Clivia
Clivia miniata
Also called Bush lily and Kaffir lily
Houseplant · FloweringGive it a cold, dry six weeks in winter and it flowers. Water it all year and it never will.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 12 daysDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Medium indirect
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out for the summer RHS H1C, to 5°C
- Size
- 0.6 m tall · 0.6 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- South Africa
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: vomiting, drooling and diarrhoea; eating a lot causes convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors and an irregular heartbeat. The bulbs are the most poisonous part.
PeopleHarmful if eaten
The fleshy base and roots above all.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Midwinter comes and nothing shows between the leaves — the pot never went cold and dry for six weeks in autumn, which is what triggers the stalk.No flower stalk · disorder
- White fluff wedged deep between the flat overlapping leaf bases, found by the sticky patch it leaves on the leaf outside it.Mealybug · pest