History

From the moment of their discovery in the early 19th century, clivias have had a profound effect on horticulture. Gardeners in Japan, in particular, became enchanted by these members of the amaryllis family soon after the plants reached that country from their native South Africa. Europe wasn't far behind. In England, the most spectacular species, Clivia miniata, was put on display before its identity was known, and the first flowers created a sensation. It proved to be a durable and long lived plant, and its large seed were readily produced and easy to germinate. Before long, the plant breeders were at work, using some of the fine selections that had been discovered in the wild and brought back to Europe. By the end of the 19th century, spectacular new hybrids were being shown and illustrated. And then they disappeared, victims of the upheavals and fuel shortages caused by the First World War. But now interest has been rekindled with a vengeance. An international movement has changed this plants in many different and exciting ways. Belgian breeders, for example, have transformed clivias into more petite, rapidly maturing pot plants with astounding sales figures of over 700,000 plants per year in Europe. Chinese breeders have selected clivias for unusual leaf patterns and shapes; single plants there are reputed to sell for as much as $10,000. Individual seed from desirable parents can sell for as much as $10 to $20 each. In South Africa and California, new colors such as peaches, apricots, and pinks are becoming popular.

The New Flower Colors

To understand this fervor, all one has to do is look at some of the new plants that are being bred. Yellow Clivias have long enjoyed the mystique of being exceptionally scarce and desirable. Today's knowledgeable growers, however, aren't content with the buttery cream color of older selections -they want rich, golden yellow flowers, a feat that has been achieved but is still rare. Among the most exciting new hybrids are those with pink and peach-colored flowers, which have appeared in several different breeding programs. In these plants, the pink is usually mixed with a variable amount of cream or yellow, so the colors range from apricots and peaches to shades that are quite close to true pink.

A normal clivia flower has six tepals (a word that refers to petals and sepals that look alike). Some new strains, however, have eight tepals, which makes the flowers look bigger and fuller.

One of the goals of today's clivia breeders is to develop truly double flowers, and progress is slowly being made in that direction. There are now plants that consistently produce flowers with 12 tepals, and eventually there may be flowers that look like small double roses.

Clivias with variegated foliage are becoming more available. These plants are cultivated for their foliage, not their flowers, and are best regarded as living sculptures. They are particularly appreciated in China and Japan.

Plants with good leaf color contrast are expensive, and often cost more than $100.00

Leaf pattern can vary not only from plant to plant, but also within the same plant. Most variegation occurs as longitudinal bands that run the length of the leaf and may be either white or yellow.