# Yellow Fortnight Lily (*dietes bicolor*)

The Yellow Fortnight Lily is a beautiful plant with bright yellow flowers that bloom every two weeks! It’s perfect for gardens and makes the world a little brighter with its cheerful colors.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 6
- **Habitat:** It thrives in gardens, parks, and natural areas across southern Africa.
- **Also known as:** African Iris, Dietes bicolor, Fortnight Lily, Yellow Dietes

![Yellow Fortnight Lily](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Yellow_Wild_Iris.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Mazarbulrin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellow_Wild_Iris.JPG)

## Appearance

The Yellow Fortnight Lily has striking creamy-yellow, iris-like flowers, each marked with three distinctive dark brown or purple spots near its center. Its long, slender, sword-shaped leaves form an evergreen clump that provides a lush green backdrop.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Asparagales
- **Family:** Iridaceae
- **Genus:** Dietes

## Interesting facts

- Each delicate flower only lasts for a single sunny day, then a new one blooms!
- Its name comes from flowers often appearing every two weeks!
- Its tough, sword-like leaves stay green all year long, even in winter!
- Though called a lily, it's actually a distant relative of the beautiful iris flower!

## Special abilities

- **Fortnight Bloom:** Yellow Fortnight Lily can produce new flowers every two weeks, helping it attract pollinators continuously.
- **Drought Survivor:** Yellow Fortnight Lily has tough roots that help it survive long dry spells without much water.
- **Rhizome Power:** Yellow Fortnight Lily has underground stems called rhizomes that help it spread and form large, strong clumps.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 60-150 cm
- **Spread:** 60-120 cm
- **Flower Size:** 6-8 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** Garden Acraea (*Acraea horta*) — drinks flower nectar
- **Eaten by:** [Garden Snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — eats tender leaves

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Yellow Fortnight Lily?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Yellow Fortnight Lily?

60-150 cm

### How wide does Yellow Fortnight Lily spread?

60-120 cm

### How big are the flowers on Yellow Fortnight Lily?

6-8 cm

### When does Yellow Fortnight Lily bloom?

Spring to fall

### Is Yellow Fortnight Lily edible?

No

### Is Yellow Fortnight Lily toxic?

None

### What is Yellow Fortnight Lily's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Broadmoor](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/broadmoor) — Louisiana, US · Neighborhood
- [Charleston Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/charleston-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District
- [French Quarter](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/french-quarter) — US · Neighborhood
- [Gulf Breeze Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gulf-breeze-zoo) — Florida, US · Zoo
- [South Carolina Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/south-carolina-aquarium) — US · Aquarium
- [Audubon Insectarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/audubon-insectarium) — Louisiana, US · Zoo

[View all places to see Yellow Fortnight Lily](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yellow-fortnight-lily)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Yellow Fortnight Lily: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-fortnight-lily)