Scientific Name
Bomarea glaucescens (Kunth) Baker
Synonym(s)
Alstroemeria glaucescens, Collania glaucescens, Collania glauscencens, Wichuraea glaucescens
Scientific Classification
Family: Alstroemeriaceae
Tribe: Alstroemerieae
Genus: Bomarea
Origin
Bomarea glaucescens is native to Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.
Flower
Color: Orange or yellow
Bloom Time: Late spring to autumn
Description
Bomarea glaucescens is a tropical tender perennial vine that grows up to 20 inches (50 cm) tall.
The narrowly funnel-shaped flowers appear in rounded clusters at the tips of the stems from late spring to fall. They are bright red to orange with red or brown spots, orange or yellow inside, followed by lobed bright red fruit.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 11a to 11b: from 40 °F (+4.4 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
To see Bomarea at their best, they need a warm position with lots of sunlight (although it can be grown under artificial lights). However, they are quite tough, and the plants can survive in milder areas if grown outside with roots that will survive to around 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) if a thick layer of mulch is provided. Still, the plant may die back in prolonged cold periods but will recover when new growth emerges by springtime.
Keep plants well-watered in the summer months, and when winter sets in, you should only provide a bare minimum amount of water, and the plant should be kept almost dry.
Growing Bomarea from seed is not difficult as they have simple needs. Still, a little preparation before the initial planting of the seed is sometimes recommended to yield the best results. However, the preparation usually is only needed for seeds that have been stored for longer periods. To propagate by seeds successfully, it is best to sow them in a well-draining soil (50/50 mix of cactus compost and perlite will be fine) as soon as they are ripe or as fresh as possible in a propagator or warm greenhouse with temperature regulated at around 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 25 degrees Celsius).
See more at How to Grow and Care for Bomarea.
Links
- Back to genus Bomarea
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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