The Bush Lily ( Clivia ) was first discovered around 28 September 1813 at the mouth of the Great Fish River in the Eastern Cape by the English naturalist William J Burchell . Around 1823 a botanical collector named James Bowie sent plants that were found in the same area to England . It was however only in October 1828 that the Kew botanist , John Lindley , described the Clivia nobilis and named it after Lady Charlotte Florentia Clive , Baroness of Northumberland , because a plant bought from a Mr Tate as being an Agapanthus , flowered in her collection . Clivia refers to Lady Clive ’ s surname , and nobilis to the fact that she was of nobility . on the same day Sir William Jackson Hooker named one of Bowie ’ s plants Imantophyllum aitoni . In 1864 E Regal clarified the controversy , and designated Clivia as the proper name because Lindley had written his description several months before Hooker . Hooker described the Clivia miniata ( miniata meaning “ colour of red lead ) in 1854 as Imantophyllum miniatum . only in 1864 Regel corrected the mistake and transferred the species back to the correct genus as Clivia miniata . In 1856 Sir William Hooker named plants sent by Major Robert Jones Garden to the Royal Botanical Gardens as Clivia gardenii ( gardenii refers to Major Garden ) . In 1943 the fourth legitimate species of the genus Clivia was named as Clivia caulescens ( caulescens refers to the fact that it tends to grow on an elongated stem or trunk in the wild ) by Dr R . A . Dyer . Almost sixty years later ( 2001 ) a conservation officer , Johannes Afrika , found some unknown plants in the gorges close to Nieuwoudtsville in the North - Western Cape . They were identified as being a new species belonging to the genus Clivia , and were aptly named Clivia mirabilis ( mirabilis is translated as astonishing ; miraculous ; to be wondered at ) . The man who named the species is Dr John Rourke , curator of the Compton Herbarium at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden , Cape Town . Hopefully soon the controversy surrounding the “ Swamp ” Clivia will be solved . Is it new specie or not ? That question will be revealed soon . Clivias are as part of South Africa as boerewors and braaivleis . Today the “ flame of the forest ” is available in a variety of colours from cream to yellow , apricot , pink , peach , various pastels to dark orange and deep red . Even plants differ from thin strap - like leaves to very broad ( up to 180 mm ) and striped ( variegated ) . South African ' s have only been seriouslyl breeding clivia for the past 30 - 50 years , whilst nations like the English , Belgians , Japanese , and Chinese has been busy breeding clivias for much longer . However the diversity of the genetic material they have access to has brought about astonishing results in such a short span of time . They are now considered by many to have more than leveled the playing field , and are in fact now leading the way . Clivias is indigenous to South Africa , growing in the Soutpansberg ( far northern Limpopo Province ) God ’ s Window ( Mpumalanga ) , KwaZulu - Natal , Swaziland , Eastern Cape & Western Cape , although they can be found in houses and gardens throughout South Africa . There is a school of thought that Clivia miniata can also be found in the Congo , and this school believes that this is the origin of the Belgian Clivias . This has however never been tested . A yellow plant cultivated by Sir Peter Smithers from Kew - stock was sent to Dr Hirao in Japan . After Dr Hirao passed away , most of his collection found its way to Yoshikazu Nakamura . He contacted Peter Smithers and asked if he could breed with the plant . Smithers said yes , on the condition that it is called ' Vico - yellow '. However , to this day , offspring from this plant is often referred to by especially the Japanese as “ Smithers Yellow ” . It is probably true that the Vico - yellow forms the basis of Yoshikazu Nakamura ’ s yellow . All over South Africa , and in fact all over the world , small clivia nurseries are popping up , ensuring the future of the “ Queen ” of South Africa ’ s indigenous flowers . The new colours that seem to pop up very regularly due to hybridising ensure that a continued interest in the genus is maintained . Inter specific breeding ( crossing miniata with one of the pendulous species ) creates new varieties which is starting to become increasingly popular with the public . The evolving nature that this flowering species exhibits sets it apart from most other flowering plants . In China top plants can fetch prices as high as US $ 50 , 000 , whilst seeds from such plants can go as high as US $ 1 , 200 . 00 Breeding clivias is a love story , and most , if not all , clivia breeders will tell you that they do it for the love and passion of the plants . Making money out of this hobby is just a bonus . The real thrill comes when you breed a new colour flower , or a plant with exceptional features .