Cliffortia species can be found throughout the Cape Floristic Region, where they almost exclusively grow in fynbos, and in the transition zones with adjoining biomes like the Karoo and Albany thickets. Within the Cape Floristic Region, it occurs in the widest range of environments, from the highest mountain peaks to coastal sand flats. Some species are bound to constantly moist soils (such as C. strobilifera near streams on acid to neutral soils, and C. longifolia near streams on marine sands and limestone deposits) while others live on the arid, mountainous edge of the Karoo in rock crevices. Most Cliffortia species are limited to acidic and nutrient-poor sandy soils, but some also grow on alkaline limestone soils (C. falcata, C. ferruginea, C. filifolia and C. obcordata) or more fertile shales such as in the Bokkeveld (such as C. filicaulis, C. juniperina and C. polygonifolia). C. complanata and C. propinqua are both confined to shady rock crevices, except in the moisture of the south coast. Outside the Cape Floristic Region most of the Cliffortia species occur the afromontane heathlands, between Mount Kenya (C. nitidula) in the north to the southern Drakensberg in the south. Few grow on dolorites near the Great Escarpment and sandstone at low altitude in the Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal.