These are curiously late this year, normally the buds form in January. The leaves on the plant never look good, being prone to sunburn and dieback, but the flowers are divine. The last time it flowered 5 stems (some plants will grow a second stalk later) the plant split a 12in/25cm clay pot. A considerable expense from my perspective. When the shortest stalk gets a little taller, I'll start watering it again.
Very beautiful! What color will the flowers be? I have always wanted to try a clivia. Are they easy to grow?
Kim
Kim,
I just bought my first one a few weeks ago from a local GH. I hear they like to dry out b/t waterings, don't like being repotted(halts the bloom cycle when you pot up) and need a cold period for several weeks in early winter to initiate bloom later.
I'm enjoying my gorgeous blooms now because I will definitely need to repot in the Spring. The soil the grower used is too peaty. Apparently, disturbing their roots will make them not bloom! Oh well, guess it's a sacrifice I'll have to make.
I would like to get one of t he yellow blooming Clivias, as they are said to be more rare than the orange(which is what I have). I've seen some web pics of other color variations that are to die for.
GH
Hi Kim, GH. Kim, they are easy. These are understory plants from South Africa that do like it cool and dry in the winter. If you water it when it is trying to make a flower stalk, the stalk will be short and never grow tall. I let them in the same pot for about 3-4 years and then repot. They will bloom after repotting if you don't manhandle the large fragile roots too much and are really ready for repotting. You know they are ready when they split the pot..
Last year they bloomed 3 stalks, but the 2 smaller plants were too small to bloom. I have seeds if you want them GH. I work in the Balt. region most days, and can send them to 32nd st. farmers market if that would be convenient. They like rich well drained soil. I know people who have these and get summer bloom, but none in the winter (same plant I have, mine is a clone of their's). For this reason, mine get dry treatment in Dec and her's in May. Go figure, but her house is colder than mine.
Oh I would love to try one of these. It sounds like they would love our cold/dry Maine winters. I never see them offered here at HD which unfortunately is about the only place around (local) for plants other than 1 nursery that wants your left arm and your right leg for every plant they sell. They are building a Lowe's right across from HD though and I have heard such great things about Lowe's. Maybe I will have luck there when they are done in another year or so though :( I'll check E-Bay but I get nervous buying plants on E-Bay. I have had good/bad experiences and have paid WAAAAY to much for plants that weren't even what they were described to be!
Sincerely,
Kim
Hey Pete...you've got the magic touch! 5 Bloom stalks!
Anxious to see photos of them in bloom.
Nan, as you know, they smell wonderful. This is also a fun plant because the beauty of the flowers and their wonderful scent makes people draw close and stick their nose in. They come out with the orange pollen on the nose. I don't tell them unless they have good clothes on. (Pollen stains cloth. Or rather, dyes it.) When they leave, they carry a slash of orange around until somebody else tells them.
Hi Pete!
You have D-mail!
GH
Hello,
I just bought some yellow clivia seeds off of ebay and the fellow I bought them from said to put them in a very high quality seedling mix and cover the seed with 1/2 inch of soil. Water and place in dark with a temperature of 65-70 degrees.
I have got seeds from my own miniata and I never grew it the same way at all.
Does this sound right or does anyone know for sure. I just got them today so I only planted one as they were quite expensive.
Thanks for any help.
Joanne
Joanne, when I ordered mine a few yrs ago from Park Seed,
I planted then in seed starting mix in a small container, like the small
6 pack you get annuals in. I watered them after planting mine about 1/4 inch deep. They were up in a week. I didn't know about placing them in the dark and apparantly that wasn't necessary. So all in all, I don't
think they are difficult to germinate. Just don't wait too long. I think the
instructions on the seed pack said plant immediately.
I did have the advantage of having a small g house which I kept at 60
degrees at night but much warmer in the day due to the sun.
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
Okey dokey...will do that then. Thank you very much for the help.
Joanne
Keep in mind that plants started from seeds will not flower for years. The plants need to be a certain size. I have 2, purchased within the last year. One from ebay that was delivered from China has cream and grass geer variegation, the other just a regular one with red flowers. Of course, they are not big enough yet. Good luck, I like their hardiness!
Linda
Morning Linda,
Oh I would love to have a variegated leaf variet! I have two as well, one is an adult and the other is a baby I got from my own seed. I had three, gave two away and the one I kept is thriving with four leaves. I think I read it will bloom in 3-5 years and I think mine is 3 or 4 years old.
This is such a wonderful forum!
Joanne
Morning!
Thought I would snap a few pics of my baby Clivia. Does anyone know if there is a rule of thumb as to how many leaves they will put out a year as I can't remember how old this plant is from seed.
Thanks,
Joanne
Morning!
Here is pic #2 - an overhead shot
Joanne
We just got some Clivias in at work today. (I work at a small nursery) There were two of the darker orange color, and two pale, almost butter yellow varieties, both in bloom, with one flower stalk to each plant. The biggest deterrent (for me, at least) is the $35 price-tag on the yellow one.
