."
It produces a compact, brush-like flower head (an umbel) held between several stiff, upright bracts. These bracts are usually a lovely pale pink to deep rose-pink.
This is a classic "hysteranthous" geophyte, meaning it flowers while totally leafless. The flower spikes emerge from the bare soil in late summer or autumn, long before the winter rains bring the leaves.
Once the flower fades, two large, leathery leaves emerge. They are typically hairy (especially on the undersides and margins) and often feature dark maroon speckling or "spots" near the base of the underside.