Gloriosa rothschildiana var. Oriental Super fire lily - 5 bulbs

Gloriosa rothschildiana var. Oriental Super fire lily

The Gloriosa lily has many names, but no matter what you what you call it, it truly is a glory to behold. This late summer bloomer in hot southern climates captures one's attention with its fiery red and yellow color. 

Origin and Names: The Gloriosa lily isn't a lily at all. It isn't even from the lily family. It belongs to the Colchicaceae family. You may have heard this called: gloriosa lily, glory lily, fire lily, flame lily, climbing lily, creeping lily, cat’s claw or tiger’s claw. The Gloriosa lily comes in several colors, but the variety that we are carry is the Gloriosa rothschildiana. The name was given because the second baron Rothschild is credited with bringing this beauty to Europe from Africa. This plant is from tropical areas like southern Africa and Asia. 

Care and Planting: Plant the tubers on their sides in well-drained soil about 2-4 inches deep. If you plant them on the deeper end, then the vines will be shorter. Place the tubers where they will receive 6-8 hours of summer sun. Because they are a topical plant, they need the sun; however, due to the extreme temperatures in the southern United States, they do better with morning sun as opposed to late afternoon sun and temperatures. These tubers like to be moist but not wet. Because this is a vine, be sure to provide a trellis. It will grow to 6 - 8 feet tall. Plant the tubers several inches away from the trellis so they have room to mature and multiply. Plant each tuber about 6-8 inches apart. Water the newly planted tubers daily until you see growth. Then you can reduce the watering to every couple of days. They like to receive the equivalent of about 1 inch a week.     

IN POTS: This beauty does great being placed in pots. Pots would allow someone in a colder zone to grow this summer-blooming beauty that could then be moved into a protected area during the winter. If you plant them in pots, you will need to water more frequently, but make sure that the pot has excellent drainage. The pots can be used indoors though not ideal for this sun-loving vine; however, you will need to make allowances for wintering your plant. Encourage its dormancy by watering it less often after it is done blooming in the late fall. Then in early spring simply start watering it and give it plenty of sunlight. 

Blooming: In the heat of late-summer to fall, this bloom opens wide to show all her colorful glory. The bloom hangs "upside down" and then begins the process of opening its six 2-3 inch long red and yellow tepals until they are completely reflexed (bending backwards until pointing upwards). Below the tepals are green stamen which add an even more unique look and color to this bloom. The colors often deepen the older the bloom becomes. That is why no two blooms are exactly the same. To encourage blooms and growth, you can add a light fertilizer to the plant monthly. The most common reason for not having successful blooms on the Gloriosa lily is from lack of sun. Too much fertilizer can encourage the plant to grow more foliage instead of blooms. 

After Blooming: As with most perennial bulbs, do NOT cut down the foliage as long as it is green. The foliage is taking in nutrients for the bulb and future blooms. When the foliage dies back and is completely yellow, you can cut it off for the winter.   

Other Interesting Facts: 

This tuber is super easy to grow and provides you with beautiful cut flowers. 

The blooms extend over a period of about four (4) weeks. 

All parts of this plant are toxic if ingested in large quantities, but especially the tubers. Small amounts though have been used in traditional medicine.

The flowers are deer and rabbit resistant. However, it attracts pollinators like butterflies. This is all likely due to the vibrant colors of the bloom.