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This a rare look at a very special Broad-leaf variegated Clivia miniata. Its leaves are about 50% shorter and fatter than the common Clivia thanks to years of breeding, and it has unique variegation that is awesome! Mature, show-quality plants like this are rarely offered, for reasons i'll explain in a moment.
Most of the seedlings from variegated Clivias are unfortunately green or have poor variegation, and only tiny percentage have good quality variegation. I've had to grow hundreds of seedlings to get a few nice ones. Many seedlings don't keep their nice pattern into adulthood, but this one has been stable. Each leaf is slightly different, but the general theme is white on one side and green on the other, which the Japanese call a "Mandarin Duck" form. I call it "Bacon"! The leaves are from 9 to 12 inches long and about 2½ inches wide. It usually flowers in the fall or winter for me, with a beautiful spike about 10 inches tall. Even the flower spike and berries are variegated!
It's easy to grown when given the right conditions. Clivias are happiest in mild temperatures with cool nights. It might not thrive in consistently hot climates with warm nights (above 65°F / 18°C), but it grows fine indoors. Give it a chunky soil mix that's kept evenly moistly. A typical mix is equal parts of orchid bark or coco chips, potting soil, and perlite or pumice. Shade or filtered sun is best. Strong sunlight may burn the white areas. Rotate the pot 180 degrees each week or two, so the new leaves line up into 2 neat rows. To encourage flowering, expose it to temperatures below 60°F (15°C) for about half the day for 4-8 weeks in autumn, but don't let it freeze. Occasionally, variegated Clivias can make a baby offset, however it might look different than the parent plant.
Last year's berries
Beware of fake Clivia seeds from China.
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