Gloriaosa superba mix

Gloriaosa superba mix

Gloriosa superba is a deciduous, summer-growing climber up to 1.5 m tall, with tuberous roots. The slender stems are produced annually and are upright to scrambling and can grow up to 4 m long. Tubers sprout in spring, and a tuber sends up 1 to 6 stems. The leaves are shiny, bright green and are tipped in a tendril, which will cling to anything it touches. The stems die back in late summer and the tubers are dormant during winter.

The showy flowers are borne in summer (November to March) and are usually bi-coloured yellow and orange-scarlet, ageing a deeper shade of orange-red to purple. There is also a pure yellow form. The flowers are borne on long pedicels on the upper parts of the stems. They are nodding, i.e. they are presented up-side-down, with the ovary at the base, the stamens in the middle and the petals at the top. There are 6 free petals, and they are bent backwards (reflexed) so that they are pointing upwards. With their wavy, curling margins, and fiery colours, they really do look like flames. The stamens are large and prominent, and are presented in a ring around the flower, like the spokes of a wagon wheel radiating out around the flower, each tipped with a large anther. The base of the flower is made up of the large, shiny, green ovary tipped by the style.

Sow seeds in spring. Germination is best at warm temperatures between 20º and 25ºC, but not higher. Remove the fleshy outer coat and soak the seeds in warm water overnight. Use well-drained, sterile potting soil, press them into the soil and cover lightly. Keep the trays moist but not wet. Germination is erratic, occurring in 2 weeks to 3 months, with some seeds remaining dormant for up to 9 months. Seedlings can be planted out straight into the garden or their container as soon as they are large enough to handle, or pot them up and grow them on in the nursery. Young plants grow rapidly, but a plant takes 3–4 years to flower for the first time from seed.

Price is for 5 seeds