Gloriosa Lily (Gloriosa superba)

Nothing quite compares to the beauty found in a Gloriosa lily (Gloriosa superba), and growing a climbing lily plant in the garden is an easy endeavor. Keep reading for tips on Gloriosa lily planting.

I. Appearance and Characteristics

Gloriosa superba is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. Common names include flame lily, climbing lily, creeping lily, glory lily, gloriosa lily, tiger claw, the Poison Plant, agnishikha and fire lily.

This herbaceous perennial grows from a fleshy rhizome. It is scandent, climbing using modified leaf-tip tendrils, the stem reaching 4 m (13 ft) long. The leaves are mainly alternately arranged, but they may be opposite, as well. They are somewhat lance-shaped and tipped with tendrils, and they are up 13 to 20 cm (5.1 to 7.9 in) long. The showy flower has six tepals each up to 5 to 7.6 cm (2.0 to 3.0 in) long. They are generally bright red to orange at maturity, sometimes with yellowish bases. The margins may be quite wavy. The six stamens also are long, up to 4 cm (1.6 in), and each bears a large anther at the tip that drops large amounts of yellow pollen.

Gloriosa Lily (Gloriosa superba)
Gloriosa superba 8962 Vaikoovery CC BY 3.0

The style may be more than 6 cm (2.4 in) long. One flower may weigh over 2.5 g (0.09 oz). The fruit is a fleshy capsule up to 6 to 12 cm (2.4 to 4.7 in) long containing red seeds. Cultivars of this popular garden plant may vary from these wild-type characteristics; the cultivar ‘Lutea’ has all-yellow tepals, ‘Citrina’ is yellow with red markings, and ‘Nana’ is a dwarf. Whitish forms are also known.

II. How to Grow and Care

Sunlight

The flame lily enjoys full to partial sun – ideally 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day. The exception would be if you live in a climate with very hot summers – the roots of your plant will need to be well-shaded, and some afternoon shade may need to be provided too.

Temperature and Humidity

In its native environment, gloriosa lily grows at elevations up to 2,000 feet, where the daytime temperature is moderate, around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and nights are cool, around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. As a garden plant, it will do best in similar circumstances. Gloriosa lily does not do well in hot, arid climates. In high humidity, on the other hand, gloriosa lily is in its element—think of the monsoon seasons common to its native habitat.

Watering

Gloriosa Lily (Gloriosa superba)
Gloriosa superba L. Dinesh Valke CC BY-SA 2.0

The flame lily enjoys moist soil, and will need to be watered every 2 to 3 days in the summer. In the fall, water about once a week, before stopping in the winter when the plant goes dormant. In the spring, continue on with once a week again, increasing this once shoots appear. Make sure that you always check how moist the soil is before watering – the flame lily doesn’t enjoy being water-logged.

Soil

A light, fertile and well-draining soil is a must for the flame lily. Although it will grow in heavier soils, growth may be stunted and flowering could also be affected. Amend soil with an organic matter, such as compost or composted horse manure, to enrich the growing area and improve drainage. A neutral to alkaline pH of between 5.8-6.5 is ideal. If growing your flame lily in a container, you will need at least 5 liters of soil per tuber.

Fertilizing

Once your flame lily starts growing and flowering, start fertilizing it every 2 weeks. Use a water-soluble fertilizer designed for flowering plants, which should contain high levels of potassium and soderzhniem fosora. This will help to produce larger blooms, as well as healthy foliage. Once your plant has finished flowering, stop fertilizing.

Pruning

The flame lily requires very little pruning and rarely gets out of hand. Deadheading any spent flowers can help to encourage more blooms, but your plant will do just fine even if you leave them on. Don’t be tempted to prune away any leaves that start to die back – these help the plant to produce energy for the following year. However, once they have turned completely yellow, removal is harmless, although they will fall off on their own anyway.

Propagation

Gloriosa Lily (Gloriosa superba)
Gloriosa Superba Challiyil Eswaramangalath Vipin from Chalakudy, India CC BY-SA 2.0

Gloriosa lily is grown from tuberous roots, which remain dormant during the winter. These tubers can be lifted and divided to propagate new plants. Such division should be done no more than every three years or so. Here’s how to do it.

  • After the plant dies back in fall, use a trowel or spade to carefully dig up the tubers, taking care not to break them (they are quite brittle).
  • Carefully wash away the soil, then use a clean, sharp pruner, knife, or scissor to separate the tuberous lobes at the point they join the common stem. (Wear gloves while handling tubers, as they can cause skin irritation.)
  • Store the tubers in a cool, dry place for the winter, and plant them in suitable garden soil or individual containers in spring after all danger of frost has passed.
  • Fat, healthy tubers can take some time before they sprout, but as weather warms, they will accelerate their growth and will likely produce flowers in their first season.

How to Grow Gloriosa Lily From Seed

Gloriosa lily is normally propagated by dividing the tubers, as this is a fast method that also ensures the propagated plant will be identical to the parent. The plant can also be grown from seed, though this is a slower process that can require as long as three years before the seedlings develop tubers large enough to support flowering. Further, the plants generated from seed propagation will be true to seed only if you used seeds gathered from a species plant. Seeds collected from named cultivars may not come true, but will instead produce plants that look different than the parent plant.

