Formosa Lily
Lilium formosanum
NEMBA category
Taiwan Lily, St Joseph’s lily; trumpet lily (English); (Afrikaans)
English: Formosa Lily, Taiwan Lily, Taiwanese Lily, St Joseph’s Lily, Trumpet Lily
Afrikaans: Sintjosefslelie, Trompetlelie
The Formosa Lily hails from Taiwan but has found a new home in South Africa’s high rainfall grasslands. It has become a competitive invader in natural grasslands. It can be mistaken for indigenous lilies which have similar flowers.
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Origins: Taiwan
Overall Appearance: An erect, herbaceous perennial with bulbs. They can reach heights from 60-150 cm tall an can spread to form large colonies.
Leaves: Linear-lanceolate leaves, 5-15 cm long and 0.5-1.5 cm wide and arranged alternately on the stem.
Flowers: Fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers, typically white with a reddish-purple tinge on the outside. * Flowers are borne in clusters at the top of the stem in late summer to autumn.
Fruits: Dry, dehiscent capsules containing numerous small, black seeds.
Seeds: Numerous, small, black seeds easily dispersed by wind and water.
Soil Type: Prefers well-drained, fertile soils.
Aspect: Full sun to partial shade.
Provinces Affected: While not currently a widespread problem in South Africa, it has the potential to become i9ncreasingly invasive in certain areas.
Note: Formosa Lily can spread aggressively through its seeds and bulbs, outcompeting native plants and disrupting natural ecosystems.
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