Clivias

How to choose a clivia

Natal Lily is the species, with bright orange trumpets in a dense head above the leaves, the toughest of the group and the one for mass planting under trees. Clivia Belgian Hybrid has larger flowers in a fuller head on a stronger plant, bred for the pot and the feature position. Pastel opens in cream, apricot and peach, the softer colour for a shaded entry or a white garden.

All three grow to about 60cm tall and wide. The trade-off is price against flower: the species is the cheapest way to fill a bed, the hybrids give the bigger show in a pot where every flower counts.

Where clivias work

Clivias want shade or morning sun only; afternoon sun burns the leaves. They grow in warm temperate, subtropical and sheltered cool temperate gardens, in any free draining soil, and they take dry periods in their stride once established. Frost marks the leaves, so in cold districts plant them under a tree canopy or an eave, or grow them in pots moved under cover in winter. They are the classic plant for dry shade where little else flowers, and for a shaded courtyard or balcony in a wide pot. See the plants for full shade for companions and the plants for pots for container partners.

Planting and spacing

Space clivias 40cm to 50cm apart for a bed that closes over in two or three years. Plant with the crown at soil level, never buried, into soil improved with compost. In pots use a quality potting mix in a container only a little larger than the root ball; a clivia flowers better when its roots fill the pot. Water in, then water sparingly until new growth shows.

Care basics

Water through the warm months when the soil dries and keep plants on the dry side in winter, which sets the flower buds. Feed once after flowering with a slow release fertiliser. Cut the spent flower stem at the base unless you want the red berries. Lift and divide crowded clumps after flowering every four or five years. Snails and slugs chew the flower buds in spring, so bait early. The berries and sap are poisonous if eaten, so keep them from children and pets. For the rest of a shaded bed see the plants for partial shade.

Common questions

Why is my clivia not flowering?

Usually too much water and warmth in winter. Give it a cool, dry rest from late autumn and it buds in spring. Deep shade all day also reduces flowering; morning sun helps.

Can clivias grow in pots?

Yes, and they flower well in them. Use a pot only slightly bigger than the roots and repot every three or four years.

Do clivias tolerate frost?

Light frost under a tree canopy, yes, with some leaf marking. Hard frost burns the leaves, so give them cover or bring pots in.

When do clivias flower in Australia?

Late winter to mid spring, August to October in most of the country, with the hybrids a little later than the species.