Deppea splendens
- Subject: Deppea splendens
- From: d* f*
- Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 00:21:23 -0800 (PST)
I was wondering how many people on the list might have
taken advantage of the first Pacific Horticulture
Magazine offer of the new plant introductions, when
they offered Deppea splendens. I recently saw a large
sized plant of this in full glorious bloom in the
mesoamerican section at the UC Berkeley Botanic
Garden, and it is stunning. The flowers are a
beautiful combination of orange red and yellow, and
very attractive to hummingbirds, with late summer to
fall bloom. The only drawback is its lack of frost
tolerance, and need for regular summer irrigation.
I can relate a story on how I thought I already had
this plant in the garden, and gave away the raffle
plant I had the good fortune to win at a Cal Hort
Society meeting, only to discover that the plant I
have and is in bloom now is in another genus
altogether, Pseuderanthemum grandifolia, also from
southern Mexico, with somewhat similar glossy foliage,
but nowhere near as beautiful or showy in flower or
length of bloom. Having seen Deppea again, I must
have one, even at the risk of losing it in a freeze.
I have recently heard that there are 8 different forms
of this, and they are being crossed to try and
increase the genetic range and allow for possible
reintroduction into the wilds, where it is no longer
found in the original Chiapas State location by Dennis
Breedlove. Apparently there are plants to be seen at
the Huntington; and it is definitely planted out at
UCLA, UCBerkeley, Strybing, and perhaps Quail Botanic
Garden. Certainly it is worth seeking out if visiting
any of the these gardens in late summer/fall, to
appreciate a real rarity. The google image search I
did only shows the foliage as grown at the UCLA
Botanic Garden, but it is well photographed in the
Pacific Horticulture Issue that announced the first
distribution of this. I don't think it is being
commercially grown yet, but it ought to be! Anyone
have success stories to relate?
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