Cape lily (Bush lily)

Clivia miniata

Evergreen South African woodland perennial with strap-like dark green leaves arranged in a fan, and dense umbels of orange (or yellow) trumpet flowers in late winter and spring.

Hardiness ratings

Cape lily (Bush lily) hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 9–11 −6.7 °C to 10 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H2 1 °C to 5 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 9 −1 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 3–6 −5 °C to 15 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Native to the eastern coastal forests of South Africa — adapted to dappled shade under evergreen forest
  • Among the very few flowering plants that thrives in deep dry shade — invaluable for difficult shaded sites in mild climates
  • WARNING: All parts toxic if eaten in quantity — alkaloid content, do not eat under any circumstance and keep berries away from children
  • Resents disturbance — plant once and leave for decades, divides flower poorly
  • Not reliably hardy outdoors in Canada — Canadian zone values shown represent the system maximum and do not imply garden cultivation north of the warmest coastal pockets.

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Cape lily (Bush lily) against your zones

Reference

Cape lily (Bush lily) on Wikipedia