Medicinal Uses for Clivia Miniata

Clivia miniata, a lily native to South Africa, is commonly known as the Kaffir lily, orange lily or Bush lily. It has beautiful flowers, but the plant is poisonous and is used for various medicinal purposes.

Plant and Growth Habits

• The Kaffir lily is part of the amarylidaceae family. It has large flower clusters and distinctive broad, glossy green leaves that grow in a fan shape. Kaffir lilies grow naturally only in Africa but are cultivated all over the world. They grow in dappled sunlight and rich, well-drained soil.

Medicinal Properties

• In Africa, where traditional health practitioners seriously outnumber university-trained physicians, many people use herbal remedies. Clivia miniata, the lovely Kaffir lily, is valued for medicinal properties including muscle and uterine stimulation and pain relief.

Harvest for Medicinal Use

• Kaffir lilies are native to South Africa, where they grow in large groups in forests and wooded areas. For herbal remedies, the whole plant is harvested, including the rhizomes. Unfortunately, over-harvesting (a result of demand among a growing population) has decreased the plant's abundance and growth cycles.

During Labor and Childbirth

• An infusion of Clivia miniata leaves is used to induce labor and speed contractions. Ingesting too much can overstimulate uterine contractions and cause complications.

Pain Relief

• Clivia miniata rhizomes, or tuberous roots, are used for fever, and the plant extract is also used to treat snakebite and relieve pain.