|
| |
Smithiantha cinnabarina
( Temple Bells )
| Rhizomatous perennial with deep green leaves with purple veins and
covered with reddish hairs. Red flowers with white spots on their throats
bloom from summer to fall. |
| Performs best in areas with dry winters. Where
not hardy, grow in greenhouse or as houseplant. Sometimes referred to as
Naegelia cinnabarina. |
Temple Bells have spotted soft leaves. The shiny flowers look like dainty
thimbles. It is a wonderful house plant named after flower collector Mathilde
Smith.
Originally the Temple Bell’s home was the tropical plateaus of Mexico and
Brazil. It is a perennial with upright flower stems. The almost round leaves are
about 15 cm long, with long midribs as well. The leaves are slightly warped and
have a dark brown or crimson red pattern along the veins. The flowers form
clusters similar to grapes. The individual bell-shaped flowers hang down and are
red-orange on the outside and yellow with red spots on the inside.
Even when Temple Bells are not in flower they are attractive. However,
the midribs are delicate and can easily break during
transport. When planting, take into consideration that this is a forest plant
that does not like direct sun.
Temple Bells
flourish continuously from July until September. The plant then requires a
period of rest: The flowers and leaves will wilt, but this is no reason to throw
the plant away. It will not die and after the rest period, it will bear flowers
again.
|
Common name: |
Temple Bells |
|
Origin: |
Tropical plateaus in Mexico and Brazil. |
|
Use: |
Noble and persistent flowering house plant. Perennial. The unique, velvety
leaves make Smithiantha an interesting plant even when it is not flowering. |
|
Flowering time: |
Summer and fall |
|
Location: |
Temple Bells are forest plants. They like light, but no direct sun. They
feel most comfortable at a bright window in partial shade. The ideal
temperatures are 20 – 25°C during the summer and 12°C in the winter. |
|
Care: |
Temple Bells are quite sensitive to temperature. Temperatures less than 20°C
are not ideal; however a high humidity is tolerable. This can be achieved by
repeatedly spraying the surroundings of the plant every day. The container
can also sit on top of damp stones, on leca balls or on top of a turned over
plate in a bowl with water. This allows the Temple Bells to get humidity
from below without damaging the roots by being in too much water. The
potting soil in the container should be kept damp with lukewarm water.
The
plant should be kept dry at 12°C in winter. It can be watered again in the
spring. The container with the rootstock will need a temperature of 22°C.
Put the plant near a heater. When the new shoots are a few centimetres long,
fertilisation can begin again.
Never water with cold water. |
|
Propagation: |
The
rootstock can be divided in the spring. Simply cut in two with a sharp
knife. The sections can be dabbed with a little sulphur to prevent fungal
infections. The individual parts should be planted into soil that is mixed
with loose garden peat. There may also be a small amount of gravel or
expanded clay at the bottom of the container. After potting, the plant
should be kept warm at around 22 to 25°C. As soon as shoots begin to grow,
place the plant in a bright location with partial shade and carefully start
fertilising.
Leaf cuttings are a simple way of propagating the plant. They grow best if
the stems are cut off. Plant the leaves in damp soil, under which there is a
layer of gravel or fine sand. The cutting should also get warmth from below.
If the plant is propagated in June, it may be possible to have new plants in
the same year with a little bit of luck. By the time the new plant requires
its rest period it has produced rootstocks for propagation in the following
year. |
|
Plant protection: |
Yellow, discoloured leaves can be caused by intense sunlight.
If
the flowers and leaves are rotting, the plant is getting too much water. If
you put the container on top of damp leca balls, then it will get sufficient
humidity but not too much water.
Aphids can damage the leaves: Contact your local garden centre to get advice
on the best possible solution.
Hanging leaves and soft stems: The plant is getting too little water (check
whether the soil is dry). It also could be that the plant has too little
humidity or that a draught has caused the problem. Perhaps the plant has
also been too much water for some time; if this is the case, a fungus will
form that blocks the vascular bundles. Wilting is the consequence.
White flies lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves. Try to carefully
get rid of the problem with a chemical treatment. |
|
Young
plants: |
Available in our
online shop
from the middle of October until the beginning of June.
 |
|
