Common names include hairbells, angel's fishing rod, fairybells, and wandflowers in English and grasklokkies (= grass-bells) in Afrikaans.

[1] Plants of this genus are evergreen perennial herbs growing from large corms with fibrous tunics.

The bell-shaped flowers of most wild species are pink; red, purple, yellow, and white taxa also exist.

[2] The genus name is derived from the Greek word dierama, meaning "funnel," and alludes to the flower shape.

[12] The South African endemic D. erectum is grown for the large, pink flowers it bears on tall, erect stems.