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Glory lily (Gloriosa superba)

Glory Lily is a very serious weed of near-coastal forests and dune scrubs in Queensland and New South Wales, where it can form dense carpets and compete with native plants. It is commonly grown as an ornamental, can spread into the wild through dumped garden waste, and all parts of the plant are poisonous to humans.

Key facts

Type: Weed, vine and creeper.

Native to: Tropical Africa and tropical Asia.

Established in: QLD, NSW, NT.

Other names: Gloriosa, Gloriosa Lily, Flame Lily, Rhodesian Flame Lily.

Best time to act: Flowers are borne from October to May, seeds may remain dormant for 6–9 months before germinating in spring, and plants die back to their corms in winter.

Identification

  • This perennial herb dies back each year to persistent underground tuber-like corms.
  • Its usually branched stems can grow up to 4 m long and climb using slender tendrils at the tips of the leaves.
  • The smooth, hairless leaves are 6–20 cm long and 1.5–4 cm wide.
  • Flowers are yellow, orange or red, often with yellow near the base, and have six petals bent upwards to expose prominent spreading stamens.
  • The fruit is a capsule that splits into six segments, exposing seeds that ripen from reddish and berry-like to brown and hard.
  • Look-alike: The cultivated Littonia modesta resembles Glory Lily in flower colour and climbing habit, but its petals are not conspicuously bent back.
  • Look-alike: Lilium species and Peruvian lilies (Alstroemeria species) can resemble it in flower, but Glory Lily is distinguished by its upward-bent petals and climbing tendrils; Peruvian lilies are not climbers and have leaves without tendrils.

Where it grows

In Australia it occurs mainly along eastern coastal areas, on sandy coastal dunes and near-coastal lowland sites, especially in northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland.

Why it matters

  • It forms dense understorey carpets in coastal dune systems and competes strongly with native flora.
  • It can colonise bare soil after attempts to control Bitou bush, with up to 70 stems per square metre recorded.
  • The plant contains colchicine alkaloids and has been recorded as a cause of human poisoning; the rootstock is believed to be more toxic than other parts.
  • Deaths of native birds and animals have been suggested to result from eating the seeds, and the plant is reported to have allelopathic effects.

How it spreads

  • Most infestations are believed to have started through dumping of garden refuse.
  • The brightly coloured seeds may attract birds, and dispersal by birds has been reported.
  • It is widely cultivated, and outbreaks are likely where suitable habitat is near gardens where it is grown.

Control options

  • Dispose of garden refuse responsibly to avoid establishing new colonies.
  • Chemical control can be used for existing populations.
  • Consult the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority for chemical information and use registered herbicides according to their approved directions.
  • No biological control agent is reported.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Dispose of garden refuse responsibly, as dumping it is believed to initiate most infestations.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Regional priority in 2 of 11 regions. Regional priority weed in Greater Sydney, North Coast. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Permitted, not declared. Listed as a permitted organism in WA, so it can be brought in, but it is not a declared pest.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Not declared. Not on the NT A to Z weed list, and Weeds Australia does not list it as declared in the NT. Check the NT declared weeds list before moving or planting it.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Northern Territory: Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976 (NT), administered by NT Department of Lands, Planning and Environment

Sources