How to Grow and Care for Fire Lily (Clivia)

Few houseplants boast blooms as vibrant as the fire lily (Clivia miniata). Despite its exotic appearance, the fire lily is easy to grow as a houseplant, producing large clusters of blooms in the dry environment of the typical home. This tropical perennial from South Africa is also grown as an outdoor landscape plant in USDA hardiness zones 10 to 11, where it is often mass-planted in large drifts, much the way daylilies are used. Planting outdoors can be done at any time other than during the hottest part of summer.

Fire lilies are toxic to humans and pets.

Fire Lily Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing a fire lily:

• Select a location with bright light indoors or partially shady conditions outdoors.
• Use a potting mix with excellent drainage or make sure the garden soil drains well.
• Let the plant dry out between waterings and cut down on watering even more during winter dormancy.
• Expose the plant to cooler temperatures in November and December to induce blooming.
• Between January and October, fertilize houseplants monthly.
• Repot when the plant becomes seriously rootbound or the potting soil is compacted.
  

Light

Fire lilies prefer partially shady conditions, which makes them valuable as a houseplant. If you grow your plant indoors year-round, place it in a bright window. If you give your plant an outdoor location in the summer months, put it in a spot with dappled sunlight or morning sun.

Soil

Good drainage is important to a healthy fire lily plant. A chunky soil mix full of shredded bark, like those used for orchids, is suitable for a container-grown plant. A sandy cactus mix is also a good choice.

Water

Fire lilies need moderate amounts of water. Allow the soil to dry between waterings. When it's time for the early winter dormancy period, reduce watering to keep the soil just short of bone-dry.

Temperature and Humidity

Average room temperatures and low humidity help fire lilies look their best. A cool dormancy period increases the beauty of fire lily flowering. Keep the plants in an unheated shed or garage in November and December (see details under Overwintering).

If moving fire lilies back and forth between indoors and an outdoor location, it's best to acclimate them slowly if the temperature range is substantial. Make sure to bring them back indoors before the first fall frost.

Fertilizer

After the bloom period, fertilize it monthly with a slow-release or a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer (20-20-20) that is diluted to half-strength. Do not fertilize during the winter chill time. Once that period is over, start fertilizing it again with a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer diluted to quarter-strength.

Types of Fire Lily

Most fire lilies sold in garden centers are orange, fewer are yellow, and the rare and expensive cream or pink varieties are usually found in specialty nurseries.

• 'Doris': dark orange with a yellow throat.
• 'Belgian Hybrid': deep orange flowers with a yellow center.
• ‘Shademaster’: bright yellow flowers that fade to cream on the petal edges.
• 'Solomone Yellow': large, creamy yellow, tubular flowers.
• 'Tiny Tim': a miniature variety with short leaves and orange tulip-shaped flowers with a large white throat.
• 'Vico Yellow': (also known as Smither’s Yellow’) has flowers that are creamy pale yellow with a darker throat.

Pruning

No pruning is necessary for the fire lily. If desired, remove dead foliage as needed to keep the plant tidy.

Propagating Fire Lily

Dividing the fire lily in the spring or summer is the best way to propagate fire lilies, as the plants produce new plants at the base over time. These offsets can be detached and planted in their own pots. It takes new plants a couple of years to start flowering.

1. Remove the plant from its pot or dig it up.
2. Carefully wash away the soil with a hose or sink sprayer. Make sure not to damage the roots. 
3. Gently pull the offsets from the base with your fingers. Each section should have one fan of three to four leaves.
4. Plant each of the offsets into a small pot, just large enough to fit the roots.
5. Keep the pots at around 60 degrees F in bright, indirect light.
6. Keep the soil moist and mist the foliage. When the plants produce new leaves, they have rooted.

How to Grow Fire Lily From Seed

Growing the fire lily from seed is the least recommended method of propagation, for two reasons. It may take four years for the slow-growing plants to bloom. Most varieties sold in the nursery trade today are cultivars and their seeds won’t produce plants that are true to the parent.

Potting and Repotting Fire Lily

Fire lilies will grow happily in a container for years and flower even if the pot is tiny compared to the plant size. A porous terra-cotta pot helps with air circulation around the roots, preventing rot. Do not place a saucer under the pot; instead, use pot feet to let extra water drain away.

Fire lilies are slow-growing and like to be a little bit rootbound, so you won't need to repot them often. However, if the soil mix you used is getting compacted over time, give the fire lily a fresh pot of soil to maintain good aeration.

Overwintering

When grown as houseplants, fire lilies require a rest period of two to three months in the fall and winter. For at least five weeks, adjust the temperature to 35 and 55 degrees F. After this, water just barely for six to eight weeks. When new flower stalks appear, increase the water and gradually acclimate them to room temperatures above 60 degrees F.

Common Pests

Mealybugs sometimes infest fire lilies. The fuzzy white pests will hide in the crown of the plant and suck out its juices. Dislodge them with a spray of water or use insecticidal soap.

How to Get Fire Lily to Bloom

Bloom Months

The flower buds begin to form about two weeks after you increase the temperature after the winter cold treatment. Typically, the plant blooms in March or April but for young plants, the bloom might be delayed until early summer.

How Long Does Fire Lily Bloom?

The bloom period lasts for a few weeks. 

What Do Fire Lily Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The flowers grow in dense clusters of 12 to 20 atop a thick stem emerging from a fan or evergreen, strappy leaves. The flowers have a very faint, barely noticeable fragrance.

How to Encourage More Blooms

In addition to providing suitable light conditions, giving the plant the required winter chill is key to getting your clivia to bloom. Increasing the fertilizer beyond the recommended frequency and amounts won’t encourage more blooms.

Caring for Fire Lily After It Blooms

To replenish the nutrient level after the bloom, follow the fertilization tips above. 

Deadheading Fire Lily Flowers

When the flowers fade, cut the stalk off at the base to prevent the plant from forming seeds, which unnecessarily consumes the plant’s energy.