Clivia Advice on Growing Clivias in Your Garden.

Clivia Advice on Growing Clivias in Your Garden

Clivias are proven easy to grow plants grown in many gardens around the world. They are one of the most popular plants for shady gardens displaying their green strappy leaves all year round. These lovely evergreen plants can be planted and do grow well around the house especially when planted under the shade of trees not minding the competition of the trees roots. They are also planted at the sides of houses where they will get continual shade or dappled light all day long and at the same time get some protection from heavy frosts. This plant is very tough and undemanding as well as low maintenance all they demand is acidic soil that has good drainage to grow well. The plants come in many different colours with the wider broad leaf forms, than the original orange clivia variety. The wide leaf varieties are very popular and are highly sought after from clivia enthusiast. These leaves can be variegated or plain green.

Collectors can pay hundreds of dollars for a clivia these days, not knowing exactly what colour they are buying until the clivia flowers.
 

Which Clivia have you got?

There are many hybrids,

Clivia caulescens- has soft red tubular flowers with green tips and long leaves that measure at least one metre long, flowering in the spring.

Clivia gardenia- has tubular red flowers with green tips. The leaves are also narrow and around 80cm long. This clivia flowers from autumn to spring.

Clivia Nobilis- has pendulous tubular flowers that are green tipped that flower mid winter and is also known to spot flower other times of the year.

Clivia miniata- has pale to medium orange upturned flowers with yellow throats, this variety flowering from late winter to early spring. The Belgian hybrids display rich red orange, yellow, peach and even pink coloured flowers recently.

Clivia x cyrtanthiflora has orange semi pendulous flowers pictured out of my garden these flowers have fine green edges also known in the past as clivia nobillis

Pests that Will Destroy the Clivia Plant

Snails can affect the clivia plant but there is a more serious pest that can destroy clivias in a short amount of time. This is known as the black and yellow striped amaryllis caterpillar the lily caterpillar or the lily borer caterpillar. If the clivia is seen infested with the Caterpillar on Clivias you will have to pick the caterpillars off the plant at night when they are more active, better still spray the plant to get rid of the caterpillars. You will have to watch out for the early signs of the caterpillars on the clivia. To know this you will have to read up on the life cycle of the lily caterpillar to know the early signs of the infestations, about the lily caterpillar moth laying the eggs that can be seen on the clivia leaves. When the eggs hatch then the caterpillar will be seen and this is when the plant will be attacked and on its way to being destroyed if not seen and sprayed soon enough.

Division is the easiest way to propagate them, dividing clivia clumps is best done in the cooler times of the year. Other propagation methods are planting the seed, which can take up to 5 years to produce flowers on the clivia plant.

Enjoy your CLIVIAS they are a worthwhile plant to grow in the garden.