Clivia / Bush Lily

Afrikaans name: Boslelie

Photo © Steven Herbert

Clivia miniata

The Clivia is also known as the Bush Lily. These plants are normally found in shady areas where they can sometimes be found in large colonies.

The leaves are long, slender, and dark green in colour. They grow from an underground stem. They can grow to a height of 50 cm. The flower stalks get clumps of up to 30 beautiful orange flowers in Spring, but they do occasionally appear at other times of the year. The flowers measure around 7 cm across. Its fruit takes the form of a reddish berry which is around 2 cm in length. These berries stay on the plant until Spring the following year.

Clivias are normally found in forest or bush areas where they grow in shady conditions.

Traditionally Clivias have been used for a number of medicinal purposes. These range from assisting childbirth to fighting fever. Unfortunately, the demand for these plants for use in traditional medicines has depleted the number of plants to be found in the wild. The Clivia is an extremely popular garden plant. They must be grown in shady, or semi-shady, areas and do not like to be transplanted.

References and further reading

The Gardener - 2008/11 - Author: - Published: 2008 - Page: 73

The Gardener - 2017/09 - Author: - Published: 2017 - Page: 24

What Flower is That? Spring - Author: Hazel Stokes - Published: 1968 - Page: 66

SA Wild Flower Guide No 4 - Transvaal Lowveld - Author: Jo Onderstall - Published: 1984 - Page: 54

Indigenous Garden Plants of Southern Africa - Author: Glenice Ebedes - Published: 2017 - Page: 126

Healing Trees & Plants of the Lowveld - Author: Dumes, Loon and Bester - Published: 2009 - Page: 95

Illustrated Guide to the Game Parks and Nature Reserves of SA - 2nd edn - Author: Readers Digest - Published: 1991 - Page: 394

Indigenous Beginnings - Author: Anneke Kearney - Published: 2008 - Page: 93

Field Guide to Wild Flowers of South Africa - Author: John Manning - Published: 2009 - Page: 56

A Visitors Guide to Kirstenbosch - Author: Colin Paterson-Jones - Published: 0 - Page: 20

Discovering Wild Flowers in Southern Africa - 2nd edition - Author: Sima Eliovson - Published: 1969 - Page: 40

Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of South Africa (updated edition) - Author: John Manning - Published: 2019 - Page: 56

A Field Guide to Wild Flowers in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Region - Author: Elsa Pooley - Published: 2005 - Page: 38

Wikipedia

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