Diascia barberae is native to South Africa where it grows in open grasslands and rocky slopes. It has become an ornamental species worldwide due to its long flowering season and ability to cascade gracefully. The plant is characterized by small, five-petaled flowers, often pink to lavender in color, with a distinctive spur at the back of each bloom that gives rise to its common name. One of the unusual features of Diascia barberae is its specialized pollination mechanism. The spurs of the flowers contain oil rather than nectar, which attracts oil-collecting bees. These bees have uniquely adapted forelegs that enable them to extract the oils, a rare pollination strategy among flowering plants. In cultivation outside of its native habitat, where these bees are absent, the plant is often propagated vegetatively to maintain consistent bloom. Horticulturally, Diascia barberae is valued for its ability to flower continuously from late spring through fall when given favorable conditions. It has also contributed genetics to many hybrids within the ornamental plant trade. Photographed in Florida.