Picotees & Bicolours: The Subtle Magic of Two-Tone Clivias
Bicolour Clivias are defined by their distinct two-tone tepals, with the throat colour extending from approximately 50% to just under 90% of the tepal length. If the throat displays both yellow and white, it is still considered a single colour.
Picotee Clivias showcase a fine rim of colour—less than 10% of the tepal length—along the outer edge. A true picotee, as defined by judging standards, should have this rim clearly demarcated from the throat colour, forming a neat, continuous ring of colour around the flower's edge.
Although bicolours and picotees are grouped under the same colour type, true picotees remain rare and highly prized. At Utopia Clivias, we’ve had excellent results in this category over the years. Our breeding journey began with a special plant known as Carrie’s Picotee, which has contributed significantly to our programme. Since then, we’ve introduced refined chiffon types into this line, resulting in a spectacular array of bicolour and true picotee offspring.
We’re also developing a distinctive line of pencil line picotees—flowers with an elegant, thin edge of colour. We've sourced the original parent plants of this line and are currently working with both the F1 generation and the original mother plant to bring out their best traits.
In recent years, we’ve also imported top-quality picotee genetics from Japan. These compact, short-leaf plants are now part of our breeding programme, helping us develop clivias with improved leaf form and more compact growth habits.
Many of these exceptional varieties are featured in our annual Seed Lists. Keep an eye out—these rare gems don’t last long!