If you want to try your hand at growing gloriosa lily from seed, start the seeds indoors in midwinter and follow these steps:

  • Soak the seeds overnight in lukewarm water, then plant them in small pots filled with potting mix, no more than one inch deep.
  • Water to moisten the potting mix, and place the pot in a clear plastic bag to hold in moisture.
  • Keep the pot near a warm south-facing window.
  • Remove the plastic bag and keep the plants in a bright location when the seeds germinate.
  • Moisten the potting mix as needed.
  • If the seeds do germinate (this is not assured), within three months, the seedlings will develop into viable plants and can be transplanted outdoors after hardening off. After two or three years, they should reach flowering maturity.

Potting and Repotting

Growing gloriosa lily in containers is highly recommended as it’s the only way you can grow it in a cool climate with subzero winters. You also avoid the risk that it will spread uncontrolled and become invasive.3 Lastly, the tubers are very brittle and break easily so the less you are handling them, the better.

In containers, they will need more frequent watering but a sunny patio is usually too hot for the plant. Alternatively, you can bury the containers in garden beds and dig them out again in the fall before the first frost.

Use a pot with drainage holes and a commercial peat-based potting mix for your growing medium. Plant the tubers about four inches deep and provide climbing support for the leaf tendrils to cling to as it grows. Keep the soil consistently moist but not wet. Container-grown gloriosa lilies need more frequent feeding (twice a month) than garden-grown plants.

Overwintering

Gloriosa Lily (Gloriosa superba)
Seed pod of Gloriosa superba tonrulkens CC BY-SA 2.0

In cold-winter regions, gloriosa lily is grown as an annual. In regions where the plant is hardy, simply cut back the stems and foliage once the plant begins to turn brown as winter approaches. The tubers can also be carefully dug up at the end of the growing season, stored for winter, then replanted in the spring.

It can also be planted in containers that can be buried up to the ground for the growing season, then dug up and stored in a protected area for the winter. Potted plants can be moved to a sheltered location or indoors if you live in a region with frosty temperatures. Don’t expect a potted plant to continue active growth indoors over the winter because it requires a winter dormancy period.

Pests and Diseases

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

This plant is often completely trouble-free, but gloriosa lily can occasionally be affected by aphids, anthracnose, cucumber mosaic virus, and other viruses, as well as root rot if grown in soil that is too wet or dense.4 Aphids can be removed by a strong spray of water or killed with horticultural oil. Anthracnose or viral diseases, signaled by spotted or distorted leaves, are usually fatal, requiring that you throw the plant away.

Common Problems

Gloriosa lily is generally a trouble-free plant but there are a few things to watch for.

Pale Leaves

This is not a symptom of disease or pest attack but is usually the result of too much sun exposure in a hot climate. This plant is a sun lover, but it also prefers fairly mild temperatures, and in regions with summer temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit and warm nights, too much sun can cause the leaves to lose their color and dry out. In such regions, try to grow it in a spot that gets plenty of morning sun but is shaded during the warmer afternoon hours.

Brittle and Brown Leaves

Although overwatering is a more common occurrence, it is also possible to underwater a gloriosa lily plant. If you find the leaves are browning and are brittle to the touch, the plant is too dry. Increase watering, taking care not to oversaturate the plant.

III. Uses and Benefits

Gloriosa Lily (Gloriosa superba)
Gloriosa Superba The botster CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Ornamental uses

Its vibrant ornamental flowers are the main draw of the climbing flame lily, and they grow during the summer and fall. This plant can be grown against trellises or walls as long showy vines, or used as low-growing ground cover in tropical or informal cottage gardens. It can be grown in pots to decorate patios and city gardens.

  • Medicinal uses

The alkaloid-rich plant has long been used as a traditional medicine in many cultures. It has been used in the treatment of gout, infertility, open wounds, snakebite, ulcers, arthritis, cholera, colic, kidney problems, typhus, itching, leprosy, bruises, sprains, hemorrhoids, cancer, impotence, nocturnal emission, smallpox, sexually transmitted diseases, and many types of internal parasites. It is an anthelmintic. It has been used as a laxative and an alexiteric. The sap is used to treat acne and head lice. In a pregnant woman, it may cause abortion. In parts of India, extracts of the rhizome are applied topically during childbirth to reduce labor pain.

  • Other uses

Other uses for this plant include arrow poison in Nigeria and snake repellent in India. Some cultures consider it to be magical. The flowers are part of religious rituals.

This species is the national flower of Zimbabwe. In 1947, Queen Elizabeth II received a diamond brooch in the shape of this flower for her twenty-first birthday while traveling in Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe.

In Tamil, this flower is commonly known as Karthigaipoo (கார்த்திகைப்பூ) because it grows during the Tamil month of Karthigai (November–December). It is the state flower of Tamil Nadu state in India. It was also designated as the national flower of the de facto state of Tamil Eelam by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), because it contains all the colours contained in the Tamil Eelam national flag and because it grows during November, coinciding with Maaveerar Naal.

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