Titanotrichum oldhamii

There's been a lot of excitement over the last decade or so, about hardy plants that belong to what are normally assumed to be tropical groups. The palms, bananas, Zingiberaceae and Impatiens are already becoming well known. Next I'm sure will be the Begonias and Gesneriaceae. This is one of the latter...

Classic gesneriaceae - sturdy basal rosette of fleshy crinkly leaves and stems of foxglove like flowers emerging from the centre. The flowers are a very striking bright yellow, deep red inside, and the leaves are purple on the reverse.

Not well tried outdoors in the UK, but the main problem overwintering temperate gesneriads usually is not the cold so much as keeping them dry in winter, This doesn't seem to be a problem in this case. Titanotrichum is best in a moist woodsy soil, and it is imperative that it does not dry out in summer, or else the flower buds will turn to tiny tubers (gemmae). A solid and vigorous woodland perennial - so far at least...
Rare and in short supply.

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