Warm, spicy-floral, faintly exotic. Fire lily (Gloriosa superba) carries a scent as dramatic as its flame-shaped petals — peppery, waxy, tropical-green.
Mild, waxy, spicy-peppery floral with green-tropical undertones. The spice comes from traces of terpenoid compounds. Less sweet than most tropical flowers, more vegetal than ornamental lilies. A flame-colored flower that smells cooler than it looks — waxy, slightly astringent, quietly exotic.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Mild waxy floral, peppery-spicy edge, tropical green
After a few hours
After a few hours
Softer, less spicy, clean waxy warmth
After a few days
After a few days
Faint floral-waxy trace, barely perceptible
The Full Story
Fire lily (Gloriosa superba, also called flame lily or glory lily) is a climbing plant native to tropical Africa and Asia. Its spectacular crimson-and-yellow flowers are among the most visually dramatic in the plant kingdom. The plant is also a toxic — all parts contain colchicine, a potent alkaloid.
The floral scent is subtle compared to the visual impact: a mild, waxy, slightly spicy-peppery florality with green-tropical undertones. Less intense than lily, less sweet than frangipani. The scent is not commercially captured for perfumery.
Gloriosa superba is the national flower of Zimbabwe and the state flower of Tamil Nadu, India. Despite its toxicity, the plant's tubers are commercially cultivated in India for colchicine extraction (used pharmaceutically for gout treatment).
In perfumery, fire lily is a fantasy note suggesting an exotic, warmly spiced floral — reconstructed from peppery-spicy materials, waxy florals, and tropical green modifiers.
This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Rose Monotone. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
Gloriosa superba's colchicine content makes it a toxic garden plants — as few as 6 mg of colchicine can be fatal to an adult human. The same alkaloid, at pharmaceutical doses, remains the first-line treatment for acute gout attacks.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: No commercial extraction exists for perfumery. Gloriosa superba contains colchicine throughout the plant, making handling hazardous. The tubers are cultivated in India for pharmaceutical colchicine extraction, not for fragrance. Any fire lily note in perfumery is entirely reconstructed.
Molecular Formula
N/A — complex natural mixture
CAS Number
N/A — natural flower (no standard essential oil)
Botanical Name
Gloriosa superba
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
GLORIOSA LILY · FLAME LILY
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
In Perfumery
Fire lily is a fantasy note — no commercial Gloriosa extract exists (all plant parts are toxic with colchicine). Reconstructed from waxy florals (Hedione), spicy modifiers (pink pepper, beta-caryophyllene), and tropical green accents. Functions as an exotic floral heart note in tropical, spicy-floral, and dramatic compositions. The colchicine toxicity makes direct extraction impractical.
