I first saw this tree at the zoo just outside Hilo, Hawaii. It took
my breath away it was so beautiful!!! Last week I found two ...Read Moreplants in a nursery in Hilo and was lucky enough to get them both. I was checking the computer to see if I could find any information about growing them so I don't mess this up. My plants are about 2 feet tall and have beautiful blooms already.
This plant with such complicated name (named after Joseph von Waszevicz, a famous orchid collector in the 19th century) is a fast growing...Read More, small amazonic tree, from the coffee plant and Ixora's family. It's rarelly seen in gardens, even in the Amazonic region. I saw it only once, near a house in the middle of the jungle. I was stunned at it, since I never saw something like that before. Took me a while to find out what that was. It's certainly an under used species.
It's a small tree, between 4 and 8m tall, with large mottled leaves. The main feature is the inflorescence. With small yellow or orange flowers in compact clusters, what catchs your eye is the ornamental leaf like bracts, with a bright red color, that ornates the clusters. It comes from the tip of the branches, and will show up all the year, specially after the drier months. The fruits are insignificant, but you can collect the seeds. The seeds won't survive long after collecting, so sow them on sandy soil as soon as possible.
It needs a constantly moist soil, full sun, high temperatures and humidity, so better get a warm greenhouse for it. The soil can be mostly sandy, mixtured with an organic portion, well drained. The same is valid for the seedling.
I first saw this tree at the zoo just outside Hilo, Hawaii. It took
my breath away it was so beautiful!!! Last week I found two ...Read More
This plant with such complicated name (named after Joseph von Waszevicz, a famous orchid collector in the 19th century) is a fast growing...Read More