Clivia gardenii generally prefers well-drained loamy soils and is usually found on steep slopes or even on rocks. However, populations can also be found in swampy areas. These plants are found in the evergreen forests under a 20 metre high closed canopy in the Maputaland- Pondoland area. C. gardenii can also be found in forest areas in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands province.
The plants are usually between 800 and 1300 mm tall. The 10-12 light green leaves are arranged in clusters. They are 25 to 60 mm wide and 350 to 900 mm long and taper to a point.
The orange-red drooping flowers with pronounced green tips vary from yellow to brown-red and are curved and not as drooping as those of C. caulescens and C. nobilis. The flowering period is from May to July. Whilst some plants are already producing seeds, others are only in the bud stage. The berries produce one or two large seeds. The seeds only ripen about 12-15 months after pollination.
