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Impala lily in Letaba taken on our recent trip

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Did you buy one francois? I am interested to find out if they would grow in the Cape.

That does it - I have to have one - if I don't have one by the cricket who do I speak to to book one at the nursery?

Did not buy one as I'm not sure it will survive where we live with all the wind and rain.

The indiginous nursery in Broadacres has Impala Lilies and my son-in-law has grown one successfully from there. He also bought me one from the Botanical Gardens in Roodepoort for only R25. It is growing very nicely and has flowers even though it is small.
He never waters his and it is in a sunny position in a pot on the patio.


Addo and Tsitsikamma in December
Cricket in Skukuza in March 2008

Hi,
my question has not much to do with the previous ones.
I brought back home a branch of Impala Lily, but I read that it only grows from seeds. It has been a month now and I left it in water, it keeps on flowering and makes new flowers. I decided today to put it in, because after going on the forum I read that they don't like water.
I have put stone at the bottom of the pot and filled it up with a mix of soil and sand river.
Can anyone tell me if the Impala Lily branch might developp roots on its own ? Should I leave in water only and wait for roots ? or was it right to put it in a pot ???
HELP, I love this plant so much, I would be really sad to see it die.
Txs a lot for answers.

I wanted to add that I live in Johannesburg, by a very rocky hill, so it hot, very sunny and very dry (I took the rocks and soil from the hill)

Hi all - I am new and have been reading all your posts about the Impala Lily. I first saw them in full flower at Shayamoya near the Natal/Swaziland border north of Lake Jozini. I was totally blown away by their beauty and asked my local Nursery in Umhlanga Rocks to find one for me. A week later I was the proud owner of a one stalk Impala lily! I planted it in a pot and put it in a sunny spot in the garden and it started growing and growing. I am so excited now as it has lost its leaves and is full of pink buds, only 1 year later.! Is there anyone else north of Durban who has one in their garden?

I was in the KNP from the 12th - 19th and must say that the bush looks amazing with all the Impala lilies. Here are some of the flowers in Skukuza

Hi Muhammad

What amazing photos - now I know why we all love the Impala Lily - it is absolutely stunningly beautiful! Have you tried to grow one?

Truly a beautiful plant, I also got me one on the 26th of July on our last trip back home (pta-east). I bought it for R40 and it was the last one left. On sundays they have a few stalls at the Hall's Farm Stall and Shell garage just before you enter Nelspruit.

It is three years old now, about 300mm high and the flowers are beautiful. I am still keeping it in the bag in which I bought it in the window cill facing right north so it gets a lot of sun, haven't given it water since I got it.

But now - I want to start a small rocky garden outside, does anyone know if the Impala lily can poison my dog?

Will post some pics soon - the flowers seem more whiter than the usual flower with the pink edge not that broad, maybe because it is still young.

This is a most interesting topic.

I have just got back from Kruger and bought an Impala as well as a Kudu lily. The Skukuza nursery is having a sale at the moment and they had literally dozens of each.

Thanks for the tips about not watering. The Kudu Lily managed to get invaded by a colony of little black ants whilst we were in Letaba so they are a well travelled bunch. We watered the plants only once and because it was so dry there the ants invaded the plant. They had a good trip back to Joey's.

Regarding the baobab. I bought one some years ago also at the Skukuza nursery but it pined away and despite TLC, eventually gave up. No seeds. And this year there were none.

Intend to make use of all the tips. Thanks people.

Jane

The Impala lily is poisonous, and was used as part of a arrow poison concoction and as a fish poison. It contains more than 30 cardiac glycosides. It is however not very dangerous and was not used on its own. I do believe your dog should be quite safe ... but no promises!

The same can not be said of a related species, found in Namibia, which is known to be extremely toxic.



The Namibian species (Adenium boehmianum) has a white flower with pink in the "eye".

Thanks Imberbe, I had a look on google at the Namibian one, lovely flowers but I was convinced this morning when I got up that they are indeed Impala lilys, a few more flowers opened up. The shape also defines it clearly.

This was the whiter flower I was refering to, I can only think they become whiter as they get older, because the colors on the new flowers are stunning!

Two pics from last night :



Then this morning :

Beautiful!