When looking for an indoor plant that does not need a lot of care and brings a pop of color, a great option to look at is the Clivia. It is easy to maintain and provides a beautiful color to any room.
Clivia is a flowering plant in the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae) known for its bright tropical flowers and dark elongated leaves. Native to southern Africa, it is a great plant for growing indoors because it does not like direct sunlight. Clivia plants are generally easy to care for. The plant should be watered whenever the soil gets dry.
This plant is great because you can forget about it for days at a time and it will still thrive. So if you love plants but you have a hard time tending to them daily and keeping them alive, then this is a great option because it requires less care and it grows perfectly in indoor conditions.
Clivia plant basics
Clivia is native to the tropical forests in southern areas of Africa. It thrives when grown indoors at comfortable room temperatures. Most types of Clivia in cultivation have orange flowers, but there are some yellow-flowered cultivars available.
Clivia plants grow to be quite large. They have thick stems and they can grow to about 2-3 feet tall. They have beautiful flowers and tall leaves, and they can be planted both indoors and outdoors. The Clivia plant likes indirect sunlight, so indoor conditions are perfect for that. If you plant it outdoors, then it needs to be kept in an area with shade or filtered sunlight.
These species also are great at holding water in their roots and stems, so they are known to survive well in droughts. Because of this feature, they only need to be watered occasionally, and you can tell when they need to be watered next by looking at the soil and seeing if it is wet or dry. When the soil looks somewhat dry, that is when it likes to be watered, but do not drown it with water.
When there is more heat during certain seasons, it will require more water. On the other hand, during the winter it just wants enough water to survive and not freeze (if grown outdoors).
Popular species of Clivia
There are six recognized species of Clivia:
- Clivia caluescens
- Clivia gardenii
- Clivia miniata
- Clivia mirabilis
- Clivia nobilis
- Clivia robusta
Light requirements for Clivia plants
Grow this plant with proper amounts of light and water. Clivia loves natural light, but when it is placed in direct sunlight it can burn, so letting it be an indoor plant is a perfect choice. Clivia plants grown indoors will likely bloom best when given supplemental lighting from a plant light.
Watering Clivia plants
Overwatering is a common cause of Clivia plant decline. Many people think that watering plants daily is how every plant lives, but some plants, like the Clivia plant cannot live with that much water intake. They prefer to be watered when the soil is dry (so not very frequently). Their watering pattern is similar to cacti and succulents in the way that they thrive off of a limited amount of water.
In the summer or during hotter weeks, this plant should be watered a little more often so that it is hydrated enough to fight off the heat. During the winter, this plant can be grown indoors in cool climates.
Ambient temperature & indoor humidity for Clivia plants
The perfect temperature for this plant is 50-75 degrees Fareinheight. So if your indoor temperature is within that range, then it will thrive in your home.
This plant can also thrive in humidity because it is from a tropical forest, but it won’t enjoy an excessive amount of humidity. Don’t keep your Clivia plant in an overly moist environment like a bathroom with a shower.
Fertilizing Clivia plants
Clivia Plants grown in containers will need supplemental nutrition from plant fertilizer. Fortunately, there are lots of high-quality slow-release and water-soluble fertilizers available that work very well for Clivia plants. Most indoor plant fertilizers work well – just be sure to follow the instructions.
Planter pots for Clivia
Clivia plants should be planted in a pot that has great drainage. You do not want to overfill them with water because they could drown, so housing them in a pot that has great drainage holes at the bottom is ideal. The holes help with getting rid of the excess water that the plant does not need or want. This plant does not like to be agitated by re-potting, so make sure your pot is a size that will last a long time so that you don’t have to re-pot it too often.
Potting mix for Clivia plants
Choose a well-drained fresh houseplant potting mix for Clivia plants. High-quality soil mixes generally contain perlite, which helps hold air in the soil so it’s nice and fluffy. Water drains freely out of the soil so that the plant is in moist soil (not wet muddy soil).
Common pests & diseases affecting Clivia plants
Like any plant, there are pests and diseases that can affect a plant negatively. Some pests and diseases that can affect the Clivia plant are mealybugs and certain types of plant fungi.
The other way this plant can be affected is through the mealybugs. These bugs typically like to eat at the foliage to suck out the sap of a plant, and they cause the plant to become weak and die. To avoid this, you can look and inspect your plant for any bugs, then remove them from the plant. Once visible mealybugs are removed, spray the whole plant with an organic insecticide.
If your Clivia plant is growing outside, then it is more prone to getting fungus than an indoor plant. But it really just depends on your location. If your plant has fungus growing then you should prune it. This means you should cut back the leaves and stems that are dead to encourage new, healthy growth. This will make your Clivia grow back stronger than before.
