Clivia

The orange-flowering evergreen Clivia is native to South Africa. They are very easy to grow and are the perfect bloomers for people with low light conditions in their homes. They don't like to be repotted and usually are quite happy crowded into the same container for many years. The blooms are spectacular and are most often orange; the rare yellow clivia is sometimes available. The flowers are borne on large umbels of ten to twenty flowers, with each individual flower almost 2 inches in diameter. As flowers fade, deadhead regularly and more clusters may appear. Blooms usually last almost the entire month of March, and then you are left with clivia's wonderful glossy leaves. Keep watering through the spring, summer and autumn until the first day of November. Stop watering completely until the first day of March. The leaves will stay evergreen through this dormancy.

Plant Care

Light: Clivias prefer low light conditions. If the leaves start to turn brown at the tips, it's a sign of too much light and the plant should be moved immediately to a shadier location. During dormancy, the plant can remain in its usual location (unlike some bulbs that must remain in complete darkness) because the leaves will remain green.

Water: Water regularly, spring through fall. Try to water around, not on, the bulb and avoid wetting the leaves. Let the top  inch of soil dry before watering thoroughly. Stop watering in November and don't start again until March (this induces the dormant period needed to produce blooms).

Temperature: Cool or average warmth is good; though, they prefer to be cooler in the winter dormancy period.