Saturday, September 3, 2016

Gloriosa superba

Gloriosa superba

Gloriosa superba
Gloriosa superba


Superb indeed, and in several respects. The brilliant color combination, the exciting form, the ease of culture in our climate all make this a very likable plant. For years it was assigned to the lily family, but more recent treatments place it in the Colchicaceae with Colchicum and Androcymbium and its near relatives Littonia modesta and Sandersonia aurantiaca. 
In the wild, it has a wide distribution in Africa and Southeast Asia. As that suggests, this plant thrives in heat. The flowers are well adapted to heat: they last and last even through periods when the daytime temperatures regularly reach up into the 90s F. That's one of the things which make these plants such great choices for our summer climate.
The rhizomatous corms (like those seen in some Colchicum) fork at the growing point yearly. For commercial purposes the two forks are split apart and sold separately. Each can be the size of a large man's finger.
These plants will survive the winter outside in the ground if sited near a house wall. I have not tried them out in the open. 

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