Clivia

What does Clivia look like?

Clivias are evergreen perennial plants with dark green, arching foliage shaped like wide straps. Unlike typical members of their plant family, they produce no subterranean bulbs, instead growing from sturdy rhizomes and thick fleshy roots. Above the leaves, sturdy flower stems hold dense, rounded clusters of blossoms. Each individual flower has six tepals joined into a tube at the bottom, creating a bell or trumpet shape ranging from an open goblet to a slender dangling cylinder. Bloom shades encompass vibrant yellows, rich oranges, and deep brick reds. Following flowering, the plant produces rounded berry fruits containing unusually large fleshy seeds that often exceed one centimetre across.

Where does Clivia come from?

These plants are native strictly to southern Africa, where wild populations grow in Eswatini and South Africa. They primarily inhabit the shaded forest floor, shielded beneath tree canopies from harsh sunlight, though one species survives in the open climate of the Western Cape. Botanist John Lindley first described the genus scientifically in 1828. He established Clivia nobilis as the initial type species and chose the genus name to honour Lady Charlotte Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, who served as governess to the young future Queen Victoria.

When and how Clivia blooms

Cultivated plants thrive in shaded conditions and well-draining soil, such as coarse coconut fibre or general potting blends. Growth peaks during the warm summer months, when they appreciate steady moisture without being waterlogged. In cooler seasons, plants need a dry, cool rest period around eight to ten degrees Celsius to set future buds. New specimens can be started from seed sown on moist compost under high humidity, or propagated by dividing offsets when repotting. Seedlings develop slowly, taking four to eight years to produce their initial flower heads.

How Clivia is used

People primarily grow clivias as long-lived indoor pot plants and shaded garden ornamentals. Their ability to flourish in dim interiors and tolerate infrequent watering makes them popular houseplants across the globe. Plant breeders continually select forms for novel petal tones, compact habits, and striking striped foliage. Because the foliage and roots contain small amounts of the toxic compound lycorine, clivias must be kept away from grazing domestic pets and young children who might accidentally ingest plant parts.

Kinds of Clivia

The genus contains six recognized species. Clivia miniata is the most common in cultivation, celebrated for its broad open flowers and yellow or orange cultivars. Crossing different lines of pure-breeding yellow plants can result in orange-stemmed seedlings. Clivia caulescens and Clivia nobilis display hanging tubular blooms in winter and spring, while Clivia gardenii and the large Clivia robusta bloom in autumn. Clivia mirabilis, identified in 2000, stands apart by growing in arid Western Cape habitats.

Questions people ask about Clivia

Good reading and sources

• USDA Plants DatabaseUS Department of Agriculture, Article
• Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
• Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
• Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database

• Clivia on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data