Spring 2026 was a big year for clivia growers in South Africa. The Clivia Society's international conference came to Pretoria, Gauteng had two weekends of shows back to back, and clubs from Nelspruit to Cape Town put their best plants on the benches. Now the flowers are fading, and growers turn to the quieter, but just as important, work of summer.
Here's our round-up of the last three months, and what's on the clivia calendar from now until late January 2027.
Looking back: late July to October 2026
Winter Fair and interspecific show, Pretoria (25–26 July)
The season opened in Pretoria with the Northern Clivia Club's Winter Fair at Safari Garden Centre in Lynnwood. Its focus was interspecific clivias: crosses between different Clivia species, such as Clivia miniata with Clivia gardenii or Clivia caulescens. Many of these flower in winter, earlier than ordinary bush lilies. They often have pendulous, tubular flowers in shades from salmon to pastel and green-tipped, a very different look from the upright orange heads most gardeners know.
Spring Fair and miniata show, Pretoria (5–6 September)
The Northern Clivia Club's annual Spring Fair, back at Safari Garden Centre, kicked off peak season. It's the main show for Clivia miniata, the familiar bush lily, with judged classes plus plant sales. In early October the club handed out show certificates and gave feedback at its members' meeting.
The 2026 International Clivia Conference, Pretoria (7–10 September)
The highlight of the year was the Clivia Society's International Conference, hosted by the Northern Clivia Club at Safari Garden Centre under the theme "Shaping the Future of Clivia". It sat between the Pretoria and Joburg shows, so delegates could see both.
- 7 September: garden visits and a welcome function.
- 8–9 September: two days of talks by South African breeders and scientists. Topics included the future of interspecific clivias, what breeding reveals about clivia genetics, green-throated picotees, multipetal (double) flowers, variegation, the clivia genome and its future uses, and guidelines for registering new clivias.
- 8 September: a clivia auction of members' plants.
- 10 September: more garden visits.
One detail from the auction rules stood out to us: the club does not allow habitat-collected plants, or Clivia mirabilis and its hybrids, to be sold. Clivia mirabilis is a rare species from the Northern Cape, and we fully support protecting wild populations. It's also why we breed and grow every one of our own plants.
Joburg Clivia Show, Muldersdrift (12–13 September)
The Joburg Clivia Club's show took place at Venue 185 on Beyers Naude Drive in Muldersdrift, one week after Pretoria's. For many Gauteng growers, the Pretoria and Joburg weekends together are the high point of the clivia year.
Clivias in a Joburg shopping centre (2–14 September)
Clivias also reached a whole new audience this spring. Hyde Park Corner in Johannesburg hosted the "Babylonstoren in Bloom" installation in its Centre Court, with clivias as a spring highlight, including a double-flowered clivia shown as "The Hyde Park Double".
Shows around the country
According to the Clivia Society's 2026 spring show calendar, clubs across South Africa held their shows from early September to mid-October:
| Date | Club | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 5–6 Sept | KwaZulu-Natal Clivia Club | Lifestyle & Garden Spring Show, Vuleka Centre, Bothas Hill |
| 12 Sept | Northern Free State Clivia Club | NG Moedergemeente Doorn, Welkom |
| 12–13 Sept | Lowveld Clivia Club | Lowveld National Botanical Gardens, Mbombela (Nelspruit) |
| 17–20 Sept | Free State Clivia Club | Fleurdal Mall, Bloemfontein |
| 19 Sept | Garden Route Clivia Club | Reebok Gemeenskapsaal, Reebok |
| 19–20 Sept | Cape Clivia Club | Hernus Kriel, 62 Bedford Street, Parow, Cape Town |
| 25–27 Sept | Garden Route Clivia Club | Clay Café, R404, Blanco, George |
| 9–11 Oct | Eastern Province Clivia Club | Fairview Sport Centre, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) |
| 10 Oct | Garden Route Clivia Club | Reebok Gemeenskapsaal, Reebok |
| 17 Oct | Border Clivia Interest Club | NG Kerk, Bonza Bay, Beacon Bay, East London |
Shows in the Eastern Cape run a little later than Gauteng's, into mid-October. If you missed your local show this year, put it in next year's diary now: most clubs hold theirs at about the same time each year.
Looking ahead: November 2026 to January 2027
Summer is the quiet season for clivia events. There are no shows until autumn, but clubs keep meeting, and there is plenty to do in the garden.
On the calendar
- Saturday 7 November, 10:00: Northern Clivia Club members' meeting and information session, Safari Garden Centre, Lynnwood, Pretoria.
- Saturday 5 December, 10:00: Northern Clivia Club Annual General Meeting (venue to be confirmed by the club).
- Other clubs: most regional clubs meet regularly through the year. The Cape Clivia Club, for example, holds general meetings every quarter, often with a guest speaker. Check with your local club for dates.
- Next show season: if 2027 follows this year's pattern, the next shows will be the autumn Clivia gardenii show around late May, the winter interspecific show in July, and the spring shows from September.
Event details can change, so please check with the club before you go. The Clivia Society (cliviasociety.com) lists its affiliated clubs, and the Northern Clivia Club posts its programme at northernclivia.co.za. Joining a club is the best way to learn: members swap seed, share advice and get first pick at show sales.
In the garden: clivia care for a Highveld summer
The work you do in summer sets up next spring's flowers. In Pretoria and the rest of Gauteng:
- Deal with old flower stalks. If you didn't pollinate a plant, cut the spent stalk off low down. This keeps the plant's energy for leaves and roots. If berries are forming, leave them: clivia seed takes about nine months to a year to ripen, so this spring's berries will only colour up in winter 2027.
- Water with the rain, not against it. Clivias like summer moisture but hate wet feet. Plants in the ground usually get enough from summer storms. Check pots after heavy rain and make sure they drain freely.
- Feed lightly. Summer is the main growing season. A balanced, slow-release fertiliser or a monthly half-strength liquid feed helps build strong leaves for next year's flowers.
- Protect from hail and hot sun. Highveld hailstorms can shred clivia leaves in minutes. Pots can go under a patio in storm season. Keep plants in bright shade: afternoon sun scorches the leaves.
- Watch for the lily borer. The amaryllis caterpillar (Brithys crini), striped black and yellow, tunnels into clivia leaves and can kill a plant if left alone. Check leaf bases regularly and remove any caterpillars you find. Look out for mealybug and snails too.
- Repot if needed. Early summer, after flowering, is a good time to divide or repot crowded plants into a loose, well-drained bark mix. Clivias flower best when they're slightly pot-bound, so only go up one pot size.
At Bushlily
Summer is when a breeding nursery does its patient work: crosses made in spring develop their seed, seedlings put on new leaves, and young plants build up for the flowering seasons ahead. We'll share our progress on Facebook and Instagram over the coming months.
Follow us on Instagram @bushlilyza and Facebook for flowering updates and growing tips. To visit our nursery in Lynnwood, Pretoria (by appointment), or to hear about our open days next season, email us at hello@bushlily.co.za.
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