Season Top Performer: Clivia

Spring is welcomed by the beautiful trumpet flowers of this durable plant. For dry regions, root competition, dry pots, and under trees, they are a top choice. Let's look at it more closely.

• Scientific Name- Clivia miniata

• Light Requirements-    Bright, indirect light.

• Watering- Water once the top half of the soil is dry. Will tolerate underwatering better than overwatering.

• Soil-    Fast draining potting mix. Orchid bark or a mix of peat, perlite and coarse sand.
• Temperature- 60°F (16°C) to 75°F (24°C)
• Fertilizer- Feed monthly after blooming with a 1/2 to 1/4 strength 20-20-20 water-soluble formula through the growing season.
• Humidity- Prefers lower humidity.
• Flowering- Needs 6-8 weeks of cooler temperatures to trigger blooming. (50-55°F). Rich red, yellow, orange or cream blooms
• Pruning- Just remove dead leaves and flowers. Otherwise, no pruning required.
• Re-Potting- Likes being root bound, so only repot every few years.
• Diseases and Pests- Mealybugs and scale are most common. Prone to fungal and bacterial disease if overwatered.
• Toxicity-  Quite toxic to humans and animals.

Flower are one of the best antidotes to the icy winds of winter, and growing a houseplant that buds and blooms inside while all is dormant outside is particularly satisfying.

Clivia Miniata:

Clivia miniata, often known as the Natal lily, bush lily, or kaffir lily, is a flowering plant.

How to Grow and Propagate 

Propagation If your Clivia has not been pollinated, seeds will not form. Pollination in the wild is mainly done by insects and birds. To pollinate your Clivia, use a soft fine paint brush to transfer pollen from one blossom to another for 5 days in a row.

Clivia Miniata Fruits:

The fruits are bright orange when ripe (or golden in the case of the yellow flowered plants). The pulp should be removed from the seed when you are ready to sow . The seeds are large with a pearly sheen and should be sown fresh for best results.

Clivia Nobilis (Drooping Clivia, Cape Clivia)

A 1-2 foot tall evergreen rhizomatous perennial that forms tight clumps of strap-shaped, dark non-glossy green leaves with slightly serrated edges and a rounded tip. Arranged in an umbel the long-blooming, tubular orange flowers in spring and summer (later than Clivia miniata) droop downward and are followed by marble sized red berries.