This species is always in flower and so it is possible to ignore it which is very unfair – so here it is a today’s post

The species is native to Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela and Guyana at altitudes of 1300 to 3500 meters and I have seen it described as a miniature and although the flowers are small grows into a very large plant over time. Our large plant again has over a hundred flower spikes constantly flowering and a froth of flowers surrounding the plant which grows in a basket. Each flower spike lasts three years and slowly gets longer and longer.

This plant won an RHS Cultural Certificate at the London Show in 2016 and is always a thing of beauty. It was donated to the project about eighteen years ago and so I guess that this plant is at least thirty years old.

It enjoys being watered well and doesn’t seem to enjoy hot summers which usually result in a bit of leaf drop. It looks its best in the spring with this winters fresh green growth and a fresh crop of flower spikes just starting to flower.