How to Grow and Care for Fire Lily

Few houseplants can boast blooms as vibrant as the fire lily (Clivia miniata). After your winter holiday when plants like poinsettias and amaryllis have faded, the fire lily fills a gap when the days are short and spring still seems far off. Despite its exotic appearance, the fire lily is easy to grow as a houseplant, producing large clusters of blooms in the dry environment of the typical home. This tropical perennial can also be grown as an outdoor landscape plant in USDA zones 10 to 11, where it is often massed in large drifts, much the way daylilies are used.

The Clivia genus is a member of the Amaryllidaceae family of plants, a group that includes the amaryllis—the popular winter houseplant. They can be introduced into the home as potted nursery plants at any time; if planted in the garden in warm climates, they are best planted at any time other than the hottest part of summer. These slow-growing plants can take several years to flower when they are planted from seeds.

Fire Lily Care

Like many South African plants, the fire lily is a tough and resilient specimen. Too much sun or water, though, will cause the plant's demise. If you've purchased a fire lily and it won't bloom, it is usually due to a lack of winter dormancy or immaturity. Fire lilies will grow for years in the same pot with little intervention.

Light

Fire lilies prefer partially shady conditions, which makes them valuable as a houseplant. If you grow your plant indoors all year, place it in a bright window. If you give your plant an outdoor location in the summer months, put it in a spot with dappled sunlight or morning sun.

Soil

Good drainage is important to a healthy fire lily plant. A chunky soil mix full of shredded bark, like those used for orchids, is suitable for a container-grown plant. A sandy cactus mix is also a good choice.

Water

Fire lilies need moderate water. Allow the soil to dry between waterings. When it's time for the early winter dormancy period, reduce watering to keep the soil just short of bone-dry.

Temperature and Humidity

Average room temperatures and low humidity help fire lilies look their best. A cool dormancy period increases the beauty of fire lily flowering. You can achieve this by keeping the plants in an unheated shed or garage in November and December. Plants should be kept between 40 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit during this time.

If moving fire lilies back and forth between indoors and an outdoor location, it's best to acclimate them slowly if the temperature range is substantial. Make sure to bring them back indoors before the weather approaches freezing.

Fertilizer

A slow-release houseplant fertilizer can help your fire lily thrive. Use a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer from January until August, then use a fertilizer designed to increase blooming in September and October. Do not fertilize in the winter months leading up to bloom time.

Types of Fire Lily

Most fire lilies sold in garden centers are orange, fewer are yellow, and the rare and expensive cream or pink varieties are usually found through specialty nurseries.

• 'Doris' is dark orange with a yellow throat.
• 'Jenny' is orange with a yellow stripe.
• 'Tiny Tim' has shorter leaves and miniature orange blooms with white throats.
• 'Solomone Yellow' is a bright yellow.
• 'Vico Yellow' is a very pale yellow.

Pruning

No pruning is necessary for the fire lily. You can remove dead foliage as needed to keep the plant tidy.

Potting and Repotting Fire Lily

Fire lilies will grow happily in a container for years. A porous terra cotta pot will help with air circulation around the roots, preventing rot. Do not place a saucer under the pot; instead, you should use pot feet to let extra water drain away.

Fire lilies are slow-growing and like to be a little bit rootbound, so you won't need to repot them often. However, if the soil mix you used is getting compacted over time, give the fire lily a fresh pot of soil to maintain good aeration.

Propagating Fire Lily

You can propagate fire lilies by gently digging and dividing them. The base of the plant will branch off into thick roots that are easy to cut apart. Remove the plant from its pot and wash away the soil with a hose or sink sprayer. Each division should have one fan of leaves. If your plant doesn't have at least a dozen leaves, it won't flower.

How to Grow Fire Lily From Seed

Growing the fire lily from seed takes patience, as it may take several years for the slow-growing plants to bloom. Plant fresh seed collected from the fruiting capsule after bloom. Press seeds lightly into moist, sandy potting soil, and keep warm. Germination takes about three weeks.

Overwintering

When grown as houseplants, fire lilies require a rest period of about two to three months in fall and winter. For the first month, give them a temperature between 40- and 60-degrees Fahrenheit. After this, water just barely for six to eight weeks. When new flower stalks appear, you can give them more water and gradually acclimate them to normal room temperatures.

Common Pests

Mealybugs sometimes infest fire lilies. The fuzzy white pests will hide in the crown of the plant and suck out its juices. Dislodge them with a spray of water or use insecticidal soap.