Page 45 - Waterfall City Issue 9 September 2024

CLIVIA, QUEEN OF SPRING

Clivias are one of South Africa’s indigenous super stunners and have

become quite the collector’s dream.

By Elize Malan
S pring is well-known for the average three to four years to flower After picking your berries, remove
the outer pulp and clean the seed
Clivia flowers that grow in
from seed.
by washing it in a fungicide or
abundance in shady spots.
a week. Different growth mediums
The upcoming Clivia Flower Show that You can use the pollen of the same dishwashing liquid. Let it dry for about
flower to pollinate it. However, if
takes place on 14-15 September at two different plants are used, both can be used – for example, two-litre
Garden World Nursery, Beyers Naude sets of genes are mixed, resulting plastic ice-cream containers – with
Drive is an excellent example of the in a better seed set and more the seed placed between moist
exquisite hybrid colours of Clivia that vigorous seedlings, which combine paper-towelling. Keep the container
are available. Orange is the original characteristics of each parent. in a warm spot, not in direct sunlight.
dominant colour, but new hybrids come The seed should germinate anywhere
in a spectrum from red (deep orange) to If you want to try hybridising, look between five and 20 days, showing a
all shades and combinations of peach, for the plant/flower characteristics white root but no leaves.
yellow and green, up to the palest cream. that appeal to you – such as colour,
flower shape, number of flowers per The germinated seeds are now ready
A colour mutation is a genetic head, leaf shape, etc. – and select for planting into black plastic plant bags
variation in a Clivia miniate, which your parent plants that have these. or pots about 20cm deep. A deep bag
can be reproduced through sexual There are numerous videos available is needed due to the excessively fast
reproduction, whereas a colour pattern on YouTube explaining how to hand growth of the roots.
is the colour distribution on a Clivia pollinate Clivia flowers.
miniata flower. If you find the above too time-
The seeds are enclosed in a fleshy pulp consuming, scatter the seeds on the
These hybrids are the result of hand- and take several months to mature. ground in a moist, shady place in the
pollinated flowers for seed production. Seeds can be harvested when the garden and leave to germinate.
Their large flowers make them easy berries are still green. If left on the plant,
to pollinate (perfect for novice plant the berries containing the seeds will Growing Clivias from seed is slow-going,
breeders!), and the seed is large and soften and colour up red or yellow after but the results can be spectacular.
easy to handle. The only drawback is about 10 months. They can remain on
that they are slow-growing, taking on the plant for up to two years. Source: The Garden Group

Waterfall City Issue 9 2024 43