A few weeks ago, my Gloriosa superba vines were barely in bud. Now they’ve branched in several directions and even started opening.
G. Superba, 8/5/14
Each Flame Lily is borne on a single leaf axis and typically takes 17days to complete the flowering cycle. The photo above was taken yesterday at 8:30AM and the one below around 3:00PM. As the blossoms mature, the tepals elongate and wrinkle, eventually arching upward as seen below. Six stamens encircle a longer “eyelash” pistil that points to the side in an adaptation that discourages self fertilization: any pollen released from the stamens will fall below the pistil.
Looking at it this morning, it’s easy to see how G. superba got its common name!
G. superba, 8/6/14
It really DOES resemble flames against the sky!!
Until next time…
🙂 🙂 🙂
Related articles
- Gloriosa Superba (Flame Lilies) (smallhousebiggarden.wordpress.com)
- African Flame Lily (minilifer.wordpress.com)
- Distracted (perennialpassion.wordpress.com)
- Gloriosa Superba ( Kalihari ) (gloriosasuperbakalihari.wordpress.com)
43 thoughts on “Flame Lily Update: It’s Opening!”
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small house/BIG GARDEN 
Love it!
Amazing shape and colors, yeah?
Ah our Rhodesian Flame Lily…. an old national flower… beautiful
Was just about to say something similar, fabulous flowers.
Another flower we seem to share…there are so many!
Yes its glorious indeed!
I always get a huge kick when flowers I start from seed do what they’re supposed to! 😉
This is beautiful ! I can’t believe it takes 17 days ! (well, I suppose it is always better than the rafflesia that takes 9 months :D)
They hang around (literally! ha!) a long time. Several more opened today, too.
wow!
Pretty, isn’t it?
They’re very exotic and colorful !!!!! 🙂
They’re absolutely fabulous!!
real tropical looking!
They are indeed! I’ve seen them in the tropical area of the Glasshouse at Wisley Gardens 🙂
Speaking of glasshouses…I’m real excited re: seeing the Tropical Glasshouse at Kew…I’ve admired the structure from afar for so many years and look forward to the architecture almost as much as the plants!
It is truly beautiful there! When are you visiting?
We’re going to Iceland on 9/10 for a few days and then fly into London on the 13th for ten days in England. Really looking forward to this first trip to your country!
Oh how wonderful! I’ve not been to Iceland but it’s on my wish list! Do drop me an email if you’d like to meet up at Kew or elsewhere mirador.design@googlemail.com 🙂
Absolutely i will email you. I love meeting people from blogging.
I shall look forward to it 🙂
Such a pretty flower.. it is charming and has character all its own! Lovely color and ruffled edges!
We’ve had so many days over 90degrees and lots of rain which it seems to REALLY enjoy: it’s branching and budding like crazy.
I had this lovely plant as a pot plant for the house once. It looks so much more beautiful grown outside in your garden instead of in captivity.
Thank you! It’s having a good first blooming cycle, in part because it’s been overly hot and moist these last few weeks. Uncomfortable for humans but good for establishing a tropical vine!
Funny that you write about flame lily when I write about lily. Though they are not the same genus, there is a definite lily-look to the Gloriosa superba flowers. Very nice and tropical.
I think that’s what appeals to me: it satiates my lily desire!
I’ve never seen a lily like that. It’s awesome. 🙂
They really are very showy!
Amazing – I’ve never seen one like that before. 🙂
When I saw the seed packet at McKee (our local botanical garden) I grabbed it immediately It takes 3 yrs from seed to first flowering but it was definitely worth it. (Planting from rhizomes would have been smarter/quicker but those weren’t available at the time!)
Sometimes a flower is so striking, it holds its own spotlight. This is so gorgeous!
Everyone who stops by my house has said similar. Although I’m not a huge fan of the over 90degree days we’ve had for 3wks, it IS helping establish the vine. It is blooming and branching more than I’d expect for it’s first flower cycle.
Your flame lily is so beautiful and the description of how the flower opens is fascinating. Susie
Thank you, Susie. It’s been a huge pleasure to watch!
very cool and exotic.
Thanks! Right plant, right spot…sometimes you get lucky!
Lovely!
Hi JM!
Was thinking about you just yesterday…feeling more settled in your new house, I hope?
A little bit. It still feels like a “strange” place, though. I think it takes longer for my husband and me to settle in as we get older. 😉
It does look like a flame. So beautiful! Have a great weekend.
Sigh, what a beauty.
thank you! i was really happy to see these flower!