Doryanthes
excelsa: is known as the Gymea Lily or Giant Lily and is perhaps the
most noticeable plant in sandstone country around Sydney.
Doryanthes excelsa is a giant rosette plant. It has numerous basal
leaves that may be up to 2.5 metres long and ten centimetres wide. The
inflorescence is many flowered and up to 70 cm in diameter.
The flowers have reddish bracts and are pinkish-red. The inflorescence
surmounts a flowering stalk that may be up to five metres tall. Flowering
occurs in spring. Flowers, tall stalk and foliage are all features of this
eye-catching plant.
The Gymea Lily is mainly confined to the Sydney region. A few years ago we
stumbled across a small population on the North Coast of NSW.
Propagate from seed. Expect to wait for a period of 5 to 10 years for plants
to flower. The flowers are frost tender. In Canberra’s Royal Botanic Gardens
scaffolding covered with hessian protects developing flowers and tall stalks.
The image shows an inflorescence and was taken at the ABC Gardening Australia
Live display in Sydney (Sept. 2001). Normally you would need a helicopter to
take a similar photo of a flowering plant. The anthers are rather large (27-38
mm long) and are an unusual deep green colour.
Doryanthes excelsa is
becoming a popular landscaping plant.