The Clivia plant, also known as the Bush lily, is a very special plant that is endemic to South Africa. Their natural area is shady forests. The ‘bush’ from Bush lily refers to forest areas. Sadly, Bush lilies do not occur in huge numbers in the wild anymore. This is mainly due to plant collectors that harvested many wild Bush lily plants.

This lily is well-known all over the world as a wonderful shade-loving plant, that do well in containers. The trumpet-shaped flowers are usually orange or yellow. These lilies are so popular as container plants because they are easy to care for. The main requirement is soil that drains well and enough shade. The dark green leaves do not tolerate full sun.

Can you believe that already in the 1800s, Bush lily plants were sent to England from South Africa! In the Victorian times this lily was very popular indoor plants in England and in other European countries. Since then, the Bush lily is well-known all over the world.

A great event is to visit a Clivia plant show! There you can see the best and most popular colours and shapes that are available to enjoy, and even to buy plants and seeds. It is easy to propagate Clivias, especially from seed. But it takes a few years for a plant to grow from seedling to a flowering adult plant.

The most advanced Clivia plant breeders are in Japan! Let me know in the comments if you like Bush lilies and what you call them in Japanese.

Endemic meaning= native, restricted to a certain area.