
Gymea Lily
Doryanthes excelsa
Family Doryanthaceae
Sydney sandstone icon
About
Endemic to coastal NSW around Sydney, the Gymea Lily is one of the most spectacular native plants in the Sydney Basin, sending up a flower spike as tall as 6m topped with a large, trumpet-flowered crimson head.
How to spot it
Look for a rosette of long, strap-like sword leaves 1-2.5m long on low-nutrient sandy soils along creeks and gullies, with the towering red flower spike appearing over spring and summer.
Found in
- Royal NP
Source: Wikipedia: Doryanthes excelsa
Akamanda, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons