Strobilanthes gossypinus, experience with this?

Is anyone growing this plant here in California or
South Africa/Australia?  I understand it is available
more in the Southern Hemisphere than here in
California.  It comes from Southern India and Sri
Lanka, and I first saw it growing at high elevation in
Sri Lanka, along with nightly cold fogs and our
California Monterey Cypress, so thought it worth
trying to grow here.  

The shrub in habitat was well formed and bushy, with
silver fuzzy foliage that paradoxically also has a
golden shimmer to the leaves, and simply covers itself
with showy lavender flowers, (it started blooming here
in Berkeley at 2 foot tall in September, and appears
to flower for at least 4 months).  I have two plants
now, one of which is blooming, and I am uncertain
whether this is monocarpic as some of the
Strobilanthes are.  Many of the species also only
bloom after a period of years, and then die, but as
this is blooming from a cutting after only two years
of growth, I am hoping it will not die. 
 
Unfortunately, it also seems rather reluctant to
branch and form a bushy shrub under my conditions, and
has not set any records for speedy growth.   It does
seem much hardier to cold than the more common
Strobilanthes dyeranus, which will typically
overwinter outdoors in my Berkeley garden, but only
reluctantly puts out new growth the following spring.

I understand that this is a garden plant in the
Eastern Cape of South Africa and Sydney, Australia. 
Anyone have any experience with this plant, or know if
it is perhaps  being grown at the Huntington Botanic
Garden or elsewhere such as Quail or the LA Arboretum?
 I would think this has good potential as an
interesting winter blooming shrub for coastal
California conditions, if it doesn't die after
blooming!



		
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