Extraordinary Forms: Multi-Tepal & Spider Clivias
Multi-tepal Clivias are a rare and captivating variation within the Clivia world, highly prized by collectors and breeders. While a typical Clivia flower consists of three outer and three inner tepals (petals), multi-tepal varieties display four of each—resulting in flowers with eight or more tepals. When a flower head has 60% or more multi-tepal blooms, it is considered semi or fully multi-tepalled. Flowers boasting more than ten tepals are often referred to as “many-tepalled.”
One of our standout examples is Bronze Velvet, a richly coloured flower with a striking resemblance to a chrysanthemum. Another star in our collection is Rosy Posy, a full multi-tepal with 10+ petals on every bloom.
Breeding multi-tepal Clivias requires care and patience. When two multi-tepal plants are crossed, they will produce 100% multi-tepal seedlings. However, if a multi-tepal is used only as a pollen parent, the resulting seedlings will be orange and genetically split for multi-tepal traits. These then need to be crossed back with another multi-tepal to recover the trait in the next generation. Interestingly, multi-tepal seedpods are also distinctive in shape compared to regular Clivia miniata pods.
According to the Clivia Society show rules, entries in the multi-tepal category must have flowers where every bloom has more than six tepals.
Spider-type Clivias, on the other hand, appeal to enthusiasts who favour narrow-petalled forms. These elegant blooms can be found in a wide range of colours and have seen growing popularity in recent years. Breeding them can be unpredictable, so the best results come from crossing two spider types. A highlight from our collection is Super Spider, a dramatic, giant-flowered variety that fetched R4500 at the 2010 International Auction.
At Utopia Clivias, we’ve also pioneered a new line of interspecific multi-tepals, which first began flowering in 2019. These remain exceptionally rare, but we aim to release seeds and plants from this line in limited quantities.
We are committed to breeding only with our best multi-tepal and spider forms, and we offer seed from these exciting lines each season. Be sure to check our Seed Lists—you won’t want to miss these treasures.
