Gloriosa Superba L.

SavannahManSavannahMan Registered Users Posts: 142 Major grins
edited June 2, 2004 in Wildlife
This is my botanical baby everyone. I've been cultivating this little wonder for three years now, and thought I'd share the first bloom with my digital friends here. This is a Gloriosa Superba L. (Glory or Flame Lily). Very toxic, very beautiful, very incredible to have in your backyard. It's been getting bigger and blooming better every year, last year climbing about 8 feet up the little tree before going dormant for the winter. Here's a peek:

Note the leaves have no stems. They grow directly from the stalk. The Gloriosa is a vine with several unique features, this is one...
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Another coolism is the leaves end in small tendrils which it uses to grasp and climb. The smaller ones will reach out and grasp the leaves of larger plants to support themselves, like this...
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They shoot up to their starting point for the season before sprouting the first round of pods. The plant will continue to grow higher until it turns yellow and dies down. Last year it started at about four feet. This year it made it five.
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(note the leave grabbing the twig in the upper left.)

In a day or two, the pods begin to color, changing from green to bright reds and yellows:
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The next day the pod folds backwards and upside down, revealing what is without doubt the most awesome flower in my whole backyard. lol.:
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Comments

  • SavannahManSavannahMan Registered Users Posts: 142 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2004
    Here's some more
    Here's a few more. I have more on smugmug if your interested. (under nature)
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    I know it won't be a new sight to everyone, but I bet it is for a few. I had never seen one until it appeared in my yard!:D
  • digismiledigismile Registered Users Posts: 955 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2004
    What an interesting plant! How big is it? It's hard to tell if this is a monster from little shop of horrors or a delicate miniature.

    Brad
    (no plants like that here in Zone 3 rolleyes1.gif )
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2004
    This from the same guy that suggested "road kill" as a weekly assignment. Go figure. Nice shots, beautiful flower.
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  • Steve LearSteve Lear Registered Users Posts: 52 Big grins
    edited June 1, 2004
    BylLuvaul wrote:
    Thats one awesome flower
    That's for sure. Well named also.
  • SavannahManSavannahMan Registered Users Posts: 142 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2004
    digismile wrote:
    What an interesting plant! How big is it? It's hard to tell if this is a monster from little shop of horrors or a delicate miniature.

    Brad
    (no plants like that here in Zone 3 rolleyes1.gif )
    The flower is about half the size of my hand, I'll post some more soon with a size comparison. The big flowers will bloom in about a month. They should rival an open hand. I've seen several others growing around town, but none as big as this one. I guess it's natural growth status has some bearing. :D
  • SavannahManSavannahMan Registered Users Posts: 142 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2004
    DavidTO wrote:
    This from the same guy that suggested "road kill" as a weekly assignment. Go figure. Nice shots, beautiful flower.
    Hey, I like it because it's poisonous! click here
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2004
    Hey, I like it because it's poisonous! click here

    One potent plant. The intense vomiting, the diarrhoea. It all makes sense now.

    My faith in your freakiness has been fully restored.
    Moderator Emeritus
    Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
  • SavannahManSavannahMan Registered Users Posts: 142 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2004
    DavidTO wrote:
    One potent plant. The intense vomiting, the diarrhoea. It all makes sense now.

    My faith in your freakiness has been fully restored.
    All is well again. I can rest. blbl.gif
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