"Glorious" Gloriosa Flower - Flame Lily

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Such bright flowers of an unusual shape, like gloriosa, immediately attract attention. Someone in them sees small fires, someone intricate moths or even strange tentacles. But the truth is one - this plant will be one of your favorites on your windowsill

Gloriosa belongs to the lily family. Translated from Latin, Gloria means glory, so you can often hear about her as a flower of glory. Climbing forms of the plant can reach 5 meters in height, but the dwarf species of gloriosa grows only up to 30 centimeters. But, unfortunately, in the middle zone of our country, this plant can grow only at home, in pots. Rothschild and Gloriosa are considered the most beautiful views. This wonderful plant blooms with fantastically beautiful flowers, which must be photographed in order to show them to friends later.

Gloriosa has tuberous rhizomes, but the flowers are located in the upper part of the stem. They are large with a characteristic yellow border, while the flower petals are curly or wavy, resembling tongues of flame. Therefore, the plant was given another original name - the lily of the flame.

In order for gloriosa to grow well and please with flowering, it is recommended to grow it not in ordinary plastic, but in shallow, but at the same time wide pots. The plant needs good drainage. Make sure that the substrate used is not very heavy.

Gloriosa grows well in a rich, rich potting mix. You can add sand to it or, if desired, peat. If you buy ready-made soil, then pay attention to the fact that it is, as a rule, of the same quality as the Dutch mixture in which flowers are brought to us. In such land, the plant will grow for a very long time and it is difficult to adapt.

It is best to purchase the largest tubers. But pay attention to the fact that the kidneys on them are very fragile. After you have planted them at a shallow depth in early spring, try to keep the soil moist at a temperature of at least 20 degrees. If you put a pot of gloriosa on the south window, then in the summer heat, the sun can destroy it. In addition, the plant is not bad at night cool, but at the same time it is afraid of drafts.

Gloriosa is sometimes propagated by seed. But, unfortunately, in this case, its development is very slow. To obtain seeds, the plant must be pollinated on its own: with a soft small brush, gently transfer the pollen from one stigma to another of the same flower. From this the seeds are tied. After selection, the seeds are planted in the soil from sand, turf and peat mixtures. Sowing should be done only in warm conditions. But plants obtained in this way will bloom only in the third year of their life. During May, gloriosa grows intensively, and therefore you need to take care of the supports and tie it up. The plant needs liquid organic fertilizers, potassium and phosphorus. It is on this that the ripening of its tuber depends.

With good nutrition and care, by the end of the growing season, gloriosa forms two tubers. The liana will dry out, turn yellow by the beginning of autumn. At this time, it is necessary to stop watering and dry the clod of earth. Then the tubers can be left in the soil, removed to a cool, dark place and planted again in the ground with the onset of February. Everything will start all over again, and in two weeks a young gloriosa will emerge from the ground. After flowering, tubers can be removed from the pot, placed in peat or sand and placed in a refrigerator or basement.

The nodules of the plant are extremely poisonous if taken internally. Thus, you need to store them in a place where children and your pets cannot reach.

Now let's list the possible difficulties in growing this wonderful plant:

- If your gloriosa grows slowly and does not want to bloom, then most likely you purchased a damaged tuber or stored it incorrectly. In addition, the reason may be a lack of light or poor quality soil.

- If the leaves turn brown or turn yellow at the tips, then the plant does not have enough watering.

- In the event that the shoots stopped growing, and the leaves drooped and darkened, you violated the temperature regime.

- Sluggish and drooping stems at the base - this is excessive watering, which led to rotting of the tubers. To avoid this, try to ensure good drainage and water only as you add soil.

Gloriosa is most often damaged by the scabbard. If there were serious violations of agricultural technology, then there is a high probability of the appearance of powdery mildew.