Growing Clivia

Growing Clivia can be both fun and rewarding! I find growing them from seed to flowering to be particularly rewarding. There is a great deal of care required to do this, as they take 3-5 years to flower from seed.

Clivia first gained popularity in the 1800's in England, shortly after their discovery in what is now South Africa. Specimens were sent back to England, where they quickly became popular as a parlor plant. Their popularity was due to the fact that the plants flourish in semi shade and require little care as an adult. The species Clivia was named for Lady Clive of Northumberland.

The popularity of Cliva was at it's greatest during the Victorian era. The plants lost favor after the early 1900's,when they became a specialty collector's plant and an unknown plant to most gardeners. One of the speculated reasons for the loss of favor, was the implementation of central heating. Clivia require a cool rest period in the Fall to flower in Spring. Most now mimic these conditions in a garage or a room in the house that can be blocked from the heat (sun room, etc).

Clivia are indigenous to South Africa and the southern portions of their north east neighbors. They grow naturally no where else in the world. Their requirement for a frost free environment as well as free air flow and shade limit them to similar regions in the rest of the world. In most of South Africa, Clivia are a common sight in shade gardens.

In the late 1980's there was a renewed interest in the Clivia species in South Africa. While all along, the Chinese and Japanese had been developing Clivia for unusual leaf patterns and short broad leaves on plants of short stature. The renewed interest that began in South Africa, has now extended to much, if not most of the developed world.

The Japanese and Chinese have developed Clivia that are small enough to be houseplants for almost anyone living in regions of the world that receive cold winters. Their larger, South African cousins grow to be quite large. It is not unusual for a mature Clivia to attain a height of 3 feet and a diameter almost as wide. The Belgian growers have also bred smaller plants for the European "pot plant" market. These plants are quite popular there and are usually tossed out once they have finished blooming. Their sales price, in bloom, is in the $20 range.