Yes, I get a pretty decent discount, but I can't quite justify the purchase when I already have one that I purchased last year. It is much smaller, and I did have to pot it up, so I don't expect a bloom this year. I was relieved to see new foliage emerging from the plant, however. I have a tendancy to over water, and that never bodes well for plants that prefer dryer soil. :P
Should I bite the bullet and buy the yellow clivia? The one I own now will be orange. I'm tempted because of the color of the bloom, but a little nervous about the cost on the plant.
Lori
Lori,
Bite the dust, and buy the yellow one.!!! They are so much more valuable than the orange. In a couple years, it should be worth 75-100 greenbacks, should you decide to sell it.
With your discount, it'll be a huge bargain. In your zone, you can probably leave it outside nearly year round. Or, are your seasons a little cooler than I thought?
Keep us posted! I would love to find a deal like that, on a yellow one.
D.
I doesn't freeze in town where I live, but I can't really leave it outside. Clivias don't do too well in the sun in this area. We a far enough north to get pretty cold winters, (30 degrees but no snow) but our summers can be HOT. We had about 3 weeks of 110 degrees, before it finally cooled to 90-95 for a while.
They do well as houseplants, as long as they get that cold snap that needs to preceed bloom. Fortunately for my Clivia, I don't heat my house (no insulation to retain heat) so my house tends to stay at a 'balmy' 50 degrees during the winter... some mornings it is in the mid-40s! Brrrrrr....
DeannaV - I did take your advice, though, and one of the pale yellow varieties (it isn't named) is waiting to go home with me. With any luck at all, the bloom will hold for a couple more weeks. I'll try to get a picture of it tonight or tomorrow.
Lori
Lori,
You mentioned Clivias don't do well in the sun "in your area". It has been my understanding that they don't do good in the sun in any area.
I put mine outdoors in summer, after night time temps don't fall below 60 degrees. I put it in a nearly full shade spot, on the east side of house, under house overhang. Usually, within a month of putting outdoors, it is in full bloom. Sometimes,it blooms twice during it's outdoor stay. I water and fertilize regularly, outdoors.
In the fall, I bring it back in, when night time temps get around 55-60 degrees.
Winter, I put in a north window, water once a month or so. Sometimes I get a bloom stock in early March, and sometimes I don't. I wish I had a better light source for them, but you do with what you have. They remain extremely healthy looking, throughout the winter.
I have only repotted once, in the seven years I've had it. At that time, 2 years ago, I separated 3 large "pups" from the mother, and have those in 6" pots. They have grown to be nice lush plants, but no bloom yet. I have a feeling this will be the year, as they are almost the size of the first one, when I bought it, in bloom, at our local Lowe's.
I am so happy you decided to bite the bullet and get the yellow one. It'll be so interesting to see if it's wants, needs, and over-all growth habit are similar to our orange bloomed ones. Enjoy!
D.
Morning Lori,
I would definitely buy the yellow one!!! They are supposed to be very hard to come by.
Joanne
My mom has a yellow one that she gave to me to babysit over the winter, because she doesn't have a real cool place for it during the winter. I've got it in a guest bedroom that's about 50° and sometimes a little cooler most of the winter. I'm guessing it's time to give it back to her. Hers didn't bloom last year, but it did the year before, so she thought it was probably because it didn't get cool enough for it to bloom. Should I be seeing flower stalks starting by now?
kbaumle - probably, but depending on how cold your house *still* is, the plant could be running a little late.
DeannaV - The tag on the clivia that I just bought said part sun/shade, and in some areas here on the North Coast, the weather is temperate enough to allow some sunlight, especially closer to the coast where a 'hot' day is in the high 70's. I live further inland, with two narrow mountain ranges between town and the coast, so we do have the hot sun in the summertime, and it would probably be too hard on the clivia.
Although I'm considering putting it on my front porch, where it will get only a small amount of sunlight in the morning, but it will have some time outside. My only concern is that while it can top 100 during the height of a summer day, the nights can be in the mid to low 50's. I'll probably chance it with one of them, just to try it out.
I already know that the winters are too cold for my Brugmansia (I think I killed my 'Miner's Claim' during a late frost two weeks ago)... oops.
Humboldt weather is a little tricky sometimes.
Lori
This is the plant I first posted today. It ended up with 6 flower stalks. These are funny plants. Like I say, mine always blooms about now, while the lady who gove me this plant about 10yrs ago has her's bloom in July. Her's is kept at just above freezing and not watered much (if at all) from Dec-March.
While I was looking at the Clivia, I took this of a Rhipsalis. Just about in full bloom too.
Hi Penn_Pete,
Both beautiful photos! I can't remember my Clivia or Kafir Lily being that color...is that the normal color? Mine hasn't sent up an stalk yet so I am hoping.
Me and my girlfriend we are always checking to see if either one has a bloom stalk coming yet. Mine was up before hers last year and this year hers is up before mine.
LOL!
I love them though....even without the flowers...the foilage is very pretty.
Joanne
Someday I would LOVE to try a clivia. I have watched them on E-Bay for a long time but they always end up being more than I can afford.
I LOVE the coloring and the foliage of them. Do you all find them easy to grow? Think they would like Maine?
Sincerely,
Kim
