City Flower

Updated: August 11, 2021

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Clivia Miniata, also known as the Natal lily or bush lily, is one of China's top 20 famous flowers. It was officially designated as the city flower of Changchun at the 14th Session of the 8th Changchun Municipal People’s Congress on October 11, 1984.

Clivia miniata is a species of flowering plant in the genus Clivia of the family Amaryllidaceae, native to woodland habitats in South Africa as well as in Eswatini. The herbaceous evergreen plant has large tongue-like leaves that are thick and sturdy.

The cultivation of clivias started in early 1930s in China. Clivia miniata became a popular container plant inside the palaces of the last imperial Chinese dynasty because of its symbolic longevity, with beautiful leaves further enhanced by flowers in season.

Clivia miniata is a very popular pot plant in China, where dwarf, orange-flowered cultivars are widely grown as pot subjects. It is so popular in the city of Changchun, in Northeast China, that its flower has become the city's emblem.

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