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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Clivia Minata is My Favorite Plant...This Week

I'm joining the phenominal gardener, tireless blogger, and champion of all plants spiky, Loree at Danger Garden in her favorite plant of the week meme.  Click over to her site to see other favorites this week.

I have two Clivias that I got from Wehop last spring or early summer one with solid green leaves and the other with variegated foliage.  I'd heard that they took neglect well and would tolerate pretty low light conditions outside so I threw them  in the bamboo grove and largely ignored them except to give them a spritz of water every now and then.  The variegated leaf form bloomed last fall and the flowers were nice but a little blah color wise. Bless it's little heart, it bloomed again this winter but I still preferred the foliage.


 The plain-leafed variety continued to put on bulk but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I noticed a flash of orange while I was watering the plants overwintering in the glass room.  The sweet thing was budding!  When I was out the other day working on the plant migration back outside, the blooms knocked my socks off with their brilliant color.  I decided to bring it to the dining room table where we'll see it much more frequently.

A few times a week, I pass this house with the huge pot of Clivias on the porch.  They don't like freezing temperatures much so they come inside before the first frost but reappear on the porch fairly early.  I've thought of knocking on their door to say hello but am not sure what the response to "Hi, I'm a Clivia stalker." would be.


I didn't get out my super duper telephoto lens as it might be looked upon as rude to have something akin to a telescope pointed at someone's window but you get the idea, big pot, lots of  handsome foliage and blooms.

Lifted directly from Missouri Botanical Garden's site is this information:
Common Name: natal lily
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Native Range: Southern Africa
Zone: 9 to 11
Height: 1.50 to 2.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Bloom Time: Seasonal bloomer
Bloom Description: Yellow to orange to nearly red
Sun: Part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Evergreen
Fruit: Showy


Culture

When grown in their native range, Clivia tolerates only light frosts, but otherwise is easily grown. Outdoors they are best suited to dappled shade; water them well during the warmer months and allow to dry for winter. Indoors, they give clear signals when they need care. Yellow spots on the leaves indicate either too much water or water in the heart of the plant. If the leaves split vertically it needs more sun. Mature plants bloom from December to April. If no flower stem appears, it means that you have watered too freely from October on. The soil should be kept just moist until the flower stalk reaches 6 inches; then water normally. The plant may then be moved to a slightly warmer position. Clivia does well with crowded roots, but it should be repotted carefully every three to four years. Try to gently untangle the roots so as not to damage them. A warning: All parts of the plant may be toxic if ingested in large quantities.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Clump-forming plants with stocky rhizomes, they have long, bright green, strappy leaves and produce strong flower stems topped with heads of large funnel-shaped flowers in shades of yellow, orange and red. Red berries follow flowering. Clivia generally take three years to flower. The flowers are long lasting on the plant and can be used as cut flowers.

Problems

Pests to watch for are scale and mites. When placed outdoors, they are a favorite of snails which feed on the flowers.

Garden Uses

Clivia can be grown as a herbaceous perennial in warmer zones (9 to 11). It also makes a bold statement in the landscape when planted as a seasonal addition to a perennial/annual border in colder climates. The foliage gives a strong texture to a design. In the St. Louis area, clivias are grown primarily as an indoor plant and it thrives in this role. They make excellent low-maintenance pot plants that flower during the winter and early spring months giving color to an indoor garden.

For more information and great pictures, click here!  Happy weekend everyone!

31 comments:

  1. Clivias have never really captured my interest, but that flower is pretty stunning!

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    1. I felt the same way but got these for a song and decided it would be fun to try as they have a reputation for being easy. I was not prepared for how much neglect they can take and still bloom beautifully. The blooms last for a long time. It's kind of like having a silk flower arrangement that you can just put away when it's not blooming.

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  2. Ohhh, Orange flowers! My favorite. It often seems showy leaves would come at the expense of other features. On the other hand, the variegated leaves are pretty year round. Am I to understand that one Clivia survived outside in the bamboo grove, while the other wintered at home?

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    1. Oops. They were both out in the bamboo grove in deep shade for the summer. One came inside the house for the winter, one went to the glass room that is kept above freezing in the winter. They flowered at slightly different times but both seemed fine with their winter digs.

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  3. Purdy! (and I'm blushing from all those descriptors at the top of this post) I've never grown a clivia, but do appreciate their blooms, especially the orange ones.

