Now Blooming: Clivia

Name: Now Blooming: Clivia | The Huntington
Start: Tue, Feb 17 - Thu, Apr 30 2026
Location: The Huntington

Event

Commonly called Bush Lily, these colorful African flowers brighten shady garden areas in winter and spring.

Most Southern Californians have at least a passing familiarity with the shade-loving clivia, which in winter and spring bears bright clusters of flowers in red, orange, yellow, or cream. Native to southern Africa, the plant was introduced into Europe in the early 1800s. The first named species, Clivia nobilis, was christened in 1828 by Kew botanist John Lindley in honor of Lady Charlotte Clive, Duchess of Northumberland. Clivias reached the height of their popularity as house plants in the Victorian era, and have enjoyed a resurgence of popularity as landscape plants since the 1980s. Their colorful blooms, evergreen foliage, ease of care, and preference for mild winters make them a favorite with local gardeners.

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A shrub with long, strappy leaves and large clusters of yellow flowers.

A cluster of large orange flowers with yellow centers.

A close-up view of a cluster of narrow orange and green flowers.

Two clusters of large orange flowers with yellow centers.

A shrub with long, strappy leaves and large clusters of red flowers.

Bush Lily (Clivia miniata). | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Bush Lily (Clivia miniata). Photo by Julie Danner. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Bush Lily (Clivia gardenii). | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Bush Lily (Clivia miniata). Photo by Lisa Blackburn. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Bush Lily (Clivia miniata ‘Abigail’). | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Now Blooming: Clivia

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