Hi Joy,

Check out Ebay, that's where I got some of mine in the past and there are a few wonderful growers of the smaller growing types in the US. Just be careful though, there are some real unscrupulous growers out there, especially from foreign locations that'll promise one thing, then you get something totally different.

Many years ago, I started the majority of my clivia from seeds from all over the world, but they take such a long (7+ years for some) time to flower that really tests your patience. When the weather gets a bit warmer, I have some of the smaller ones I would be glad to send you, let me know if you're interested.

Fred

Thank you so much Fred! Yes I would be interested! I could even meet you somewhere in Watertown!

It's actually going to be pretty "warm" the next couple of days and I would be happy to bring them into work if that's ok with you? I work at Watertown Savings in the square, let me know if that works for you.

Just like hippeastrums, there are performers and then there are the zzzzlow ones. Good genes matter!!! There is a strain of clivias developed in Belgium that I would highly recommend for beginners called Florid White Lips. These clivias were bred for the flowering potted plant market in Europe. These are smaller sized, have pretty flowers and could bloom twice a year. This is a strain that you can grow from seeds (White Lips X Self or White Lips X White Lips) and seedlings would flower similar flowers as the parents. I grew several White Lips seeds to bloom and I think I have 7 or 8 of them and I love them all and kept them. My very first White Lips seedling pictured below bloomed for me at just 2 1/2 years from planting seeds.

As I said above, good genes matter! Here are 2 White Lips seedlings of mine that are now in bud already at just 2 1/2 years from planting seeds.

Hattori clivias of Japan are the same thing, also bred for the flowering potted plant market of Japan. They are bred to be smaller sized and perform/bloom. Here is one of my Hattori seedling with Multipetal flowers blooming at 3 years from planting seed. Seedling in the left, pollen parent Hattori Pia in the right.

Thank you very much Maria , I'll will try to find one .Thanks for your help

Maria,

They are beautiful :-)))) Had I known...so long ago...I would have concentrated on these types rather that the mutant interspecifics that are just too dang big for their own good.

You can easily find these Florid White Lips in Europe in garden centers. My gardening friends in Finland buys them there already in bloom for only around $18. They also have yellows and peaches.

Fred...I feel your pain. I've been there believe me. Time to cull and end the suffering. LOL

I agree!!!!!!

Thanks for the info Maria!

Yikes I just saw $900 and $300 clivias on WFF. They are all sold out too so someone bought them!

Ohhh, Maria, your pictures and informations are really tempting... I'm pretty sure that I will not be able to resist if I find one of these beauties in a garden center...

Thank you for sharing you knowledge with us!

Anja

I was thinking similarly. I can see why you like them! I even looked up the spider forms and was very attracted to those as well. The breeders have done good work!

Thank you Maria , I'll go tothe garden center at the end of this week , I will let you know if I find something !!!

i really won't recommend those clivias in WFF as they are for really avid die hard collectors. Longwood clivias are USA bred by Longwood Gardens. They are beautiful and vigorous clivias though. They can be big plants. Here is my Longwood's Debutante last spring planted in a 12 inch pot.

Here is a picture of how ID Flora of Belgium markets their clivias in Europe. I think these are first bloom seedlings.

your longwood one looks beautiful! I am in no danger of spending upwards of $300 on a plant that I have no guarantee I will be able to keep alive :)

The European, African and Asian markets are so far ahead of us in the US as far as offerings. We're only now trying to "catch up" to them with the more compact and easy to flower ones than what was previously available. We old clivia growers will attest to that, especially since the only way to grow them in the past was to order seeds and wait what seemed like for ever for them to flower. I'm not kidding...I have some Australian seed grown plants that I started in 2004 and they have still to flower...talk about ssssllllooowwww. I've lost hair faster than these suckers have grown :-)))))

Chinese clivias are slow too! They were bred for their leaf quality like thick, upright, veined etc. that the Chinese breeders did not take into consideration vigor, flower color and performance. They are beautiful plants in pictures (treated like royalties in greenhouses in China) but once you import them or grow them in our growing conditions, they lose those leaf qualities and turn into ordinary leaved clivias.

...Tell me about it!!!!! I grew a Great Victory from seed cuz it looked so beautiful in pictures. Well...she turned into a great beast!!!! Beautiful upright leaves with with wonderful markings and flowers...but still a beast!!!! The Chinese ones I have grown from seed and have still maintained their size are the Monks, Sparrows and the beautiful variegated Fukurin.

Mariava7, is your photo (this one) a named variety or did you grow from a seed? It is stunning! Do you have the name or cross available? Thank you for the lovely pictures of your Clivias.

This clivia has no name in Japan except for a number...17-387. When it arrived USA last year, I nicknamed it as "Kylie". There are no other information about it. What I know is that the Japanese breeder Mr. Kazumi Hattori breeds his own clivias (all Japanese) with each other

Thank you, that Clivia is stunning.

I was dispointed at the gardencenter , so few Clivia , and the only ones they had don't seem to be from the 'White Lips ' strain . They call them 'Strong Clivias'

Thank you for posting those pictures, Béatrice! At least they have some with yellow flowers and they look not too big. I think I have to take a look at a garden center this week too...

They will be a good clivia to start with while you are learning. Too this pic yesterday....grandseedling, grandbaby and Hattori MP Pia.

V1807 opens its first 2 flowers

4 more buds to open

ha ha here he is again ! growing so fast , what a beautifull baby :-))

I prefer waiting fo finding the white lips one , I can't grow severals !! , Anja I went to another garden center , and the clivia were the same , we haven't any choice in France, maybe best in germany ?

