Winter – you either adore it or endure it. Either way, the signs of spring are a refreshing change of pace – especially to the winter weary. But while the daffodils and crocus are starting to peek their heads out of the ground, offering a bright little break to the otherwise gray scenery outside, there’s not a lot going on inside to perk up one’s gardening soul.

Want springtime color indoors? Try clivia – each bloom cluster can last 3-4 weeks!

Photo Credit: Gerald Klingaman

Clivia is one tough, easy-care, slow-growing, all-out-gorgeous houseplant.

Photo Credit: Gerald Klingaman

But then there’s clivia!

This South African member of the amaryllis family is a gorgeous indoor houseplant that starts to bloom just when our tired eyes need something colorful to awaken our spirits. There are six species of Clivia to date, the most common of which is C. miniata. Sometimes called Kaffir lily or bush lily (but most commonly just clivia), this beauty reaches about 30 inches tall when in flower!

Speaking of its flowers, they are something to behold! In spring, as the days brighten and temperatures warm, clivias start to bloom. Typically about 20 or so large, 2-inch-long, trumpet-shaped flowers burst forth in a dense terminal cluster. These blooms are usually orange, but hybridizers have been busy creating wonderful shades of orange-red, yellow and creamy-white flowers. If you grow clivia as a houseplant, the flowers typically bloom for three or four weeks. And if your clivia has multiple crowns (or fans of foliage), the bloom scapes will emerge at different times and extend the length of your plant’s bloom season. That should be long enough to get you to the part of spring when more plants begin to bloom outside!

But we can’t forget the foliage, because it makes quite a statement, too. The 2-inch-wide, 2-foot-long evergreen leaves form a fan as it grows from the central crown. (If you’re lucky – and can afford the beauty – there are variegated foliage types with broad, white or yellow stripes that run down the length of the leaves.) As your clivia gets older, its crown will branch and additional fans will form.

Looking for another reason to grow a clivia? Here it is: It’s among the easiest flowering houseplants to keep around. Give it a big pot – an 8-inch or larger container is best – well-drained organic potting mix, occasional fertilizer and enough water to ensure your plant doesn’t completely dry out, and you’re set!

Because clivias are naturally shade lovers, you don’t have to worry about having enough light in your home to produce the flowers. In fact, the plant shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight, except in winter, when light intensity is naturally low. In fact, in wintertime, clivia can be kept in a cool bedroom or even in the garage (so long as it doesn’t freeze). The only other care clivia needs is a little slow-release fertilizer after flowering.

You can summer the houseplant outside, too – just wait until all danger of frost has passed, and then find a nice, shady spot for it. (If your plant has offsets, divide it and pot it up as you move it outside.) Fresh seed will germinate without treatment. (Just be sure to check your plant for insects or other unwanted issues before moving it back inside.)

Invite the bright blooms of spring inside your home, and try your hand at this great flowering houseplant! Whether you adore or endure winter, clivia’s cheerful, beautiful blooms are a sight for sore eyes (and that’s a sight you’ll continue to enjoy for years to come)!