Honey-bells bloom mainly in winter. This common name of Freylinia lanceolata was earned by its flower fragrance.

The plant thrives on moisture. It grows among rocks near water, often along stream banks, near wetlands and on rocky sandstone slopes of the Western Cape. Although its habitat receives winter rain, the plant also thrives in many summer rainfall area gardens of South Africa. Many insect species contribute to the pollination of honey-bell flowers (Coates Palgrave, 2002).