Property News · January 10, 2016

Gardens: all hail the vulcan palm | James Wong


They’re notoriously difficult to pollinate but this unusual houseplant rewards you with its quirky looks and easygoing natureFor houseplant obsessives like me, offerings in garden centres can be a bit samey. In the face of two decades of declining sales, retailers are sticking to an ever-shrinking palette of safe options. But every so often you come across a great find, like the Vulcan Palm, Brighamia insignis.This striking succulent is found only on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, where it once covered the rocky coastal slopes between pockets of rainforest. Not a palm, in fact, but a member of the bellflower family, it has a thick trunk topped with a crown of shiny leaves, giving it a quirky architectural form. Flushes of pale yellow flowers, 15cm long, erupt from the centre in the spring and early summer, emitting a gorgeous honeysuckle scent. They owe their elongated throats and tubular form to a hawk moth with an enormously long tongue that co-evolved with the plant over millions of years. Continue reading…

Source : theguardian.com
Read more…Gardens: all hail the vulcan palm | James Wong

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