Clivias : A little history

The Bush Lily (Clivia) was first discovered around 28 September 1813 at the mouth of the Great Fish River in the Eastern Cape by the English naturalist William J Burchell. Around 1823 a botanical collector named James Bowie sent plants that were found in the same area to England. It was however only in October 1828 that the Kew botanist, John Lindley, described the Clivia nobilis and named it after Lady Charlotte Florentia Clive, Baroness of Northumberland, because a plant bought from a Mr Tate as being an Agapanthus, flowered in her collection. Clivia refers to Lady Clive’s surname, and nobilis to the fact that she was of nobility. On the same day Sir William Jackson Hooker named one of Bowie’s plants Imantophyllum aitoni. In 1864 E Regal clarified the controversy, and designated Clivia as the proper name because Lindley had written his description several months before Hooker.

Hooker described the Clivia miniata (miniata meaning “colour of red lead) in 1854 as Imantophyllum miniatum. Only in 1864 Regel corrected the mistake and transferred the species back to the correct genus as Clivia miniata. In 1856 Sir William Hooker named plants sent by Major Robert Jones Garden to the Royal Botanical Gardens as Clivia gardenii (gardenii refers to Major Garden).

In 1943 the fourth legitimate species of the genus Clivia was named as Clivia caulescens (caulescens refers to the fact that it tends to grow on an elongated stem or trunk in the wild) by Dr R.A. Dyer. Almost sixty years later (2001) a conservation officer, Johannes Afrika, found some unknown plants in the gorges close to Nieuwoudtsville in the North-Western Cape. They were identified as being a new species belonging to the genus Clivia, and were aptly named Clivia mirabilis (mirabilis is translated as astonishing; miraculous; to be wondered at). The man who named the species is Dr John Rourke, curator of the Compton Herbarium at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town. Hopefully soon the controversy surrounding the “Swamp” Clivia will be solved. Is it new specie or not? That question will be revealed soon.

Clivias are as part of South Africa as boerewors and braaivleis. Today the “flame of the forest” is available in a variety of colours from cream to yellow, apricot, pink, peach, various pastels to dark orange and deep red. Even plants differ from thin strap-like leaves to very broad (up to 180mm) and striped (variegated).

South African's have only been seriouslyl breeding clivia for the past 30-50 years, whilst nations like the English, Belgians, Japanese, and Chinese has been busy breeding clivias for much longer. However the diversity of the genetic material they have access to has brought about astonishing results in such a short span of time.They are now considered by many to have more than leveled the playing field, and are in fact now leading the way.

Clivias is indigenous to South Africa, growing in the Soutpansberg (far northern Limpopo Province) God’s Window ( Mpumalanga), KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Eastern Cape & Western Cape, although they can be found in houses and gardens throughout South Africa. There is a school of thought that Clivia miniata can also be found in the Congo, and this school believes that this is the origin of the Belgian Clivias. This has however never been tested. A yellow plant cultivated by Sir Peter Smithers from Kew-stock was sent to Dr Hirao in Japan. After Dr Hirao passed away, most of his collection found its way to Yoshikazu Nakamura. He contacted Peter Smithers and asked if he could breed with the plant. Smithers said yes, on the condition that it is called ' Vico-yellow'. However, to this day, offspring from this plant is often referred to by especially the Japanese as “Smithers Yellow”. It is probably true that the Vico-yellow forms the basis of Yoshikazu Nakamura’s yellow.

All over South Africa, and in fact all over the world, small clivia nurseries are popping up, ensuring the future of the “Queen” of South Africa’s indigenous flowers. The new colours that seem to pop up very regularly due to hybridising ensure that a continued interest in the genus is maintained. Inter specific breeding (crossing miniata with one of the pendulous species) creates new varieties which is starting to become increasingly popular with the public. The evolving nature that this flowering species exhibits sets it apart from most other flowering plants.

In China top plants can fetch prices as high as US$50,000, whilst seeds from such plants can go as high as US$1,200.00

Breeding clivias is a love story, and most, if not all, clivia breeders will tell you that they do it for the love and passion of the plants. Making money out of this hobby is just a bonus. The real thrill comes when you breed a new colour flower, or a plant with exceptional features.