Clivia miniata - Kaffir Lilly

Clivia miniata - Kaffir Lilly

There is a garden up the road from here (on the Main Rd towards 

Willunga) with old Olive trees underplanted with a collar of gorgeous orange flowering Clivia miniata – the orange flowering variety. It looks spectacular every year – such bright colour in the shady gloom under the trees.

These days Clivia’s also come in a yellow flowering form – more a rich cream then intense yellow, but stunning in its own right.

So, we are celebrating Clivias’ this week at Fern Forest! The shiny dark green leaves are attractive on their own, and they are actually quite tough, enjoying the shade and dryer soil you find under established trees.

Clivia’s – named after ‘Clive of India’ and also called Kaffir lilies in their native South Africa, are fabulous pots plants as well. Their clumping habit means they will need potting on separation eventually, but they are relatively slow growing and resilient, so can be kept in a pot for many years, enjoying a spell inside during flowering and being returned to their shady homes outside for the rest of the year.