The beautiful Clivias

As a landscape designer, the Clivia family has fascinated me for the 40 years that I have been growing and breeding these flowering gems from South Africa, which are in the amaryllis family. My initial attraction to the Clivia was its incredible vibrant and warm orange flowers when I purchased my first plant at a plant sale. These bulbous types of plants have such an abundant array of diversity and are sought after by gardeners around the world. There are four main species of Clivia that are commonly grown and it is from this genetic background that new and exciting hybrids have come into the green marketplace of today. These four species are Clivia miniata, Clivia clauescens, Clivia gardenii and Clivia nobilis.

Early springtime here in Southern California is their flowering period and these plants are truly happy growing in our Mediterranean climate that is similar to South Africa. This evergreen plant enjoys the shady corner of your garden and does not fare well out in full sunlight. They grow best under the canopy of trees or on the north side of your garden in the shade but also can enjoy indirect filtered light. The plants enjoy a rich soil that is well drained with organic material around their root system.

The plants will multiply on their own from tuberous roots that develop new plantlets at the plants base each year. Another lovely attraction is that they produce beautiful red berries if the florets become pollinated by bees, wind, bugs or man’s hand pollination.

Clivia miniata is the traditional Clivia that has been grown for over a century as a houseplant and in conservatory plant collections in cold climates. This orange flowering Clivia miniata species has a rounded flower head and its individual flowers face upright. The other three Clivia specie flowers are referred to as pendulous, with tubular flowers facing down, and look completely different to Clivia miniata. The strap-like foliage of these plants have a dark green color and when in flower act as a striking background to the overall composure of its beauty.

The Clivias are damaged by freezing temperatures (32 degrees), but if protected in a plant colony with other plants around them, might have a better chance of survival. They have an appealing look and are compatible with ferns, azaleas, camellia, liriopes and other shade plants. They also make excellent potted plants for the patio or placed around a shady garden walkway in pots or tubs. Clumps of Clivia can be grown in the garden for years and then can be lifted and divided as you would divide bearded iris, day-lily or agapanthus, making sure to get attached roots to the new plant division.

In recent years there has been an exciting global revival and interest in breeding these beauties to complete new horizons of color, bloom cycle and striking variation in its foliage. For years the gorgeous pure yellow flowering Clivia has held the throne and has spawned a whole new generation of plant collectors and Clivia hybridizers, but back in the early 1930s down in Leucadia there was a nurseryman named Mr. Zimmerman who was creating startling new colors variations through his patient and meticulous hand pollinating of individual florets. Through his strain was one of California’s beginning genetic frontiers that became the wave of excitement for connoisseurs of these exotic plants. He not only grew the plants for container culture to sell to the trade but produced thousands of Clivia cut flowers that were shipped to the San Francisco flower market and commanded premium prices.

Meanwhile, in South Africa other plant breeders were doing their pollinating of various species to get complete new strains. It was the hothouse growers of Belgium, Germany and Holland who were scouring the world for new and unique plant introductions to grow and sell throughout Europe as a houseplant that could take low light conditions of the apartments and homes. The Belgians started a massive breeding program to develop wider strap leaves of the plants and with diligent planning and years of selections came up with the world renown Belgium strain of Clivias.

Now Clivia breeders from South Africa, Europe, China, Australia, Japan and the United States have joined forces in developing completely new color strains with colorful hybrids. Some of the newly cultivated strains are in colors like yellows, peach, pinks, salmon, red, two-tones and blushes of those colors; variegated foliages with cream and white stripes now adorn the foliage straps of Clivias. There is foliage with crinkled waves on the leaves. Some these new foliage hybrids will fetch thousands of dollars in Asia for one plant.

The new names attached to these hybrids are at the whimsy of the breeders, and their imagination for names is as wild and vivid as some of the new colors. Names like California Sunshine, Yellow Girl, Bag Pipes, Big Ben, Bleeding Heart, Bridal Vale, Camp Fire, Chanel, Honey Suckle, Jealous Heart, Moon-drops and Victoria are just a few. With this new insurgence of growers from around the world an International Clivia Society has sprouted and now there are Clivia clubs on just about every continent. A few years ago, I attended the first International Clivia meeting at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, CA, for a two-day bonanza Clivia event. Growers, breeders and plant collectors from around the globe came to see what was new in the Clivia world.

California has definitely been one of the avant-garde regions of the world for Clivia enthusiasts and now the plants are becoming more and more accessible both through garden centers and flower shops around the country. You can even go online and purchase not only plants but hybrid seeds. There has been some bi-genetic breeding taking place in the background and a complete new strain of these beauties waits on the horizon in the future, so stay tuned.

A few years ago, you could spend hundreds of dollars for some hybrid yellow Clivias for a single plant. Pricing has been coming down somewhat, but the new hybrids will still command premium dollars. So if you’re looking for a wonderful plant for that shady nook in the garden consider Clivia and now with a little bit of historic background you might have more appreciation of these flowering treasures. A new book titled “Clivia” came out a couple of years ago; if you would like to learn more on this genus it is filled with everything you wanted to know on this genus and than some.

One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.