Gladiolus flanaganii in its favourite habitat

Gladiolus flanaganii has been called the suicide lily, given the cliff-hanger challenges it presents to photographers and unfortunately also to greedy collectors.

It is found on steep Drakensberg slopes and cliffs, both in KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (www.redlist.sanbi.org).