Product Overview
Clivia Miniata – Natal Lily.
A beautiful, tough flowering plant native to South Africa, with dark, strappy leaves and vibrant orange trumpet shaped flowers borne upon thick, upright stems.
Summer flowering, although can be forced in to bloom in late Winter or early Spring.
A really stunning houseplant that can cope with, or rather will need to be given a cool dormant period to ensure the flowering cycle.
If you have a cool unheated room, porch, or conservatory that drops to around 10c then this is a plant for you.
Secrets of success:
Clivia prefer a bright location, with several hours of early morning sun. They tolerate full sun but the leaves will become bleached, and pale. Too little light will cause weak growth and no flowers.
Water well during the warmer months of the year, but make sure to allow approx. 50% of the compost to dry between waterings. Naturally drought tolerant, so less is best to avoid root rot.
Fertilise while in flower with a high potassium liquid feed to prolong flowering, such as a general tomato feed. The rest of the year it can be given a standard liquid houseplant feed to encourage foliage and root growth.
Remove the old, faded flowers by cutting the stem at its base once it has shrivelled. The evergreen glossy leaves will remain attractive all year.
Minimum Temp: 10c
Aftercare:
As mentioned Clivia require a cool dormant period of 6 to 8 weeks, with low temperatures and little water, to prepare it for next season.
In late Autumn / early Winter move the plant to a bright, cool place where temperatures can get as low as 10c, this will clearly let the plant know that Winter has arrived and it should rest, and prepare itself for next year.
Water lightly only once the compost is completely dry, and do not feed.
Keep the Clivia pot bound, to avoid over watering, and to increase the necessity for the plant to flower, which is basically the cycle of reproduction for plants.
Keep the plant in this cooler position until the new flower buds form, then gradually move to a warmer position and increase watering as necessary as temperatures start to rise.
Repot only approx. every 3 years when the plant is completely pot bound, using a good quality free draining compost, and only a slightly larger pot.
Warnings:
Not a true Lily but a member of the Amaryllidaceae family which includes many other ornamental bulbs, such as daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths, Clivia contain alkaloids which are toxic to pets.
Best practice is to keep away from pets and children.
