The channel-leaved haemanthus occurs in a very limited area in swampy depressions on the coastal flats between Betty's Bay and Rooiels in the Hangklip area of the Western Cape at an altitude of about 20-30 m. It grows amongst dense vegetation on peaty soils which are quite wet in winter but remain moist in summer. Temperatures range from 8-28°C in winter to 12-35°C in summer, and rainfall averages from 650-1000 mm, with most of it falling in winter.