Is Clivia an indoor plant
Mia Kelly
Published Feb 14, 2026
While most clivias are grown as interesting houseplants, in suitable locations they can be grown as outdoor container plants. However, they must be brought indoors for overwintering. The attraction to clivia plants can be found in their stunning blooms, which vary in color from pale orange to red.
Can clivias be grown indoors?
CAN YOU GROW CLIVIAS INDOORS? Potted clivias can be moved around and used as colourful accents at flowering time, or even brought indoors for several weeks of colour. The flower spike also makes a lasting cut flower in a vase or mixed arrangement.
Do clivias like sun or shade?
GROWING CLIVIAS Clivias will grow in shade, but may become ‘leggy’ if grown in deep shade. They will still flower, but not prolifically. Aim for good light in autumn and spring, but avoid strong sunlight in the summer months. Best grown in fertile, well-drained soil.
How do you care for a clivia plant indoors?
Grow clivia under cover in a frost-free place, avoiding hot rooms, in good light but out of direct sun. Water regularly in summer but sparingly in winter, when the plant should be ‘rested’ in a cool place. Feed in spring and summer, and deadhead once flowering has finished. Propagate from offsets, in spring.Where do clivias grow best?
Clivia is best planted in low light areas of the garden. In full sun, plants will become bleached and stressed. Clivias do need protection from frost so in some areas they should be grown in pots that can be moved indoors or into a glasshouse during the winter.
How long will a clivia live in?
Clivia plants are very long-lived and have been known to survive up to 20 years. They have long, strappy , thick and waxy leaves, similar to those of the cast iron plant, which emerge from the soil directly opposite one another in an alternating pattern.
Why is Clivia expensive?
Clivias are expensive because they have high ornamental value and a long-lasting flowering interval. In addition to that, cultivating Clivia plants takes two to three years, which is a lot compared to other flowering plants.
Do clivias flower more than once?
Clivia can flower at slightly different times each year depending on if we have had a cold winter or a warmish winter. Although most C. miniataflower in September, some are a little slower and may flower in October or November.Do clivias multiply?
Clivia’s natural multiplication by offsets. Clivias are one of many plants that produce offsets. These are the tiny plants that cluster around the base of the mother plant and grow up to be exactly like their parent. … These young plants can produce multiples in no time, provided they are handled properly.
How often should I water clivia?During the spring and summer growing seasons, a clivia needs regular watering but should be allowed to become dry to the touch between waterings. An automatic weekly watering will often be too much and can cause rot. Fertilize once a month with a half-strength dilute solution of 20-20-20 fertilizer.
Article first time published onAre clivias fast growing?
Clivias are slow growers and it can take up to five years for a seed to grow into a flowering plant. Keep in a warm, protected, ventilated spot out of direct sunlight. Water in spring and summer, ensuring soil is damp but not wet and fertilise every couple of weeks.
How cold can clivia tolerate?
They need a minimum of a month of cool nighttime temperatures (below 50°F degrees but remaining above freezing; they can tolerate temperatures down to about 36°F), followed by 6-8 weeks with very little water (just enough so the leaves do not wilt) and no fertilization.
How many times a year do clivias flower?
A. Miniata, Gardenii, Robusta and Caulescens seedlings should flower at three to four year with slightly longer for the yellow varieties.
Is Clivia poisonous?
Scientific Name: Clivia spp. Clinical Signs: Vomiting, salvation, diarrhea; large ingestions cause convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors and cardiac arrhythmias. Bulbs are the most poisonous part.
What does clivia symbolize?
The clivia flower, which is native to Southern Africa, symbolizes the conversion of the aim of life from the ego to the Divine. It also represents good fortune, fortitude, and an unyielding, mighty and resolute way of being.
Do clivias make good cut flowers?
Clivia are incredibly good cut flowers. Some flowers I have cut have lasted almost two weeks in a vase. The berries are also very ornamental and can be used in flowering arrangements, too. Clivia make an outstanding flower for vases.
