Crinum macowanii

Finding Crinum macowanii, the river lily or Cape coast lily, in flower is a special moment for anybody looking out for what nature offers. The plant grows leaves and flowers annually from a large bulb to heights around 1 m when in flower. The bulbs may be more than 50 cm deep in the soft earth that accumulates over time according to the flow of the rivers where the plants often grow.  

The leaves are channelled, strap-shaped and may have wavy margins.

The species distribution is widespread across the eastern parts of South Africa, from the Eastern Cape, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal to the provinces north of the Vaal River, and through eastern tropical Africa to Ethiopia.

The habitat includes mountainous areas on stony slopes, as well as open grassland in shale, gravel and sandy flats. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century.

This species may be the easiest of the crinums to cultivate. This is so because it produces much seed that germinates easily and yields flowering plants within three years (Manning, 2009; iNaturalist; www.pacificbulbsociety.org; www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).