Those of you who’ve grown flames lillies (gloriosa superba) will notice that the flowers set pods very easily… The pods are actually quite large and bulbous, and will weigh down the vines seemingly to breaking point. Usually, by the time the plants die down for fall, the seed pods are still very green. Last fall, I saved one of he seed pods but never really expected it to ripen.
To my surprise, after coming back from two weeks vacation in Dec-Jan, I saw that the pod had turned black, and had shriveled and split open as if to release its seeds. The seeds themselves were large and round and also a beautiful orange-red color! Next year, I plan to save all the seed pods and enjoy them over the winter. They can be placed decoratively in a small bowl; a nice reminder in the middle of winter that warmer flower-filled days lie ahead… You can see a photo of the seed pod on the plant here in an earlier post.