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    1. Hadn't been horribly attracted to them either but they were very inexpensive and I'd admired that big pot of them at that neighbor's house so I decided to give them a try. Very gratifying to grow! Sort of like Christmas cactus, they require little attention, don't mind being pot bound and clivias bloom a couple of times a year.

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  4. Their strappy leaves are almost as nice as their flowers. I brought my yellow ones with me when we moved here 3 years ago. I divided them and planted them in 2 different areas. Three of them are doing well despite their position in dry shade, although they've yet to bloom. One, planted in a sloped area with root competition, is clearly unhappy but still hanging in there.

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    1. They do have nice foliage! How cool that you can grow them outside!

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  5. I love the flowers on these plants, they are great for adding a spot of colour to dull gloomy spots.

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    1. They would be great for that indeed. Their blooms are so bright and cheerful.

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  6. My neighbour has 2 growing under trees, she doesn't water, these plants have never flowered although they have been there for a good more than a few years, so I really think they need regular moisture to do well.

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    1. I read that they do like a rest period of sorts during which time they receive less water. This works well for me as they're grown in pots and outdoors they get watered regularly spring through fall but in the winter when they come inside, they get much less attention.

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  7. I share your enthusiasm for this plant! Great orange color, too. You do want to be careful pointing your zoom lense at people's windows.

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    1. People not so fond of the peeping Tom with camera? Just a little plant voyeurism...

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  8. I have a fondness for clivias because my paternal grandfather passed down a division of his to my father, and my father in turn gave my brother and I each a division of his. He kept it as a single growth for years by removing offsets as soon as they appeared and it was a huge (nearly 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide), gorgeous, symmetrical fan. Sadly he sent it to the compost pile in the sky (I still find it heartbreaking) but at least my brother and I (and my grandfather) still have ours, so it lives on. After seeing the Clivia collection at Longwood Gardens and volunteering for the North American Clivia Society Show that is held at Longwood, I love them even more and want to get a few more forms, especially some of the variegated ones and the dwarfs!

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    1. What a sweet story, well, except for that compost pile in the sky part. But that three generations of your family have grown this plant is very sweet.

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  9. your favourite this week is one of my favourites of all time! That one on that porch is amazing! I'm trying to imagine how the conversation would go, "hi, can I see your clivia?" *slams door*

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    1. I'm always thrilled when someone knows the name of a plant that they want to see. However, most people probably would react much like you describe!

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  10. Lovely plant, I have one with pale yellow flowers and can agree that they certainly thrive on neglect!

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    1. The neglect and low light tolerance of Clivia are reasons to love it. If it were difficult, I wouldn't bother.

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  11. Something else for me to long for and search for to bring in for indoor bloom. Obviously the owner of the one you photographed was proud of it and wanted people to notice or it would not be on the porch in a prominent spot.

    I

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    1. I see them at nurseries frequently and hope you find one. They'd be perfect in a shady spot under a bench in your greenhouse.

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  12. I think Clivias are great, they have such exotic flowers. I have an orange one and a yellow one too and I love them both. I have a friend who sows the seeds and gets some wonderful colours, orange and yellow stripes in one. Mind you it requires patience, they take about 7 years to bloom. I think your neighbour might be delighted to know how you admire his Clivia. On the other hand your telephoto lens might freak him out. It could go either way.

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    1. Seven years from seed to bloom would require some patience indeed but I'll bet that the interesting colors are worth the wait!

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  13. I have never had Clivias. Clivia is a beautiful plant. I think we can grow it only indoors here in Finland. Happy weekend, Peter!

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    1. We grow it indoors in the winter but outdoors in the summer. It's a very easy and rewarding plant if you like orange or yellow flowers.

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  14. It is beautiful...I wonder if it will grow in the ground here in Houston?

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    1. If I'm reading my USDA interactive map of Texas correctly, Houston is in either zone 8b or 9a. clivias are hardy in the ground from zones 9 - 11 so it might work.

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  15. Dear Mr. TOG
    Clivia are new to me but what a WOW ! factor they inspire .. I would have loved to have seen that one in a beautiful deep blue pot ... talk about the power of persuasion? that combo would sell anyone into slavery of the clivia kind .. so perhaps it is a good thing I did NOT see that combo after all ... I am hooked on enough without creating more chaos for myself.
    Enjoy your stalking sir ! LOL
    Joy from up north ; - )

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    1. They're lovely houseplants and can tolerate low light conditions and still bloom a couple of times a year. I have a perfect cobalt pot sitting in the garage...

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  16. Its really stunning! but does it have any color? like pink or yellow?

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.