What is clivia? Types, description and nuances of care

Unusual and beautiful clivia is deservedly popular among gardeners, summer residents and lovers of indoor flowers. Inflorescences of this beautiful plant are bright saturated in color and are favorably complemented by dark green leaves.

The palette of possible colors is diverse: from yellow to burgundy. In this article you will learn about the types of this flower, its beneficial properties, methods of reproduction and care for clivia. We also recommend that you watch a useful and interesting video on the topic.

Types and Description

The subspecies belongs to the group of evergreens perennials. Homeland - humid subtropics of South America. Features of the bush - an abundance of flowers and stemlessness (leaves attached directly to the rhizome).

The shape of the flowers is bell-shaped, the inflorescences are collected in an umbrella. Leaves form a kind of fan. Clivia does not contain real onions, its rhizome contains a supply of water and nutrients.

ATTENTION: Rhizomes of a plant are leaves firmly interwoven with each other, which give rise to a strong peduncle and stem.

Clivia is unpretentious to the general conditions of care, undemanding to lighting and humidity. The value of the subspecies for gardeners is its high decorative properties: even in the absence of scrupulous care, clivia will open flowers and delight the eye.

At home cultivation, the flowering period falls on November-March. Large and healthy plants bloom 2 times a year.

What types of clivia are there?

• Gardena. Natural habitat - shady places and foothills. The height of the bush reaches 50 cm. The leaves of the xiphoid shape (2-4 cm wide), taper towards the end. On the peduncle there are up to 12 flowers.
• Cinnabar. In the natural environment grows in dark places. Clivia cinnabar reaches a height of half a meter. Foliage at the base expands, and toward the top - narrows. The variety is distinguished by the color of the flowers (red-red, quack).
• Beautiful (noble). The average height is 30 cm. The edges of the leaves are pointed. The peduncle has up to 60 flowers, the length of the pedicels is 3 cm. The inflorescences are funnel-shaped, the color is pale red.

To learn about how to care for clivia, as well as see a photo of its varieties, click here.

Photo

Next, you can see photos of clivia flowers.

Gardena

"Cinnabar"

"Beautiful"

Information on useful properties

In the biological homeland in its natural habitat, clivia is used as a medicine. Folk healers use an extract from foliage and stems to relieve pain after a snake bite.

IMPORTANT: The plant contains a high content of licorin and clivatin - substances normalize the state of the circulatory system (some drugs are made on the basis of clivia).

Virulence

In the rhizome and leaves of the plant there is a large number of poisoning alkaloids. If ingested, the substance can cause nausea, signs of poisoning, or an allergic reaction. It is dangerous to get involved in self-medication with clivia - this can cause a number of dangerous side effects.

You need to put the plant outside the reach of children and animals (they can taste the leaf and poison). Care for the bush is recommended to be carried out only in protective gloves.

The nuances of home care

The appropriate air temperature for the normal growth of the plant depends on the specific season: for a hot period it is 22-25 degrees, for winter - not higher than 15 degrees. Indoor flower prefers illuminated places, but from exposure to direct sunlight on the leaves may form a burn.

The lack of proper lighting directly affects flowering: it starts late, the flowers are small, and the length of the peduncles is short. Clivia pots should be placed on the windowsills of the western or eastern windows.

The main rule of watering is moderation. Water must be taken at a soft or settled at room temperature. If flowering does not start, you need to water the bush with warm water. With the formation of peduncles with a height of more than 10 cm, the frequency of watering must be increased.

It is also necessary to strengthen the introduction of moisture after tying the buds. During the rest period, excess moisture is prohibited (the plant does not need watering). Clivia is not affected in any way by air humidity: it is not necessary to spray leaves for additional moisture.

Clivia needs to be fed in spring and autumn. You can use complex fertilizers or alternate organic and mineral. It is necessary to stop the application of fertilizing after the plant has entered the dormant period.

