Clivia questions, answered

Yes. Give it bright, indirect light near a window but out of direct sun, and a pot that drains well. Clivias flower best after a cool winter rest, which a heated house doesn’t give them. If you can, move the pot to a sheltered, frost-free spot outdoors or a cool room for winter, and bring it back inside once buds appear.

Less than you might think. Mature potted plants usually need a thorough soak about once a week from spring to autumn, and once or twice a month in winter. Check first: if the mix is still damp 5 to 10 cm down, wait. At Valewood we water only in the morning, never when rain is forecast and never when it’s over 30°C.

Gentle morning sun is fine, but hot midday and afternoon sun will scorch the leaves. Bright, dappled shade under trees, on a shady verandah or under 70 to 80% shade cloth is ideal. Deep shade keeps leaves green but reduces flowering.

Clivias are frost-tender, and frost damages their leaves. Grow them under trees, eaves or a shade structure, and cover them with frost cloth on cold nights. Where frosts are heavy, frost cloth is essential. Potted plants can be moved somewhere sheltered for winter.

Yes. All parts contain toxic alkaloids, especially the base and the berries, and eating them can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Keep plants and berries out of reach. For people, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26. For pets, call your vet.

Clivia miniata, the most common species, flowers mainly from late winter to spring in Australia, mainly August to October, with some into November. In cool areas like Toowoomba, September is usually the peak. C. gardenii and C. robusta flower in late autumn and winter.

Yes, if you’re patient. Fresh seed germinates in about a month in a warm spot, but seedlings take years to flower and won’t necessarily look like the parent plant. Our seed raising guide explains how we do it at Valewood.

Usually 4 to 5 years for Clivia miniata, depending on conditions, and longer for some species: C. nobilis can take 6 years or more. The seed itself takes around 9 months to a year to ripen on the plant.

The oldest outer leaves yellow naturally with age. If many leaves are yellowing, suspect too much sun, too much water and root rot, soft rot at the base, root mealybug or an old, exhausted mix. See pests and problems to tell them apart.

Divide after flowering in spring, or in early autumn, not during the winter rest. Separate offsets once they have their own roots and at least 3 or 4 leaves; bigger offsets (8 to 10 leaves) settle faster and flower sooner. Divisions match the parent plant but may take a couple of years to flower. Full steps are in potting, repotting and dividing.

A deep pot with good drainage holes, only slightly bigger than the root ball, because clivias flower best when a little root-bound. Plastic holds moisture longer; terracotta dries faster. Fill it with a coarse, bark-based mix, never garden soil, and stand it off the ground.

A quality slow-release fertiliser with trace elements is the easiest choice. At Valewood we use a 9-month slow-release fertiliser during the growing season and again in mid-winter to support flowering. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds, as too much nitrogen can prevent flowering.

We post plants on Mondays by Australia Post, packed in a new box. Plants travel bare-rooted: we clean the roots and wrap them in damp material to keep them humid in transit. Pot or plant yours soon after it arrives. If you need to wait a little, keep it damp in a cool, shaded spot. See what to do when your plant arrives and shipping and returns for postage details.

No. Because of state plant-biosecurity restrictions, we can’t post plants to Western Australia, Tasmania or the Northern Territory, and we don’t post overseas. We don’t provide phytosanitary certificates.

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Common causes are too much shade, too much nitrogen, a pot that’s too big, a winter that’s too warm, or a plant that has recently been divided or repotted. See why won’t my clivia flower?