How to Grow Clivia
Clivia miniata
Clivia is a tough, shade-tolerant houseplant that rewards patience with stunning clusters of orange trumpet flowers in late winter. The single most important care requirement is a cold rest period (8-12 weeks at 5-10°C with minimal watering) in autumn to trigger blooming. Outside of dormancy, it thrives in low to medium indirect light with moderate watering. It prefers being pot-bound and only needs repotting every 3-4 years. Toxic to cats and dogs.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Feed every 2 weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser from spring through summer. Stop feeding entirely from autumn through winter to support the cold rest period needed for flowering.
Watch For
- Mealybug in leaf bases and between strap leaves
- Scale insects on leaf undersides
- Red spider mite in dry indoor air
- Root rot from overwatering during dormancy
- Lily caterpillar (Amaryllis borer) eating leaves
Pet Safety
Care Requirements
Light
Low to medium indirect light
Thrives in low to medium indirect light. Avoid direct sun which scorches the leaves. A north or east-facing window is ideal. Too much shade reduces flowering.
Watering
Moderate, reduce in dormancy
Water when the top 3 cm of soil feels dry during active growth. Reduce significantly during the autumn/winter cold rest period to barely moist. Overwatering during dormancy causes root rot.
Fertilizing
Fortnightly in spring and summer
Feed every 2 weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser from spring through summer. Stop feeding entirely from autumn through winter to support the cold rest period needed for flowering.
