Commonly known as Copper Leaf which describes it so well, don't you think so? A tuberous gesneriad with dark purple foliage that fades to a copper color with age.
The corolla is short-lived, lasting only a day or two, but the colored calyx is very long-lasting and decorative. The Stems and petioles are fleshy and break easily.
They thrive in the poor sandy soil here in central Florida.Fungus and bacteria will rot them if the soil is too wet and soggy. If you know how to grow African violets well, then you already know how to grow these successfully. Chrysothemis pulchella. Chrysothemis pulchella Family: Gesneriaceae Copper Leaf Origin: Panama, the West Indies, Brazil.
In zones lower than 7, they can be Wintered indoors, but they should not be dug up and stored dry. Copper leaf prefers filtered light and requires regular watering to ensure constant moisture in the soil. The contrast between the dark foliage and the bright inflorescences is striking and quite beautiful.32°F zone 7b if planted in the ground. A bed of flowers that replants itself every Spring. During spring to summer, the plant blooms with very showy orange-red flowers. They’ll bloom no matter what you do.Chrysothemis pulchella prefers well drained soil. The bright yellow corolla, with some red stripes or spots, is about twice the length of the calyx, with a narrow tube and flaring lobes. Common names. The undersides of the leaves are a vibrant purple color. Copperleaf, black flamingo. It can be used as a shade area house plant or interior ornamental plant or in a greenhouse. Chrysothemis pulchella. The leaves are simple, with dentate margins and a velvety surface. Leaves are large, dark-green with brown touch and very ornamental. View gallery. Slugs sometimes chew holes in the leaves. In full sun they get a bit burned at the edges of the foliage, and in too much shade they get tall and leggy.They prefer even, well drained, moisture while growing, and little to no moisture in the Winter during their dormancy.I give them some granular 10-10-10 once a year. Chrysothemis pulchella (also known as sunset bells, black flamingo, copper leaf or simply chryothemis) is a tender tropical perennial plant that belongs to the family Gesneriaceae. Sometimes above ground tubers form at the lower nodes of the plant.
This is such a beautiful and easy plant to grow. The inflorescence emerges almost immediately after breaking dormancy in the Spring, and they continue to bloom until they go dormant in the Fall. In containers, cold temperatures kill them more easily, but in the ground they are quite resilient to cold, especially if they have a layer of mulch or compost protecting them. :D. More plant info This is such a beautiful and easy plant to grow. Below certain temperature, the leaves and stem vanish and the dormant tubers starts to regrow the plant later when the right weather appears. The flowers are formed densely together as a bunch of foliage.The plant has tubers at the base of the stem, and sometimes also in the leaf axils. Chrysothemis pulchella $ 9.99. I am quite surprised that this plant is not everywhere in Florida landscapes. It comes from the Caribbean. Black Flamingo. The undersides of the leaves are a vibrant purple color. From spring to summer it is covered with very showy orange-red flowers. The Stems and petioles are fleshy and break easily. Very few pests bother it, it never needs pruning, it smothers weeds, it is not invasive, it is very forgiving of poor soil conditions, it blooms continuously, it forms thick beds, it has colorful foliage.It comes back on its own from tubers every Spring. As more flowers bloom and fall off, the cluster of calyces grows larger over the course of the season. The tubers get dormant if temperature gets too low. This plant goes completely dormant in the Winter. The flowers, which only last one day, are a bright yellow with reddish orange stripes and spots. 4 more photos VIEW GALLERY. Description.
I have many of these plants in my nursery. The leaves are simple, with dentate margins and a velvety surface. Tender tropical perennial that can be grown as a houseplant or in a greenhouse. Chrysothemis pulchella 'Sunset Bells' is an exciting new plant release.
The flower calyces are a fiery orange, and they last all season. Chrysothemis pulchella. http://buyraretropicalplants.com/ This video describes the beautiful Chrysothemis pulchella and how to grow it. Family: Gesneriaceae …
Whenever I try this, the tubers dry out and die, so leave them in soil.They do best in bright shade, but they can be grown in deep shade or full sun too. They go dormant in Fall and regrow from tubers in Spring. I am quite surprised that this plant is not everywhere in Florida landscapes. The thick and succulent stems are usually grown upright. The truth is that I hardly ever see it anywhere, and for the life of me, I can’t understand why.A tuberous gesneriad with dark purple foliage that fades to a copper color with age.