Bush lily (Clivia miniata)
Description
Clivia miniata (Natal lily, bush lily, Kaffir lily) is a species of flowering plant in the genus Clivia of the family Amaryllidaceae, native, growing in woodland habitats in South Africa (Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces) as well as in Swaziland. Given suitable conditions it grows into large clumps and is surprisingly water wise. It is also reportedly naturalized in Mexico. It is a popular plant for shady areas and is commonly seen growing in older established suburbs in most Australian states. It is also popular in New Zealand, Japan, China and southern parts of the USA, particularly California. It grows to a height of about 45 cm (18 in), and flowers are red, orange or yellow, sometimes with a faint, but very sweet perfume. It is sometimes known in cultivation as "Kaffir lily" (a term considered offensive in South Africa). The same name is also applied to the genus Hesperantha. It contains small amounts of lycorine, making it poisonous. The Latin specific epithet miniata means “cinnabar red”. With a minimum temperature of 10 °C (50 °F), in temperate regions C. miniata is normally cultivated as a houseplant. Like its relative C. nobilis it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, along with the variety C. miniata var. citrina (confirmed 2017). In warmer sites, it can grow outdoors and is used in landscapes for its attractive evergreen foliage and showy flowers. This clump-forming plant spreads via rhizomes and is particularly suited for shady areas. Cultivars include Clivia miniata ‘Kirstenbosch Splendour’, bred by Graham Duncan, which illustrates the cover of the Kirstenbosch centenary book (2013).
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Asparagales
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Family: Amaryllidaceae
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Genus: Clivia
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