Indestructible

(Originally published: November/December 2007)

I'm not one to splurge big money on an unknown (even one purportedly easy) houseplant. So when I found a skimpy, 3-inch-tall clivia (Clivia miniata) for a bargain price of less than $10, I thought, "Let's see how easy."

Within three years, the glossy, dark green, straplike leaves had multiplied and extended to about a foot long (they can grow up to 3 feet long on a mature plant).
From a central core, they grew in a striking, arched symmetry that resembled a prettier, stronger and thicker version of an amaryllis. That's understandable. Clivia, sometimes known as the kafir lily or fire lily, is a member of the amaryllis family.

I'd been warned that clivias prefer to be rootbound, so I knew mine wouldn't blossom the first couple of years. I moved it as it grew out of its original 2 1/2-inch pot to successively larger pots, finally settling for one about 8 inches wide. Even without blooms, my plant looked gorgeous and healthy. A little neglect is good for a clivia, which needs to dry out between waterings. I fertilized it a bit and placed it in a bright spot with no direct light. Then, I basically ignored it until a budded stalk emerged late one winter and finally opened.

Wow. The lily-shape blossoms grew in clusters of 10 to 20, each about 1 1/2 inches long. Though some descriptions call clivia blooms deep orange, mine are more like orange sherbet with a glowing yellow center. It's such a warm, refreshing tropical color to see during such a cold season! And the blooms last for more than four weeks.

Perennials in their native South Africa, clivias are not hardy in the Midwest, but they love to spend summers outdoors in shady areas. To blossom, clivias need a cool, dormant period (50 to 65 degrees is ideal) for 12 to 14 weeks, starting in late fall. Stop fertilizing and apply only enough water for the plant's basic survival. Once regular watering and fertilizing resume (only about once a week), blooms should appear in six to 12 weeks.

Actually, the toughest part about growing a clivia has been figuring out how to pronounce the name. Some say "KLY-via" because the plant was named after Lady Florentina Clive, the granddaughter of Baron Robert Clive, who founded the British Empire in India. Others say "KLIV-ee-ya," or even "KLEE-vee-uh." I don't care what you call it. I call it easy. Nearly indestructible. The perfect houseplant.

RESOURCES Ask for clivias at your local greenhouse. For mail order: Logee's Greenhouses (888/330-8038; www.logees.com), Stokes Tropicals (866/478-2502; www.stokestropicals.com) and Shields Gardens (866/449-3344; www.shieldsgardens.com).

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