Clivia Plant History and Development
The first Clivia plant was received by Lionel Marten in 1979, through his wife’s cousin, Kevin Walters, a world-renowned authority on Clivia. Kevin often brought Lionel Clivias that were not thriving, asking if he could help restore them. Once Lionel successfully nurtured these plants back to health, Kevin encouraged him to keep them. Over time, Lionel’s collection of Clivias steadily grew.
Lionel’s initial interest in plants began in his childhood in England and as an adult with ferns during his time in Kyogle, Australia. He started cultivating ferns in a large shed, with Clivias initially stored among them. As Lionel expanded his collection, he began growing Clivias from seed. Due to limited space, Kevin would bring his seedlings to Lionel’s nursery to grow out. This led to a network of plant and seed exchanges with fellow growers in Australia and abroad.
Unfortunately, a number of years ago international trade of plant seeds was significantly impacted when diseased plants were shipped worldwide, resulting in trade bans. However, Lionel’s collection had already been established, allowing him to continue developing and cultivating Clivias, while also maintaining connections with other collectors in cities such as Toowoomba, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.
In Toowoomba, Clivias typically bloom in the third week of September, coinciding with the annual 'Carnival of Flowers' show. Lionel would showcase his plants during this event, which to this day attracts growers and collectors from around the globe to admire the stunning flower exhibits.
When Kevin passed away, he left his prized collection to the Marten family. Over time Kevin had developed unique Clivias and named many of them after his friends. One of his most notable plants, 1964, came from two seeds he brought back from Tasmania in 1964—one of which thrived, while the other did not. This plant has wide leaves and despite its struggle with seeding has retained its distinctive traits over time. 1964 is of European origin and is a Belgian Hybrid.
Kevin’s passion for Clivias led him to exchange plants and seeds with growers in South Africa, New Zealand and Japan. Notably, Yoshi Nakamura visited Kevin in 1992, further strengthening international connections.
Kevin was not only a mentor to other growers, but his legacy lives on through the Marten family, who continue his work of cultivating and sharing Clivias with other enthusiasts.
Clivia Stock Origins
The origins of our Clivia plants stem from a diverse array of exchanges including:
The larger Belgian Hybrids have been cultivated over time to produce smaller varieties.
Pierre de Costa, a well-known commercial grower, cultivates Clivias from seed in just three years, instead of the usual five. His operation is one of the largest in the world, producing around 900,000 plants annually, which are distributed across Europe through Dutch trade.
From Italy, a notable variety called the 'Siam Twins' has emerged, featuring double flowers or two types of blooms.
Current Developments
In-house, we are focusing on developing our own unique Clivia colours, including the original orange with yellow throat and some wild South African varieties, such as creams.
There are six distinct Clivia species:
Clivia flowers come in various colours, including orange, cream/yellow (often sent to Europe), peach (in three distinct shades), dark orange, yellow (without orange), and can feature green throats or be entirely green. Unlike Miniata, many of these varieties do not have the characteristic green edges.
Clivia Societies and Networking
The Clivia Society of Toowoomba meets monthly, with other groups around Australia holding periodic gatherings.
The South African contingent used to produce an annual printed newsletter, however they now distribute their newsletter electronically.
Other Clivia societies are also active globally, including a thriving North American Society.
Future Developments
We are currently working on:
Through these ongoing efforts, we are excited to continue contributing to the world of Clivia cultivation and ensuring its legacy endures for future generations of collectors.