I live in Los Angeles about 2 miles from the coast. I have been growing the Deppea splendens for over 10 years. I have one plant in the...Read More ground and two in pots. They are in filtered light with morning sun. The area is somewhat protected.
The plant is about 10 feet tall and blooms on a regular basis. The plants that I am growing were purchased from San Marcos Growers in Santa Barbara. They were well established when purchased. I hope that more people try to grow the Deppea. It truly is rewarding with clusters of pendant blooms that are quite remarkable.
A plant which is rare, extinct in the wild, so it depends in our cultivation if otherwise becomes extinct.
It was native t...Read Moreo cloud forest in Mexico, one botanist brought seed back to the US and then the plant was extinct in the wilderness. So all plants nowadays are descendent of those seeds.
It propagates well from cuttings, I am trying this for the first time. I bought seed from ebay, and it germinated. Seed is tiny so a bit hard to germinate but doable in fine sterile moist soil indoors with artificial light and 20ºC. Seedlings are so tiny that they demand care with moisture and light. Let dry slightly between watering with drops.
Then when growing it is more resistant, keep it in the dry side. It grows fast. My purpose now is to get it to flower and I will making cuttings to propagate it and give to other people. It must be grown much more to prevent its extintion.
I live within 2 miles of the coast in San Diego, so the climate is very temperate. Even in this temperate climate, deppea still seems to ...Read Morebe too hot in the summer and too cool in the winter. It still looks good in summer and winter, but in my garden it barely grows and blooms during summer and winter. However, the plant makes up for it with vigorous growth in spring and fall, and beautiful blooms during this months as well. If you have a shaded area in temperate climate definitely try this plant. It looks good year round and is beautiful when in bloom, roughly half the year.
I have been growing this plant in the UK for the last few months after a purchase from eBay it is currently about 10/12 inch high and gro...Read Morewing indoors and its doing very well
San Diego & San Francisco, CA (Zone 10a) | July 2006 | positive
Deppea spendens, extinct in the wild, is one of the most beautiful and sought-after plants. It's irridescent, textured leaves are showy ...Read Moreeven when it is not in flower. However, the flowers, reminiscent of fuchsia but in dark orange and yellow, are showstoppers.
Native to the cloud forests of Mexico, D. splendens is now living only in cultivation from seeds brought out of the native habitat prior to its destruction. There are several strains around but few plants are generally available and those that exist are in a few private collections and botanical gardens.
A close relative of coffee, this plant has outstanding landscape potential although handles frost poorly. Many of these scarce plants were killed in unexpected frosts at botanical gardens.
Itis unknown as to whether seed will ever be available for this plant but right now they seem to be cutting grown.
Added 9/13/06
So there are several cultivars which may prove important as we go forward with this plant in getting it to seed. Seemingly D. splendens will not seed from self-fertilisation so a second clone is neccessary in order to set seed. Strains which are now in botanical gardens and collections include 'Augusten', one from Strybing labelled 'S' (probably their in-the-ground plant), clone 'A' and 'B', and 'Cristobal'. It is unclear whether A is also the strain called Augusten and whether 'Cristobal' is also called 'C' in some collections but I have no 'C' although I have collected the rest in an attempt to procure seeds at some point. Again, more than one type of clone (an 'A' AND a 'B' - not two 'B's) are likely neccessary to get D. splendends to set seed. Rumour of it setting seed at the Huntington in Los Angeles is not confirmed and although they have two fairly mature plants planted close to one another, no seed pods were in evidence when I visited there recently during the end of Deppea's bloom cycle so I think that is in doubt. Because of the rarity of this plant, I think most collections have only one clone so this may be the hold up.
I live in Los Angeles about 2 miles from the coast. I have been growing the Deppea splendens for over 10 years. I have one plant in the...Read More
A plant which is rare, extinct in the wild, so it depends in our cultivation if otherwise becomes extinct.
It was native t...Read More
I live within 2 miles of the coast in San Diego, so the climate is very temperate. Even in this temperate climate, deppea still seems to ...Read More
I have been growing this plant in the UK for the last few months after a purchase from eBay it is currently about 10/12 inch high and gro...Read More
Deppea spendens, extinct in the wild, is one of the most beautiful and sought-after plants. It's irridescent, textured leaves are showy ...Read More