For cultivation, loose peat soil with impurities of humus (25%) or soddy soil (40%) is suitable. Every year you need to replace the top 5 cm of soil in a pot.

Watch a video about clivia care rules at home:

Propagation Features

The process of propagation of clivia occurs in 2 ways - by seeds or processes (vegetative method):

1. Sow seeds in the soil should not be less than 1 cm. Sow them should be in a sand-peat mixture, and insulated with a film on top. The first seedlings appear on average after 40 days, transplanting seedlings to a permanent place is possible from 60 days.
2. The vegetative method is dividing the bush into parts. The processes need to be separated carefully because of the tenderness of the root system. Cuttings for children should have at least 4 leaves. It is necessary to place the shoot without roots in well-fertilized soil (with admixtures of humus, leafy substrate).

Can a plant be transplanted?

The transplant process for a flower is painful. There is a high risk of rhizome decay after transplantation. Gardeners recommend limiting themselves to transshipment (the plant is moved to another pot along with a lump of land - the root system is not damaged).

Transshipment of clivia is recommended to be done after flowering up to 2 times a year.. For young indoor plants, repeat the procedure annually.

The main rule of transplantation is not to touch the root. A clivia transplant should only be done if necessary (for example, if the roots no longer fit in the pot). If a piece of root breaks off in the process, sprinkle the wound with crushed coal.

It’s best to take a small pot, as clivia prefers crowding. Optimum soil is a mixture of turf land and sand in equal proportions. Fertilizers are not needed during this period, the main thing is to remember to make a drainage layer in the pot. Old clivia (age more than 5 years) do not transplant.

Watch the video about the features of clivia transplant:

List of Major Diseases

Most often, the bush is affected by scale insects or mealybugs. The list of characteristic problems also distinguishes:

• Lack of flowering (why clivia does not bloom and how to solve this problem can be found here). The reason is poor quality care. The temperature regime and the level of illumination should be reviewed.
• White spots on the leaves. A common cause is sunburn. The bush should be put in the shade for a while and treated with foliage with restorative preparations (buy in a special store).
• The ends of the leaves turned brown. This is a sign of moisture in the soil. Stop watering for a while.
• Yellow leaves. If yellowness does not manifest abundantly - this is a natural process (flowers are periodically updated). If yellow spots appear on most of the greenery - this is an alarm.

The list of possible causes is the lack or excessive watering. If the humidity is increased - clivia should be checked for root decay.

TIP: If any, carefully remove the affected parts, disinfect the cut points, transfer the kiwi to a new soil substrate.

Features of indoor flower

The difference between house clivia and wild counterparts is the size. In the first case, it is a short plant, in the second - the bush reaches gigantic forms. For home cultivation, clivia cinnabar or noble (beautiful) is most often used.

Among the features of the varieties:

1. flowering in the cold season (November-March);
2. bush length not higher than 60 cm;
3. variety of colors (pink, white, yellow);
4. the abundance of flowers on the peduncle;
5. xiphoid leaves.

Signs and superstitions

The plant got its name in honor of Charlotte Clive (duchess and governess of the future Queen Victoria). Gave the name to the flower botanist Lindley. There are several interesting beliefs and signs associated with the plant. It is believed that Clivia "drives" quarrels and quarrels from the house.

ATTENTION: According to astrologers, clivia is a flower for people who are born under the sign of Sagittarius. The flowering period falls on the period when the Sun enters this sign.

If you put money in a pot during flowering, this will increase the level of well-being in the house. A sharp slowdown in flowering is a sign of possible change. It is not recommended to put a pot in the bedroom, the best place for clivia - living room or work area.

Clivia is a unique plant that is distinguished by the absence of bulbs, the shape of foliage and the abundance of flowers. Subject to the simple rules of care, clivia will delight the eye and protect the house from the eyes of detractors. Remember that the plant is difficult to tolerate the transplant - do it only if necessary.