Does Gloriosa Produce New Tubers?

Gloriosa lily, an exotic summer-flowering plant, requires warm growing conditions to encourage tubers to develop roots. To ensure the plant thrives, plant the tubers in full sun and choose rich, well-drained soil with a trellis for the plant to climb. The Gloriosa bulb is a long skinny tuber approximately 4-6 inches long, planted 3 inches deep and 12 inches apart. Space the Gloriosa 12 inches (30cm) apart and plant tubers 3 inches deep in winter for bloom the following summer and fall.

To water and feed the Gloriosa, water freely when growth begins and keep them dry in winter. These lightweight vines are excellent choices for large containers or weaving through. Pots should be large enough to accommodate the two new tubers that form during the growing season, using a heavy potting mix like a bulb-growing mix. Fertilize regularly for best results.

In their first year, each tuber should easily grow 5 to 7 flowers, building towards 25 flowers in a mature tuber. Tubers can also be lifted during winter to propagate new plants. Gloriosa lily is grown from tuberous roots, which remain dormant during the winter and can be lifted and divided to propagate new ones.

When the flowers fade and the plant withers, its energy will go into producing a “daughter” tuber. Gloriosa superba, also known as flame lily, climbing lily, or gloriosa lily, can be easily grown from seeds or tubers (rhizome). The tuber must be planted horizontally with the growing bud facing up, and initially, for 2-3 weeks, there was no sign of growth.