Sinningia 'Gabriel's Horn', S. 'Polka Punch', Nemomortonia mummularia, Columnea lehmannii, Streptocarpus 'Alissa', Chirita linearis, and Columnea schiediana are BLOOMING!!!

This has to be one of my very favorite Sinningias. It's Gabriel's Horn. This is an easy to grow plant that has been in bloom for months.

This is a little gem called Nemomortonia mummularia. It's pouch-like flowers are a pleasant surprise on a humidity loving small-growing plant. (At least it's small growing for now...)

This isn't quite IN bloom, but it's close. I'm quite anxious to see what Columnea lehmannii is going to look like. I'm a fan of fuzzy flowers, and this one looks like it could be a winner!

This is Sinningia 'Polka Punch'. It grows a bit like a Smithiantha with the nice spike of flowers at the top. This one also seems to be happy to be multiplied... it has four or five "offspring" already.

Ok, now this is a little different, for those that like "weird". This is one of the relatively few (so far) yellow Streptocarpus named 'Alissa'. The yellow is spread throughout and there is only a bit of purple on the upper lobes.

Now this is also lovely, small and pretty cool. This is a Chirita linearis. Pretty pinkish flowers are held above the narrow foliage. A nice plant that doesn't take up too much space either.

And this isn't blooming, but the result of blooming. This is a little Columnea schiediana berry. Even the berry is fuzzy. Now there isn't anything to not love about that! This plant had another berry but sometimes the caretaker doesn't know just when berries are ripe. This one will be ripened a little more and the seeds hopefully sent to the Seed Fund. Please consider saving and sending in seeds to the fund. That's one way everyone has an opportunity to try out new and unusual varieties for a very reasonable price. Comments??? Questions??? It is very easy to leave either if you just click on the word below this and type your message.

Phragmipedium peruvianum

Say "hello" to something really incredible!

The University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is currently hosting a display of orchids for our friends at Orchids Limited in Plymouth.



















This is a rare and quite amazing orchid. It's a Phragmipedium peruvianum that was discovered (for the first time ever) in 2001 in the jungles of Peru.

It is called the most important orchid find in the last 100 years.

It is on display only through Saturday Feb 19. The rest of Jerry Fischer's orchids are on display there until March 13.














This orchid is over 7" (seven amazing inches) across and as you can see it is an intense magenta color.

Orchids Limited acquired its legally collected seedling in 2005 and has one of only 10 plants in all of the United States to bloom. This is truly a special exhibit for orchid enthusiasts and for gesneriad lovers who sometimes also enjoy admiring other species of plants too!