Clivia miniata 'French Hybrids' (Orange Clivia) - An evergreen strap-leaved perennial that grows to about 2 feet tall by 2 feet tall with 2 1/2 to 4 inch wide deep dark green and produces dark orange flowers from late winter to early spring on fleshy rigid stems that rise above the foliage.
Plant in light shade and provide regular watering. Hardy to 26-28 ° F - needs a hear frostless climate if grown outdoors but can be overwintered indoors.
Clivia miniata 'French Hybrids' are a strain of clivia with broader leaves than for species plants of Clivia miniata. The name can be traced back to Monrovia Nursery from the 1970s but we have never found a reference citing who in France may have developed it and while it has described as taller than the Belgian hybrids, which are also wider leafed than typical Clivia miniata, the differences between these two groups of plants seem minor at this point. The original Belgian strain were more compact plants with shorter wide thick leaves having mid orange colored flowers, but more recently plants grown as Belgian hybrids tend to have longer thinner leaves very similar to what are sold as French hybrids. As Harold Koopowitz states in his book Clivias (Timber Press, 2002), "A number of other strains masquerade as Belgian hybrids. While some are dwarf, they usually do not have the same flower configuration. In California any clivia plant of European origin is sometimes called a Belgian hybrid.
'Belgian Hybrid Orange'. We received our original seed as being French Hybrid, so we continue to call it by this name today.
The information about Clivia miniata 'French Hybrids' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |