Wikimedia Commons
Colchicaceae
Flame Lily
Gloriosa superba
Glory and ambition.
- Family
- Colchicaceae
- Genus
- Gloriosa
- Native to
- Tropical Africa, South Asia
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- climbing vine
- Height
- 6-8 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- rich, well-drained
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 9-12
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Flame lily is the national flower of Zimbabwe and appears on the country's postage stamps.
- Every part of the plant is highly toxic, containing colchicine, the same compound found in autumn crocus used to treat gout.
- The petals curl backward dramatically like dancing flames, and the leaf tips form tendrils that allow the vine to climb.
- In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, carefully prepared extracts were used to treat joint pain and skin conditions despite the plant's toxicity.
- Flame lily tubers are V-shaped, and new plants sprout from each tip of the V, giving them a unique means of vegetative reproduction.
Color meanings
0
fame
1
honor
2
glorious beauty