Clivia miniata 'Lemon Chiffon' (Lemon Chiffon Yellow Clivia) - An evergreen bulb-like perennial that forms large clumps 2 feet tall and wide with 1 1/2 to 2 inch wide long dark green blunt-tipped leaves. Usually orange flowering, this unique yellow flowering form typically commences flowering in mid to late winter and continues through early spring. This cultivar is characterized by flowers with light yellow petals that are of medium width and are slightly darker towards the middle. After flowering, plants can produce showy fruit which, like the flowers, are yellow.
This very tough evergreen plant is best suited to dry shaded locations in fairly frost-free gardens but it will tolerate situations with regular irrigation as well as winter temperatures into the low 20s F. In colder climates plants can be brought in during the winter.
For more information about yellow Clivia, see our listing for Clivia miniata 'San Marcos Yellow'. Our crops of 'San Marcos Yellow' were the result of a controlled breeding program initiated at our nursery in the mid-1980s using this cultivar, Clivia miniata 'Lemon Chiffon', as the seed parent. Clivia miniata 'Lemon Chiffon' came from Santa Barbara clivia breeder Dave Conway' and we pollinated it using plants received from clivia enthusiast Dr. Glynne Couvillion from Santa Barbara and from Watsonville clivia breeder Joe Solomone. After over 30 years of growing in a large concrete, in the spring of 2020 we finally divided the mother plant of 'Lemon Chiffon' that started us off on our yellow clivia journey and began selling it this early Dave Conway variety. In 2020 we also released plants of Sir Peter Smithers 'Vico Yellow', "once called the world's best yellow Clivia", which we had been building stock from a single plant received in 1998. Both crops of these beautiful Clivia sold out quickly.
This information about Clivia miniata 'Lemon Chiffon' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate 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 that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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