Doryanthes palmeri

giant spear lily
Large rosette of stiff, succulent, spear-like green leaves. Extra large, ten foot flower spires emerge in summer, arching from the weight of their crimson blooms. Low maintenance.
Doryanthes palmeriDoryanthes palmeri
height 6–10ft
width 5–10ft
tolerates Coast, Cool Summers, Drought, Fog, Neglect, Wind
water
needs		 Low – Moderate
water
info		 This plant is quite drought tolerant for how lush it looks, though it will perform best if watered before drying out completely. Once established it’s unlikely to die from drying out temporarily, but slowly looks more and more parched. It is also forgiving of ample water, if needed.
hardy
to		 26F
exposure Part Sun – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Planting Mix, In Pots: Potting Soil, Tolerates Heavy Soil, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose
origin E Australia
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 15–17, 19–24, H2

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Full Sun
Six or more hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Shade
Three to five hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Sun
One to two hours of sun beams directly landing on the plants leaves.

Full Shade
The plant is never fully lit by sun beams, but is in a bright spot or has dappled sunbeams playing over the leaves throughout the day.

Deep Shade
The plant never has dappled light on the leaves, and is in a place that feels dim, even on a nice sunny day.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

This plant is quite low maintenance. The oldest leaves will eventually brown and pruning them off yearly will keep the plant looking tidy. Once it is blooming the old flower spikes should be cut off as low in the leaves as possible.
Does okay in large pots (think a half wine barrel or larger), but small pots should be avoided.
Typically flowers within a decade, when grown from seed.
Mature plants begin to sucker, forming a colony that slowly loses the original rosette form and becomes more uniform.