While it may get scorched in a hot, sunny, dry site, it prefers some direct sunlight. It is a plant that is definitely water-wise and requires little care while growing. The weather has a big impact on how the tips of the leaves curl. While warm weather tends to produce erect, straight, uncurled leaf tips, cool, dry circumstances encourage curled leaf tips. Watering should be stopped by the time the flowers start to bloom, in order to prevent rotting of the bulbs. The plants will become dormant when the soil is allowed to dry out. For effective drainage, the growth media must contain coarse river sand or gravel. It is advised to lay gravel mulch on top of the soil so that the pot looks fascinating even when the bulbs are dormant. Plants can be left outside in the winter since their foliage is consistently hardy to -7°C. Plants should be protected in greenhouses in colder climates.

Division and seeds are used for propagation. Seed germination is simple. The method used for cleaning the seed is to split the berries open, remove the seeds from the pulp and store them in tap water for 24 hours. The seeds will begin to germinate as the fruits ripen without a pre-resting time, and in rare circumstances, germination will occur inside the berry. It is ideal to cultivate seeds in a mixture of damp peat and perlite from autumn through winter (the small fleshy seeds can be sown on top of well-drained sowing medium). Germination takes place after 6 days and a germination percentage of above 80% is normally achieved.

Past research suggests that the species is extremely difficult to propagate asexually. Various vegetative propagation techniques have been tried with mixed results, although bulb cuttings, scooping and scoring were successful and division of bulblets proved to be the most successful. The species is successfully sterilized, initiated, multiplied, rooted and hardened-off using in-vitro propagation techniques. To keep the moisture from evaporating, wrap the plant and container with a plastic bag that is fastened with a rubber band. Place beneath a fluorescent lamp or under some indirect sunlight. After it has grown for a while, repot it in its normal mix. Plant in its regular potting mix after dividing it or removing offsets.

The plant is best cultivated in deep containers, but can be used in bulb section in a garden design or in sunny rock gardens, best in water-wise, winter-rainfall gardens. The bulbs rot and die if over-watered. Water moderately to sparingly in autumn, winter and spring, stop watering when the leaves start to die and keep dry in summer.