Gloriosa Lily
Gloriosa rothschildiana Photographed mid May. South Carolina. Nothing so dramatic as a close up of a Gloriosa! But nothing is so amazing as when these plants emerge, seemingly from no where, they climb for a few days then add their brilliant flowers for weeks. These are actually lilies on vines, the plants that take up no space but add fantastic colors and awesome forms. Flowering Time: Early May through June - sporadic flowers into fall. Foliage: Shiny, lance shaped leaves with curving tips that help the vine climb. Growth Rate: Fast enough to be used as an annual.
Ultimate Height: 36 inches but it sprawls - it never stands up on its own. It always need a fence or other plant to climb. Special Care: Loves to bake in sun and hot soil; very tolerant of drought. Loves sandy soils. Wet soils will kill it. Becomes a perennial in lots of Midlands gardens but is finicky - some winter, some summers, some places its just may not want to do that! Gardening Tips: Plant at the base of shrubs such as old roses. It will climb a mail box post or such-- if the post isn’t too slick. I’ve loved a planting on a chain-link fence my whole life - in a place where my Mother knows it’s grown since the 1940’s.