Lachenalia, which belongs to the Hyacinthaceae family, is a genus of bulbous plants from southern Africa. The genus consists of nearly 130 species, most of which are quite short in stature with only a few exceeding 15cm. Many have large, eye-catching and ornamental flowers in an assortment of colours ranging from sea-green or blue to rich red and clear bright pink, often accompanied by attractively marked leaves. A handful of species are found in Namibia, but most are South African endemics with the greatest diversity found in the Western Cape. The genus name Lachenalia commemorates the Swiss botanist Prof. Werner de Lachenal (1739-1800) who was stationed at the University of Basel during the late 18th century. Propagation from seed is easy and straightforward and they are well suited to rockeries and being grown in pots.

Lachenalia whitehillensis is a rare and near threatened South African endemic perennial flowering geophyte found in the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces where it is found in the Southern Roggeveld Escarpment near Sutherland to Matjiesfontein in the southern Great Karoo growing in sandy soils in riverbeds and on alluvial plains, sometimes in damp places among rocks in riverbeds. Growing from 15 to 36 cm tall, plants have narrowly lanceolate leaves with distinctive maroon bands at the base and nodding, bell-shaped, fragrant pedicellated flowers, creamy white tinged with blue or pink flowers.