Red-Hot Clivia

It has been said that clivia, among the most shade-tolerant of plants, will grow in a cave. It’s admirably drought-resistant too. The bulb-like clumps of bold strap leaves begin flowering right about now and peak in spring. The flowers are a nice solid orange, which shows up well in the shade. On occasion, you might find a yellow, though they are quite rare.

Now there is a new clivia named flame. Developed by Hodge Amemiya, a California nurseryman, the flowers are a deep red-orange that glow like embers, and they make a dense cluster on the end of sturdy stems.

Flame clivia is a perfect accent, even if you already have beds of the orange type. If you cannot find it at your neighborhood nursery, ask them to order it from Monrovia Nursery Co., one of the largest wholesalers.