Family: Amaryllidaceae
Origin, Description & Uses:
Scadoxus multiflorus, commonly known as blood lily or blood flower, is a striking bulbous plant native to tropical and southern Africa as well as parts of the southwestern Arabian Peninsula. Growing from an underground bulb, it produces large, globe-shaped clusters of brilliant red to scarlet flowers that resemble a colorful fireworks display. The broad, lush leaves emerge seasonally, adding to its ornamental appeal. Blood lily is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical gardens as a landscape accent, specimen plant, or container ornamental, where its dramatic blooms attract attention and provide seasonal color.
Risks & Threats:
Blood lily is considered a low-risk species for Hawaiʻi. While it reproduces through bulbs and seeds, there is little evidence that it spreads aggressively or poses a significant threat to native ecosystems. It is generally dependent on cultivation and is not known to form dense infestations that displace native vegetation. As with any non-native plant, responsible garden management is recommended to prevent unintended spread, but current information indicates that blood lily can be grown safely in Hawaiʻi landscapes with minimal environmental concern.
High Risk Traits:
- Toxic to animals and humans (contains poisonous alkaloids)
- Broad climate suitability (tropical/subtropical, lowland to 2700m)
- Introduced and cultivated widely outside native range
- Shade tolerant
- Geophyte (bulbous, can resprout)
- Produces viable seed with high germination (90–100%)
- Reproduces vegetatively via offsets
- Bird-dispersed seeds
- Seeds survive gut passage
Low Risk Traits:
- No evidence of naturalization anywhere
- Not reported as a weed of any type
- Lacks spines, thorns, or burrs
- Not allelopathic, parasitic, climbing, or smothering
- Does not form dense thickets
- Not prolific seed producer
- No persistent seed bank (seeds short-lived)
- Intolerant of root disturbance
- Requires well-drained, fertile soils
