Angela B wrote: “Clivia (or Natal lily, originally from South Africa) is one of my favourite plants. It comes in a variety of colours. I have been growing Clivia miniata, the orange-flower variety, for years. Its glossy leaves and bright orange trumpets are striking and decorative. It has flowered well this year and I thought members might like to see it, and I encourage those who have not grown one to do so.
It’s easy to grow. See the RHS website for detailed care instructions. It’s a woodland plant and likes indirect sunlight and regular watering from Spring to Autumn, but minimal watering over the winter.”
We asked a few other members about this unusual and lovely plant. Chris B is also a fan of them, she says hers has beautiful flowers in May and June and she puts it outside for a holiday in the Summer (although not in full sun). She brings it back inside for winter and reduces the watering.
Viv P grew Clivia for many years at her old house, where it was in the unheated conservatory out of direct sun. She fed it in Spring and Summer and it flowered profusely. She agrees you need to keep it dry in winter, and you do need to give it space – hers grew to 3ft square! Hugh P says it seems to thrive on neglect, so it would be a great low-maintenance plant from the sound of it. They used to donate baby Clivia plants to the members’ Plant Sales Table, so I imagine that is the source of a lot of our members’ plants! Here they are with their prize Clivia in 2015.
Anna L and Margaret T visited the Barbican Conservatory in March last year and waxed lyrical about the Clivia in full bloom there. Anna had named Clivia miniata Plant of the Month in the Newsletter for March 2023. She agrees with the advice offered above, and adds a recommendation that, if overcrowded, the plant should be split after flowering to encourage more flower stems. She is less enthusiastic about giving them a summer holiday outside because she lost a plant to infection that way.
Who else grows them? Let us know….
Lynda F
Discover more from Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 
Christine and I have grown clivias for almost as long as I can remember. They are brilliant for lighting up a gloomy winter or early spring indoors and look brilliant against the background of a dark fireplace. We keep them indoors from November to April and after they have flowered (which they do every year without fail) we leave them out of doors to get the benefit of light and rain. We have always found that benign neglect works well and they only occasionally need repotting. We once tried the yellow-flowered variety but it proved less robust than the usual orange variety. Nicolas B
LikeLike