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Doryanthes excelsa
Globe Spear Lily
| When transported British convicts reached Australia's Botany Bay, they found slopes covered with these massive lilies. Big, arching leaf blades grow 3 to 6 feet long -- or even 10 feet on Doryanthes guilfoylei. The flower stalk towers to 18 feet, crowned with a club-shaped cluster of bracts sheathing scarlet blossoms. Native Australians made wide use of the plants. They roasted the tuberous roots and flower stalks, wove strips of leaves into sturdy mats and baskets, and even crouched under the leaves to snare nectar-feeding birds. Give them full sun, a humus-rich, well-drained soil, and a minimum temperature of 50º F. Though they hold up well in a drought, they prefer plenty of water in the growing season, and barely moist soil in winter. Easily propagated from seed, though they will not bloom for several years. |
It boasts the group's tallest flower stalk -- soaring up to 18 feet. Leafy bracts surround red blossoms in a 1-foot globe.
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Attributes - Doryanthes excelsa
Plant Type: Succulent
Bloom Season: Late Spring through Early Summer
Flower Color: Red, White
Foliage: Evergreen
Height: 2 ft. to 4 ft.
Width: 7 ft.
Sunlight: Full Sun
Climate: Zones 10, 11
Notes: Thrives in Dry Climates, Hot Climates. Container Plants, Drought Tolerant, Low Maintenance, Showy Flowers.
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