Can you transplant clivias?
Clivias can be divided now too. Just lift the clump with a spade and divide. Look out for any young ones growing from the side, chop these off and plant them. Clivias have fleshy roots and so when transplanted they need to be watered just once, and left, because they easily rot.
What do you do with clivias after they bloom?
After flowering, remove spent flower stems near the base, unless seed is required, and reduce watering. Water sparingly through winter, but do not allow the containers to dry out. Repotting, where necessary, can be carried out in early spring using a slightly larger container.
How do you take care of clivias in the winter?
- Clivias flower more reliably if you give them a period of rest in late fall. …
- For 12-14 weeks (about 3 months), keep the plant in light in a cool room (50-55°F is ideal) and withhold water.
- Keep a close eye on your plant during this resting period.
Is Clivia a bulb?
Clivia (Clivia miniata) is an easy to grow houseplant with strappy leaves and tall stocks of flowers that burst into citrus-hued orange or yellow bloom in late winter. Evergreen, it grows from roots rather than a bulb like it’s cousin, the amaryllis.
Can clivias tolerate full sun?
Clivias originated from South Africa and are a trouble-free hardy plant given a shaded area with good drainage and sufficient water during the warmer months of spring and summer. Too much exposure to full sun and dry conditions will bleach their deep green strappy foliage and weaken the health of the plant.
What Colours are clivias?
The main colour being orange but more uncommon colours like yellow and reds are available. New varieties are being bred such as apricot, cream and a rare white. Each umbel (flower head) can have upwards of 12 to 20 blooms. Clivia generally take 3 years to mature until they begin to flower.
How long does it take for a Clivia to bloom?
Young clivia plants can be much less expensive, but you will need to be quite patient to ever see it bloom, as it can take anywhere from two to five years for a clivia to bloom for the first time. It is better to purchase an already blooming clivia plant, which is usually in February and March.
How do you get a clivia plant to flower?
Hold the plants dormant until 8 weeks before show time. To bring the plants out of dormancy, begin watering and gradually raise the temperature to 60 degrees F. Flower buds should begin to show about two weeks after the temperature is raised.
Why do clivia leaves turn yellow?
Clivias develop yellow leaves and root rot if they are over-watered. They grow best when kept barely moist in pots with excellent drainage. Clivias bloom more freely when their roots are crowded, so don’t re-pot until the bulb starts to push out of the container.
Why is my clivia drooping?
Wilting in Dormancy However, wilting or yellowing of the leaves is often the result of underwatering. When leaves wilt during dormancy, give the plant enough water to moisten the soil lightly. Allowing the plant to dry out can damage its bulb.
Why are my clivias dying?
Only water clivia when the surface of the soil has become dry. Make certain to avoid wetting the foliage of the plant when doing so. Excessive or incorrect watering can cause issues with root rot, crown rot, and other fungal diseases. … Over time, the leaves turn brown and will prematurely fall from the plant.
Is Clivia indoor or outdoor plant?
While most clivias are grown as interesting houseplants, in suitable locations they can be grown as outdoor container plants. However, they must be brought indoors for overwintering. The attraction to clivia plants can be found in their stunning blooms, which vary in color from pale orange to red.
Should you water Clivia in the winter?
The clivia must have a rest period during most of the late winter months. The soil should be dry to maintain a dormant period. The rest period should continue through most of the winter months and not be broken by light waterings until the end of January or early in February.
Is a Clivia a lily?
About Clivia Lilies Native to South Africa and part of the Amaryllis family, this plant does not tolerate frost. … Clivia produces long, broad, evergreen leaves and pretty, lily-like flowers that are trumpet shaped and that cluster together.
How long does it take clivias to grow?
Sprouting should be within 4 – 6 weeks. Fill small pots or a deep seed tray with milled bark or commercial potting soil. Water the soil medium well and make holes of about 2cm deep with a dowel stick.