How to Trim Clivia

Clivia is a species of tropical evergreen plant beloved for its striking and long-lived flower stalks that bloom in the depths of winter. Also known as kafir lily, clivia grows from underground rhizomes that send up a fountain of thick, deep green, beltlike leaves. As a slow-growing and infrequently flowering tropical evergreen, clivia requires no regular pruning for health or bloom. Light occasional grooming via trimming can keep the plant looking luscious and bright in your home or landscape.

Things You'll Need

Small pruning shears

Clean, sharp household scissors

Instructions

- 1
  Trim off dead, broken, split or discolored leaves as they occur. Snip off the individual leaf at its base without nicking adjacent leaves. Pull the cut leaves clear of the plant and discard them. Look under the lowest leaves for dead leaves that are shrouded by the others. If they're old, sometimes these leaves will simply release from the stalk when barely touched.
- 2
  Prune off the spent flower stalk after if has fully bloomed and begun to die back or look unsightly. Sever the stalk at its base as far down between the leaves as you can get without nicking the surrounding leaves.
- 3
  Divide new offsets, or pup plants, after they develop two or more sets of leaves. Excavate the soil from around the plant and break the pup from the main rhizome, leaving some rhizome attached to the pup. Alternatively, you can slice the pup from the parent plant rhizome with a clean, sharp knife. Replant both the pup and parent clivia in soil at the same depth as they were before division.

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