Why Plants Die
Theme
Theme

Cat's Claw

Gloriosa superba, Colchicaceae

Sources last read 14 September 2026.

Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.

Also called climbing lily, creeping lily, Fire Lily, flame lily, Gloriosa Lily, glory flower, Glory Lily, Malabar glory lily, Superb Lily and Tiger's Claw.

Cat's Claw (Gloriosa superba), the whole plant.
kasparova, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Cat's Claw is toxic

  • Toxic to cats. Toxic principle: Colchicine related alkaloids. Clinical signs: Bloody vomiting, diarrhea, shock, multi-organ damage, bone marrow suppression. ASPCA
  • Toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: Colchicine related alkaloids. Clinical signs: Bloody vomiting, diarrhea, shock, multi-organ damage, bone marrow suppression. ASPCA
  • Toxic to people. Toxic when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. Toxic to pets (dogs); for more details and helpful contact numbers, consult the HTA guide on potentially harmful plants. RHS

What the sources say about its care

Light
Full sun
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Water
Moist but well-drained or Well-drained
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Humidity

No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.

ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%
Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Temperature

How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.

H1C — 5–10°C 5–10 °C
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Soil
Loam; pH Acid or Alkaline or Neutral
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to cats
Toxic
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to dogs
Toxic
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Harmful to people
Toxic when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. Toxic to pets (dogs); for more details and helpful contact numbers, consult the HTA guide on potentially harmful plants.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Routine care

Watering
After growth starts, water generously and feed every two weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Feeding
Once growth starts, water generously and feed every two weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Repotting
Keep the tubers dry over winter; if they are very crowded, move them to a larger pot in late winter.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Propagation
Gloriosa lily can be grown by dividing its tubers or from seed, though seeds may germinate unevenly and with difficulty.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Sow seed at 19-24°C, i.e. 66-75°F; or in spring divide by separating the finger-like tubers.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pruning
As the top growth dies back after flowering, cut it down.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pests and diseases
Can be troubled by bulb mites.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Aphids can occur. Diseases: usually none.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Move something and watch

Loading the simulator. It needs JavaScript; the care table above does not.

Flowers of Cat's Claw (Gloriosa superba).
FlowersAndri Saputra, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

About the plant

Gloriosa superba is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. It is native to and common across most of Africa except North Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and south-central China. It has been introduced to parts of Americas, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026

Native range
Trop. & S. Africa, W. Indian Ocean, Indian Subcontinent to Lesser Sunda Is.
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Southern Africa and Tropical Asia
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Tropical Africa
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Climate
seasonally dry tropical
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Growth form
tuberous geophyte
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Bulb, Vine; habit climbing
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Clump forming (deciduous)
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Size
Height 60–72 in; width 12–36 in
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Height 1.5-2.5 metres; spread 0.1-0.5 metres after 1–2 years
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Flowering
Flowers gold/yellow, red/burgundy; blooms in fall, summer
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Flowers red in summer and autumn; yellow in summer and autumn
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Uses

What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.

The plant contains colchicine, taken from the seeds, and is used medicinally for arthritis, gout and inflammation. It has also been used for skin diseases, ulcers, leprosy and snake bites. Nigerians use it to poison arrowheads, while in India it serves as a snake repellent and as an antidote to snake venom. Toxic if eaten.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026

Plants with similar care

Sources

What this does not cover

The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.

Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.

If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.