![]() Propagation is through stem cuttings and tubers. Sunset bell plants are mostly pest-resistant, though fungus and root rot can affect the plant, primarily due to over-watering. In warm tropical countries, these plants almost always has bunches of deep orange calyxes, making them ideal landscaping plants. Occasional fertilization can keep the plant blooming for longer periods, though it mostly blooms during spring and summer. Picture of Chrysothemis pulchella, Sunset bells, Black flamingo, tropical perennial with large dark green leaves with brown touch and orange yellow flowers. These plants need good sunlight and watering to grow well, but they can withstand poor soil quality. When the weather is extremely cold, the leaves and stems die away, but tubers stay alive underground, sprouting new leaves when the weather is more favorable. Also known as Sunset Bells, this dazzling plant produces flowers and flower calyces. Roots have tubers which sometimes even grow along the lower nodes. Chrysothemis pulchella Black Flamingo (4 pot). The stem of the Sunset bell plant is fleshy and upright, breaking off easily. The leaves are also unique and decorative. These flowers live only for a day or two, but the calyx cups stay for many weeks, keeping the plant beautiful even when there are no flowers. The flowers are easily distinguished by 2-3 red lines running from the center of the corolla tube towards the tips of each petal. The flowers are tubular with long, yellow corolla tubes and a bulbous top half with 5 beautiful petals. The actual flowers are yellow in color, with red markings, growing from these cup-shaped calyx tubes. Sunset bell plants start flowering very quickly, with dark orange-red calyx tubes bunched together. The upper surface is a dull copper-green color, and the lower surface is pinkish-purple in color. The leaves are 10-20 cms long with sunken veins and a serrated margin. These plants are quite sturdy, growing well in warm, humid tropical weather with large copper-green leaves. Slugs sometimes chew holes in the leaves.Common name: Sunset bells, Copper leaf, Black flamingo, Simple ChrysothemisĪ very common garden plant that flowers almost through the year, Sunset bells are very easy to grow and maintain. They thrive in the poor sandy soil here in central Florida.įungus and bacteria will rot them if the soil is too wet and soggy. They’ll bloom no matter what you do.Ĭhrysothemis pulchella prefers well drained soil. I give them some granular 10-10-10 once a year. They prefer even, well drained, moisture while growing, and little to no moisture in the Winter during their dormancy. In full sun they get a bit burned at the edges of the foliage, and in too much shade they get tall and leggy. Other cultivation practices can make the plant unhappy and cause color change in anthuriums, such as improper watering, excess nitrogen fertilizer and improper temperatures. The plant will respond by producing faded or green flowers. They do best in bright shade, but they can be grown in deep shade or full sun too. This means it didn’t get exposed to the proper light intensity and duration. Whenever I try this, the tubers dry out and die, so leave them in soil. In zones lower than 7, they can be Wintered indoors, but they should not be dug up and stored dry. In containers, cold temperatures kill them more easily, but in the ground they are quite resilient to cold, especially if they have a layer of mulch or compost protecting them. This plant goes completely dormant in the Winter. The contrast between the dark foliage and the bright inflorescences is striking and quite beautiful.ģ2☏ zone 7b if planted in the ground. As more flowers bloom and fall off, the cluster of calyces grows larger over the course of the season. The flower calyces are a fiery orange, and they last all season. The flowers, which only last one day, are a bright yellow with reddish orange stripes and spots. The inflorescence emerges almost immediately after breaking dormancy in the Spring, and they continue to bloom until they go dormant in the Fall. Sometimes above ground tubers form at the lower nodes of the plant. The Stems and petioles are fleshy and break easily. The undersides of the leaves are a vibrant purple color. The leaves are simple, with dentate margins and a velvety surface. The truth is that I hardly ever see it anywhere, and for the life of me, I can’t understand why.Ī tuberous gesneriad with dark purple foliage that fades to a copper color with age. It comes back on its own from tubers every Spring.
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