Oh Maria, how adorable is that little cherub!!! I hope there aren't any splinters on that decking!!!

More stunning than the first year, this # 1807.. Wow!!! I'll have to try and locate mine and see how it's doing!!! Sure glad to have those aren't we!!

Hi Maria,

Oh those beautiful fluffy cheeks...I could just eat him all up or at the very least make some cute shnorking noises as I pretend to eat his neck :-))))

As for the clivia, they are also quite beautiful. My #1807 is putting on some nice leaf growth, but I don't think they'll flower this year...the bulbs are still kinda small. I think this year when they go outside, I'll be more consistent about feeding them so that they'll flower next year.

Hi Maria,

Inspired by the thread from last year a 1807 is now on it's way to me. I'm very much looking forward to see it in person. The shape of the markings and of the flower doesn't get me too exited but I think that the magenta color, the amount of blooms and of course the striped leafes lend itselves to breed with this one! Not sure what I'll put on it ... how big is your bulb? Has it grown or shrunken since you got it? Andre Barnhoorn states a circumference of 14 - 16 cm

Thanks for showing it again! If I remeber correctly you had quite some of these since you ordered some 1820 that turned out as 1807 too?

I ordered it for the same reasons than you Carl , I'd like to do something with this magenta ! I received mines in december , they are 4 cm diameter

Maria, your grandson is adorable and your #1807 is much more beautiful than last year! My two bulbs still have some of their leaves but no signs of buds yet. One of them grew a little and the other stayed like it was more or less. Carl, they are much smaller than 14-16 cm! I didn't pollinate on them last year because they were so small but I tried its pollen on nearly everything that flowered. Only Emanuelle took, I have some vigorous variegated seedlings...

Béatrice, did you notice that the Clivias on your picture have the same label as Marias from Finland? Maybe they are White lips but they don't say the name on the label? I've been to two garden centers now - not a single Clivia in the first and only some orange flowering in the second. I think we have even less choice in Germany than in France :-( I love the yellow ones!

You're right Anja ! I didn't noticed. I fact in the second garden center , Clivia's were the same , I took more pictures of the labell , they say they bloom twice a year.....? right / possible ?

Hi Béatrice, I went to our local gardening center today and they only had a very standart "Orange Clivia"!

Thanks! I think the shallow 12 cm pot I bought for the Sonatinis will be okay :)

Well, Maria said they could bloom twice a year... Are you going to buy some?

Thanks everyone! I so love this age of babies as they are so precious!

I am surprised that you all can't find White Lips in your graden centers. Maybe they get sold out quick? Maybe you can ask your garden centers to order them for you? Just curious...how much do those clivias in bloom cost there?

Anyway, back to Hippies, yes Carl I have several V1807 and V1810 bulbs from last year. The V1807 bulbs seems more vigorous than the V1810 though. Majority of my variegates are in semi-dormant stage right now with no new leaf growth. Maybe waiting for warmer weather. I just watered all of my dormant Hippies in the garage yesterday. Let's see who wakes up first! I have no Hippies blooming right now besides V1807 but got this African Violet Ness’ Cranberry Swirl putting out a show! So cute and pretty!

Wow, that's a beauty!!!

Maria, you did a good job, I just bought a White Lips clivia on Ebay :-) Two of the three garden centers I went to had no clivia at all and the third only some regular orange flowering for abaout 15 €. I googled the Strong clivia and found a site that said "They are not available in your country". I also bought a young seedling of a White lips cross because I love mysteries. This should be enough to start with...

Would you please post pictures of your two White lips seedlings when they bloom? :-)

Maria,you are spreading the clivia bug. I really had to discuss with myself that Green Tsunami is just something I don't have room to try. The writing is on the wall that I will eventually lose this argument.

Joey,

And that's how it starts :-)))) Just repeat these words to yourself "Oh I'm so weak when it comes to plants" then all's forgiven :-)))

Yay I got Sonatini buds! #105, Radiance and the cutest #1669!!!

Very nice and healthy looking bulbs :-))) I can't wait to see the blooms :-))))

I guess I won't see #105's flowers. I just sold it! LOL It's ok I still have other bulbs of it though.

Back home !

Maria the Strong Clivias cost 15 euros , approx 18 USD. I saw many other garden centers and all had the same flowers , and no one was able to ordering 'the' white lips.

So , Anja I bought the same as you on ebay...I just hope they won't send it immediatly with the frost we actually have.

I hope I will stay with just this only Clivia !!

Béatrice, don't worry about the frost! They sent me an email and told me that they are checking the weather conditions and won't send anything if there is frost in their region or in yours. They also don't send before the weekend so the plants don't have to spend too much time in a depot.

Took this picture for y’all to see my first bloom White Lips seedling at only 2 1/2 years old.

Florid White Lips is a seed strain and they are propagated by seeds in Belgium. As you all know seed grown plants will not look exactly the same. But since it is a seed strain, they will have similar flower color. Flower size and shape may vary.

Thnak you Anja ! Maybe they sent it now , I received a mysterious message in german !

Maria thank you for all your explanation ,thant helped a lot , so I will self mine if possible.

I got no hippies in bloom right now but got lots of clivias blooming! I saw a bud peaking on one of my Santos so that is something to look forward to. Pity that we can’t post videos here as I have been doing a few and posting them in my Facebook page, Maria’s Garden USA. Come visit me in FB sometime. Anyway, here’s one from Japan that recently bloomed for me. Happy International Women’s Day!!!