After hobbling along for 4 yrs, my Gloriosa superba vines are going the distance! Finally, some healthy, sturdy growth.
Flame lilies are herbaceous perennials in the Colchicaceae family, native to tropical Africa, Asia and India. They love hot sun and heavy rain so adapt well in Florida Zones 9-11. Mine were germinated from seed but they can also grow from tubers, a wiser choice if you prefer flowers within the first or second season.
When ready to bloom, greenish capsules appear between the leaves and stem, so I was excited to see a bud among these upper leaves!
G.superba are scandent vines, meaning their leaves taper to curling tendrils that cling to anything they encounter. In the picture below, the tendrils are using V.bonnariensis for extra support.
Word of caution: all parts of G.superba are poisonous, especially the mature tubers that look A LOT like sweet potatoes! If you choose to grow both, make sure you recognize the difference, or plant them on opposite ends of the yard to be extra safe. You’d hate to sit down to dinner and be dead by bedtime! 😮
I’ll post about the Flame Lily’s extraordinary, unusual flower shape as soon as they open!
Until next time….
🙂 🙂 🙂
Related articles
- Gloriosa Superba ( Kalihari ) (gloriosasuperbakalihari.wordpress.com)
- Light your Garden on Fire with the Flame Lily (funflowerfacts.com)
- African Flame Lily (minilifer.wordpress.com)
- On the flame lily (thehindu.com)
- Tamil Nadu goes all out to promote flame lily (thehindu.com)
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