Crown of Fame: Planting, Care & Overwintering the Gloriosa

The crown of glory is a climbing lily that is both beautiful and poisonous. Therefore, despite the impressive petals, it is considered a rather unconventional houseplant.

The Crown of Fame (Gloriosa superba) or Gloriosa for short, is a poisonous pot or house plant that can also be used as a cut flower. It impresses with its flame-like, red flowers, which is why it is also called the magnificent lily. It belongs to the family of timeless plants (Colchicaceae) and is related, among other things, to the lantern lily.

Crown of Fame: Origin and Characteristics

The crown of fame comes from, among other things, Africa and Asia's tropical rainforests, thickets and mountains. In Europe, the crown of fame adorns homes and gardens as a house or container plant. As a cut flower it also comes into its own in bouquets.

The Crown of Fame lives up to its name, as its flower shape resembles a burning crown. The fiery red petals resemble flickering flames and end in a yellow throat. The flowering period of the magnificent lily lasts throughout the entire growing season. As long as it is light, moist and warm, flowers will develop. After summer flowering, the plant retreats into the ground in autumn. At temperatures below 18 °C, nutrients and reserve substances are relocated from the above-ground plant organs to the underground storage organs, the so-called rhizomes. This means it also survives the dry season in Africa and Asia. The rhizome is frost hardy down to a maximum of -9 °C. As a houseplant, temperatures below 18 °C are often not reached, so the crown of fame remains evergreen in exceptional cases. The Gloriosa is a climbing plant and therefore requires a trellis or a trellis. Leaf tendrils emerge from the tips of the glossy green, entire-edged leaves, which it uses to climb. If there is no trellis support, the crown of glory continues to grow slowly. Overall, it can reach a length of one to two meters.

Tip: The crown of fame can be used well as a cut flower. Its individual flowers last for a long time, only the flower stem is fragile. Therefore it should be handled with particular care.

Plant crown of glory

Successfully cultivating the royal-looking crown of glory is not as difficult as its luxurious appearance would suggest. Below you will find out what you should pay attention to when planting the crown of glory.

Plant the crown of glory

In order to plant the crown of fame as a house or container plant, you should first select a suitable planter. This should not be too small so that the storage organs can spread underground. The container should also have a drainage hole for irrigation water, as the magnificent lily cannot tolerate waterlogging. To avoid waterlogging, an additional drainage layer should be created so that excess water can drain away better. To do this, about two to three centimeters of the vessel are filled with drainage material such as potsherds or expanded clay. The rest of the vessel is then filled with substrate. A loose, nutrient-rich garden soil that is also permeable to water offers optimal properties for the growth of the crown of glory. Alternatively, a suitable potting soil with these properties can be used. A peat-free version, such as ours, is particularly sustainable Plantura organic potting soil. This consists of purely plant-based ingredients and is therefore safe for all pets and garden animals. The rhizome of the crown of glory can then be planted about three centimeters deep in the soil.

Insertion of the rhizome

The root is inserted transversely so that the small buds point upwards. To ensure that no damage is done to the buds, the soil must only be pressed extremely carefully. Large rhizomes can also be divided so that each section has at least one bud. This way you can get several plants inexpensively.

Important: You should definitely use gloves when doing any gardening work with the crown of glory, as the plant is highly poisonous!

Crown of Fame: Location

The Gloriosa superba We cultivate it in planters either indoors or outdoors throughout the summer. The plant should be placed in a sunny but sheltered place from the wind. But be careful, in direct sunlight the heat damages the leaves of the crown of glory. As an exotic plant, the crown of glory thrives particularly well at temperatures of 17 to 22 °C; these should be kept as constant as possible. In addition, it is used to humidity of 50 to 60% in its homeland, so a place near the heater is unfavorable. You should use a climbing aid right from the start, as the shoots appear late in the year but then grow very quickly. To achieve dense growth on the trellis, the tendrils can be tied in a circle.

Tip: Are you wondering why crown of glory is usually only sold as a rhizome and not as a plant? The rhizomes are easier to transport and store than adult plants. In addition, the risk of damage to the somewhat delicate crown of glory is minimized.

Maintaining the crown of glory

In order for the crown of glory to be cared for successfully, sufficient fertilization must be carried out in addition to correct watering. The crown of glory substrate should be moderately moist at all times and never dry or soggy. Ideally, the plant should be watered from above twice a week, but on particularly hot weeks you should check more often to see if additional watering is necessary. It is also recommended to spray the leaves and flowers with lukewarm, lime-free water on these days to increase the humidity. In addition, humidifiers can be set up in the apartment or greenhouse.
To support the growth of the crown of glory and the formation of flowers, fertilization should be carried out once a week during the growing season from March to September. The nitrogen content is particularly important for growth, as it enables the rapid shoot growth of the crown of glory. Liquid fertilizers that ensure efficient nutrient distribution are suitable for weekly use. Our Organic flower & balcony fertilizer For example, contains the most important nutrients in purely organic form and is pleasantly odorless due to the absence of animal ingredients.

Tip: If the plant begins to store nutrients and storage substances in the rhizome, it becomes yellow and unsightly. It should then neither be watered nor fertilized. Once the crown of glory has dried completely, the relocation is complete. Only then should the leaves and stems be removed. Infested in spring Aphids like young shoots of the crown of glory. To avoid this, you should regularly check the shoots and undersides of the plant's leaves. Make sure you wear gloves, otherwise your hands may become red. In addition, the natural enemies of the aphid can be encouraged with dead wood corners or insect hotels. If it is too humid in summer, the crown of glory is also susceptible to root rot. Therefore, care should always be taken to ensure that the potting soil is not too wet.

Propagation

After the plant has shed its leaves, the crown of glory can be propagated. To do this, the rhizome is simply dug up in autumn or spring, divided with a knife and replanted as already described. Each rhizome piece should have at least one bud. Under no circumstances should you forget to wear gloves.
Propagation via seeds is also possible, but these have a strong germination inhibition. It can take over a year for the seed to begin germinating. Therefore, this method of propagating crown of glory is only recommended for patient gardeners.

Overwinter the crown of glory

To overwinter the crown of glory, the root tuber can be left in the pot and placed in a place with a temperature of 10 °C. There is no fertilization or watering during this time. Shortly before the new shoots appear in March, the tuber must be repotted into fresh substrate. The rhizome is replanted at a depth of 3 cm and the plant appears in its full glory again after 6 to 8 weeks with sufficient watering and fertilization.

Is the Crown of Fame poisonous?

All plant components of the crown of glory are highly poisonous. Its root tuber in particular contains the so-called colchicine, a poisonous alkaloid. If you notice symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, vomiting, and gastrointestinal distress, you should seek medical attention immediately. Taking colchicine can be fatal.

Danger: Ingesting parts of the Crown of Glory plant can be fatal. It is unsuitable as a houseplant for families with children.

The autumn crocus belongs - just like the crown of glory - to the timeless plants. In our article you will find out how Recognizing, planting and caring for autumn crocuses in the garden and whether they are just magically beautiful or also poisonous.