Gloriosa superba

I found this plant growing in our garden in Mossel Bay. I was fascinated by this flower and eventually found out the name from a nursery. I saw it the first time last year and then it dissappeared until end December when I again saw it amongst another plant. Where it came from I don't know, but it is lovely!

Lorraine, the deep red variety with those large wide peatls is really a superb variety, hoping you'll get some seed setting this year. Remember I am first on the list for these seeds :)

Thanks Lorraine, they really are magnificent! I know you're a person that's true to her word, holding thumbs for a good crop of seed, those plants in flower would sell like hot cakes!

Being a Rhodie, I was delighted with the surprise appearance of these lovely flowers the December I moved into my new house.. Every year they bloom in all their glory and I scatter the seeds around to propagate them further.

I've always loved these ever since I was a child seeing them growing on the sand dunes near our beach cottage in Southern Natal. I also remember being terribly excited when I saw a yellow one growing in the Kruger Park unfortunately there were a some elephants in my way or I would definitely have looked for a seedling or two. Just kidding.
It's a lovely thing to plant and forget in suitable summer rainfall areas. They also appear to be mole resistant which is handy. They definitely can become a pest in the garden so plant with care. Select your spot knowing you will probably never get rid of them, not easily at least. Attempts to dig up the deep rooted wonderfully weird shaped fat fingered V shaped bulbs are futile, they break very easily and it appears even the smallest piece manages to somehow grow, plus you will find many smaller cute sell sown bulbs looking like baby potatoes. They sink deeper and deeper into the soil each season. Pulling up the vines seems to stimulate even more shoots next year or even the same year. What exactly is going on under ground I'm not sure. I found this a problem when I've changed colour scheme for example, fiery red doesn't work very well with soft shell pinks........anyway planting them up a fence in the background hidden by taller shrubs and plants you can be sure of a lovely dsplay like little fires dancing along the top the fence every year where they look stunning against dark green. They make good cut flowers so don't be shy.

I found they thrive in any situation but generaly get their flowering done in the sunshine by clambering up and through whatever is in their way. To keep them wonderfully in check plant deeply in deep sand, even pure sand, in the sun and don't fertilise at all. This way they won't ramble but stand up dead straight about twenty cm tall like they do on the beach just before the tree line. This way they look lovely in short grasses and ground covers, have no fear they will pop up through anything except hard pan clay.. To keep dry in winter rainfall areas plant under sunny eaves, areas that stay dry all year, just remember to water in summer for a magic burst of growth.

Since living in Asia I've discovered some lovely colour varieties including all white from Japan and a deep chocolate purple imported from the Netherlands. This variety shown here with the broader petals looks stunning, very similar to G superba "Rothschildiana" one of mine and many other growers perennial favorites, though even the skinny twisted and frilly blooms of the wild ones look beautifully like little flames dancing in the wind and are often even more intensely red.