Family: Colchicaceae
Common Name: Gloriosa Lily

Native to tropical Africa and India, this small genus of climbing vines bears strikingly beauti­ful flowers, mostly a combination of red and yellow, with wavy-edged petals. Gloriosa lilies climb by tendrils which extend from the leaf tips and need the support of a trellis or similar. They are herbaceous, dying back to the fleshy roots in autumn, and remaining dormant till spring.

Species

G. rothschildiana, to 2 m (6 it), has bright scarlet and yellow flowers. It is the best in cultivation and has the largest flowers.

G. superba, to 2 m (6 it), has red or purple flowers, edged with yellow, in summer and autumn. The petal edges are wavy and the flowers have long, prominent stamens. Several cultivate are also grown, including the well-known 'Rothschildiana' with bright red and yellow flowers. The cultivar 'Citrina' has acid yellow flowers marked with purple-red, and 'Lutea' is also yellow.

Cultivation

Propagate from seed or offsets, or by careful division of the brittle tubers. Pot tubers in very well-drained, loamy soil between late winter and early spring, in an intermediate greenhouse in colder climates. Provide plenty of water up to flowering time, then reduce the amount given. Lift the tubers carefully in autumn and store dry over winter. Under glass, the plants need to have maximum light.

Climate

Zone 10.