Clivias

/ˈklɪviəz/ noun

Definition

Plural of clivia; multiple plants of the genus Clivia, ornamental houseplants with large orange or red flowers.

Etymology

From the genus name clivia (honoring Charlotte Clive) + English plural -s. These popular houseplants have been cultivated worldwide since the Victorian era.

Kelly Says

Clivias became houseplant favorites in Victorian England because they're beautiful and hardy—and the name 'Kaffir lily' reveals colonial history, as it uses an outdated and offensive term for the plants' South African origin.

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