When Clivia Lilies Try To Steal The Show

[Jim in Los Altos]

It's Clivia (Kaffir Lily) season and mine are popping and showing off. Do they overshadow the palms? Sort of unless you're a palm nut like most of us.

Allagoptera caudescens Wallichia densiflora Washy root mass

Rhopalostylis sapida R. bauri and Geonoma bondariana R. sapida

Calocasia trunks and Howea Geonoma, R. glauca, R. bauri Gaussia princeps, Trachy martianus,C. cataractum

[Jim in Los Altos]

R.sapida trunk and small R. sapida Carpoxylon and Kentiopsis Lemurophoenix

Wallichia densiflora Carpoxylon, Kentiopsis, Wodyetia, Wallichia

[samirbouag]

beautiful pictures garden and flowers!

[willo68]

Wow Jim, Clivias are beautiful. Always wanted to get some but dont know how they handle our brutal Florida summers. Their native South Africa is a bit drier than we are. I have seen them for sale here but they will sell you anything, the question is will it grow.

Will

[Ben in Norcal]

Awesome as always, Jim. I have been eyeing some Clivias lately, but a little short on "shady nooks" in the yard...

[Danilopez89]

Thanks for sharing Jim. I always enjoy looking at your garden pics. I dream of having a lush garden like yours.

[DoomsDave]

Clivias are one of the best companion plants for palms. They take shade, including very deep shade, as well as competition from the roots of a lot of palms planted close together.

They do need regular watering, though they'll survive a drought. They will also take more sun than you think, though they're still best in shade, if only because so little else looks good there.

Here's some amaryllis that look pretty good, though I think in a few years they'll get shaded out.

[Pip]

Clivia are fantastic plants for saying good bye to winter. They flower for me in South Australia from about mid August to the end of October and then put out the occasional bloom throughout the rest of the year. I like to leave the spent flower heads so I can watch the red berries ripen.

[Really full garden]

My clivias are blooming here as well. I just have the common orange.

I like them even when not in bloom.The tight clumps of dark green foliage are very nice in shady spots among ferns,bromeliads and aglomenas.

[Gonzer]

Do they overshadow the palms?

Betcheraz!

[Palmdude]

Jim your gardens are gorgeous!

[_Keith]

This is one plant that I might break ranks for and try Tropicdoc's pop up greenhouse one.

[Sandy Loam]

...so they are not a problem to get blooming in full shade?

[Monòver]

jim, your clivias are fantastic and the garden, the same.

Sandy loam, the clivias bloom in full shade,they are one of best plants if you want flowers in a shady place.

This is mine, in shade, near one chambeyronia

[DoomsDave]

...so they are not a problem to get blooming in full shade?

Not at all. They'll even bloom indoors which is like a cave. (We're still cave people, after all.)

[Jim in Los Altos]

...so they are not a problem to get blooming in full shade?

Yes, they grow, bloom, and look much better in full shade. Even dark shade. They burn in the sun unless it's early morning sun only.

[Palm crazy]

Awesome pictures Jim, I really like to get one of these as an indoor/out plant, thanks for posting them, I’m a sucker when it comes to orange flowers. Being inside it may bloom earlier for me when not much else is happening in the garden.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Yes, Roger, I would think these would do well indoors since their light needs are pretty minimal. I love orange too. I have orange hibiscus and canna lilies to satisfy the craving as well as a variegated abutilon that blooms 365 days per year and a tiger's eye abutilon that blooms on and off.