Moreton Bay Lily

~ Proiphys cunninghamii ~

AMARYLLIDACEAE

An ode to nature: the Moreton Bay Lily, or Brisbane Lily, is an exclusive bloom found around my home near Meanjin (Brisbane) and in the Moreton Bay region. The Lily reminds me that humans were never the intended recipient of its beauty and fragrance. We are simply voyeurs, a captivated audience to the incredible evolution of flowering plants (aka angiosperms). Its perfectly crafted flowers are the result of millions of years of trial and error with only the most successful experiments allowed to reproduce and survive. The Lily is a wonderful plant to hold in your own backyard and marvel at the intelligence and beauty of evolution.

WHERE TO LOOK

The Moreton Bay Lily can be found hugging the edge of rainforests and wet Eucalypt forests in the damp, slightly shaded habitats of northern New South Wales and Queensland. It will be predominately found in the moister areas of the Moreton Bay region, such as Mount Nebo and Mount Glorious.

FEATURES

On top of long fleshy stems sit its big heart-shaped, deep-green leaves that are up to 25cm long and 6–13cm wide and feature beautiful curvilinear grooves in maturity. The perfumed inflorescences are made up of 5 to 12 small trumpet-shaped flowers contained in an umbel. (An umbel is a number of stalks that meet at a single point at the top of a stem, similar to an upside-down, inside-out umbrella.) Its fleshy fruit varies from orange to red and is 1–3cm wide. Plants die back to their underground bulb during winter.

FLOWERING SEASON

Spring and summer → Flowering occurs from early spring (occasionally late winter) through to summer with fruit popping up between January and March.

PLANTING

The fruit can be directly sown into fertile soil in a shady frost-free environment. If you’re in cooler climates, plant it into a large pot and place it inside to keep it toasty and frost-free in the cooler months. It enjoys shade or part shade in rich well-draining soils.