Clivia Robusta

Habitat and Distribution

Clivia Robusta in general occurs in the more marshy or swampy sections of our country.  

They also occur on sloping areas or even on cliffs, where the conditions are damper. 

These plants occur in evergreen forests under 20 m tall closed canopy in the area of Maputaland-Pondoland.

Robusta also grow in the in the KwaZulu-Natal southern coastal area.

Plant Structure and Leaves

Plants are usually between 1200 and 1800 mm in height, with 10-20 light green leaves in a tuft, ensiform.

These leaves are between 40 to 125 mm wide and 1200 to 1800 mm long, narrowing to a slightly rounded point.

Flowers and Berries

The orange-red pendulous flowers with pronounced green tips vary in colours from baby pink to deep red and are similar to Gardenii.

Yellow, yellowish to peach and apricot forms do occur occasionally.  The flowering season is from May to July, with some plants already setting seed while new buds are forming.  The berries with one or two large seeds ripen the following winter, about 12-15 months after pollination.