Clivia – All You
Need To Know
Clivia Guide
Whether you have access to a garden, a backyard or live in an apartment, Clivias are some of the most versatile of bulbs, growing easily both indoors and outdoors, in containers or in the ground. They enjoy shady spots outside, or in well-lit positions with no direct sunlight as house plants.
In addition to their easy-growing nature, Clivias flower best when slightly pot bound and so with sufficient feeding they can thrive in the same container for many years to come.
The key to success is ensuring that the plant pot allows water to drain easily. This can be done by adding a layer of stone chips or pieces of broken terracotta pots in the bottom of the container before adding your compost mix.
You can grow your potted Clivia in an equal mix of potting compost, river sand and fine grade pine tree bark. If you are not sure where to find these ingredients, ask the staff at your local plant nursery or garden centre.
Fun Fact:
Clivia was named after Lady Charlotte Florentine Clive, granddaughter of Major-General Robert Clive, better known as ‘Clive of India’ who first cultivated and flowered the type specimen of Clivia, C
Types of Clivia
Clivia are the easiest way to brighten up shady areas of your garden with a blaze of bright orange in September and October. What’s more, the common clivia (clivia miniata) is now available in a host of colours, ranging from cream and yellow to salmon, peach and even bronze. Clivia are indigenous plants, which have adapted to our local climate, making them very easy to grow. All they require is dappled shade and occasional watering to produce brilliant blooms year after year.
Potting and repotting Clivia
Clivias tolerate considerable crowding of their roots and bloom best, in fact, when pot-bound. As a plant grows, some of the fleshy roots may push their way up above the potting mix. This is normal.
Repotting is necessary only every 3-5 years. After bloom, lift the plant from its pot and place it in a new pot that is no more than 2″ in diameter larger than the old one.
Use a potting mix that drains well and that is composed of at least 50% organic matter, such as peat moss or fir bark. Most potting mixes sold at garden centers meet both requirements
Basic care of Clivia
- Once they are established in their containers or in the garden, Clivias are highly drought tolerant. It is most important to ensure that you don’t kill your Clivias with kindness by giving them too much water.
- The five summer rainfall growing species, namely Clivia caulescens, Clivia gardenii, Clivia miniata, Clivia nobilis and Clivia robusta, should receive more water at regular intervals during their growing season in summer, but less water during winter.
- If your Clivia is growing in a plastic container, then from spring to late autumn you should water it thoroughly once per week. If it is growing in a terracotta pot, then it will need a thorough watering twice or three times per week. During winter, you can water your container grown Clivias once or twice each month.
- Clivias are hungry plants and will reward you with more flowers if fed regularly. Through the growing season you can feed your Clivia with an organic pellet-based slow-release fertiliser, applied according to the packet instructions. As flower buds form, you can also add a liquid seaweed feed.
Buy Plants Wholesale
Wholesale plants are available for governments, civic associations and NPOs.
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