Clivia Care: Winter Rest and Why It Won’t Bloom

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Clivia is one of the longest-lived houseplants: with good care it lasts for decades and every late winter sends up a stalk topped with an umbrella of orange bells. It tolerates shade and dry air and rarely needs repotting. The one thing it cannot do without is a cool autumn rest. Here is how to give it one and why your clivia might not be flowering.

What is clivia

The indoor clivia is Clivia miniata, an evergreen herbaceous plant of the amaryllis family from the subtropical forests of South Africa. It has no bulb: long strap-shaped leaves form a fan, their bases tightly wrapped into a false stem. The roots are thick and fleshy and store water. A stalk carrying 10–20 bell-shaped flowers usually appears in February–March; flowers are orange, less often yellow or cream.

Light, temperature and watering

Clivia likes indirect light: an east or west window or a spot further into a bright room. Direct sun scorches the leaves. Keep it at 20–25 °C while growing and flowering; in summer it can go on a shaded balcony.

View full-size photoClivia blooms in late winter with proper care.

Water moderately when about half the pot has dried — the fleshy roots rot easily. Use rested, room-temperature water and never leave it in the saucer. Wipe the leaves with a damp sponge. Feed every 2 weeks from spring to late summer.

Winter rest: the key to flowering

Clivia needs a rest to flower. From October until a flower stalk appears (usually late December to January), keep it cool at 10–14 °C in good light, water minimally — every 2–3 weeks, just to stop the leaves wilting — and do not feed. Young plants need about 2 months’ rest, mature ones 3–4.

When the stalk reaches 10–15 cm, move the pot somewhere warm and bright and gradually resume watering. Do it too early and the stalk stays short, with flowers opening among the leaves.

Why clivia will not flower

• No cool rest — the most common cause.
• A young plant — offsets flower in their 2nd–3rd year, seedlings in their 4th–5th.
• Too large a pot — clivia fills it with roots before flowering.
• Too little light or too much nitrogen.
• Being moved while in bud — buds may dry up.

Repotting: rarely and gently

Clivia dislikes repotting and flowers best when slightly pot-bound. Repot only when roots push out of the pot — mature plants every 3–4 years, right after flowering — into a pot just 2–3 cm wider. The fleshy roots snap easily; dust damaged spots with charcoal. Do not bury the base of the leaves, or the lower leaves rot. For large plants, simply replace the top layer of soil each spring. See how to repot houseplants.

View full-size photoClivia offsets are separated during repotting for propagation.

Propagation from offsets and seed

• Offsets — easiest: when repotting, separate side shoots with 4–5 leaves and their own roots and pot them up.
• Seed — pollinated flowers form berries that take almost a year to ripen. Sow fresh seed in light compost at 20–25 °C; flowering takes several years. Fruiting weakens the plant, so the berries are usually removed.

Careful: clivia is toxic

Clivia contains alkaloids, mostly in the roots. If swallowed they can cause vomiting, drooling and stomach upset, and the plant is toxic to cats and dogs. Wear gloves when repotting and keep it away from pets and small children. More winter bloomers: winter-flowering houseplants; browse potted plants.

FAQ

When does clivia flower?

Usually in February–March, after a cool winter rest. The flowers last 3–4 weeks.

Why is my clivia’s flower stalk short?

It was moved into warmth too early or kept too dry as the stalk began to grow. Move it once the stalk reaches 10–15 cm.

How often should I repot clivia?

Only when roots push out of the pot — every 3–4 years for mature plants, after flowering.

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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