March Plant of the Month
March is usually a very yellow month with cheery daffodils and forsythia in full bloom. Orange flowers are harder to find, unless you head indoors that is. At the moment, my lounge has a warm orange glow thanks to the showy flowers of a Clivia.
It’s been blooming for the past month with rounded heads made up of bell-shaped blooms on top of a stocky stem. Even when not in flower, Clivia foliage has presence with wide, dark green, strap shaped evergreen leaves. They will grow to a height and spread of about 30-45cm.
My plant is a division from the original plant split and shared with family and friends over the years. It spends time outside in a shady spot from September until late October as a cold ‘rest’ helps them flower better in the spring. But Clivia need a frost free place, so a spot indoors in good light, but not direct sunlight and avoiding hot rooms. Water sparingly over winter and feed during spring and summer.
An easy and rewarding houseplant that almost thrives on neglect.
