Sanchezia speciosa is native to northern South America where it grows in moist humid forests as an understorey plant.
Description
Sanchezia speciosa is a shrub that will grow up to about 2.4m in height. It has large variegated leaves, up to 30cm in length, usually green with yellow or ivory veins. Over the summer months it produces yellow tubular flowers with red bracts.
Culture
Plants need light shade and protection from the sun at the hottest part of the day. Bright indirect light produces the best coloration in the leaves. They need plenty of water, especially when actively growing during the warmer months of the year; and plenty of humidity and warmth throughout the year.
This plant thrives in a true tropical environment and does best when temperatures do not fall below 15degC, so a heated glasshouse is best. However, it can withstand temperatures down to freezing level. This will knock the plants back to ground level, but they will shoot away in spring.
• Growing in the central house of the winter garden glasshouse.
• Propagates easily from tip cuttings.
• Can be grown as a house plant but needs frequent misting of the foliage.
• Responds well to a hard prune if getting too large.
• Aphids and mealy bugs can be a problem in the flower buds.
Stephen Bishop is curator of the winter garden glasshouse at Dunedin Botanic Garden.
