There is no documented information on the specific ecology of Ledebouria leptophylla. Porcupines are known to dig out and eat the bulbs of several species of Ledebouria and large ungulates have been observed to browse the leaves. The dwarf habit and narrow grass-like leaves may enable the plants to escape being browsed by herbivores. The narrow leaves may effectively camouflage the plants, and may aid in eluding insects which could devour the leaves.

This species possesses typical Ledebouria-type flowers, which are open and cup-shaped, with their pollen openly presented, which suggests that the flowers are opportunistically pollinated by most visiting insects. The flowers, which have not been recorded as being scented, can be seen being visited by various different insects, including honey bees and solitary bees. The inflorescences are mostly erect to spreading at first, becoming more flaccid (floppy) with age; this may have something to do with optimizing visibility of the flowers to attract pollinators. The seed is small, black and roundish, with a wrinkled surface. Venter (1993) suggests that Ledebouria seeds may be distributed by water wash, which is likely after heavy thunderstorms, which are frequent across the areas where the species occurs.

This species forms part of a group of grassland plants known as the pre-rain flora, plants that sprout and flower (and produce seed) after the long dry winter season, before the first rains fall. They do this by using stored water and nutrients in their underground storage organs (in this case bulbs). In so doing they are able to present their flowers to pollinators before the emergence of the grasses, which are so abundant in their habitat. Grasses are rain-dependent and can only begin to grow once the rains begin falling. Grasses grow quickly and soon obscure the Ledebouria (and other pre-rain flora) under a vigorous, grassy canopy, so they would be unlikely to have their flowers seen by pollinators. Furthermore, the pre-rain flora also disperse their seeds early in the season, giving their seeds the benefit of a full rainy season to germinate and establish under the soil before the next dry winter season, when the risk of fire is again at its highest.