Medinilla Experience here?

[JudyC]

Saw this beautiful plant advertised at the garden center and wonder if anyone here has any experience in this plant?

Don't want to get caught up in any marketing ploy for Christmas and have a plant that is not conducive to my growing conditions in my home.

They state & I quote "Similar in care to an orchid these wonderfully unusual plants bloom for 2-3 months and need minimal water.

I've also copied the photo of the plant and saw it online so I know it wasn't "their" plant .... for those of you like myself who've never seen one before.

Wondering and need honest opinions if I'm getting in over my head

[katrina]

I've never seen...or even heard of...that particular plant. I did a bit of googling and found this... Medinilla magnifica Melastomataceae Chandelier Tree

Personally, if I had any extra space I'd likely give it a try because I like the uncommon. It's just a plant...worse case scenario you kill it. What the heck...Go for it!

[sunshine]

What an interesting plant From what I read on the care sheet katrina provided it sounds like one of the annual/perennials depending on where you live. From where you and I live it would be an annual unless you could bring it inside for the winter. The soil mixture sounds like what you pot a cym in.

katrina, I'm with you Your right the most we could do is kill it and say oops

I grew an Angel trumpet tree one summer up here in Maine. it got to be 4ft tall. It's one of those annual/perennials. It's an annual if grown here in Maine and has to be over wintered indoors, if you have the room Mine was pink and at night my whole yard had the most wonderful fragrance. I got pictures somewhere

[SarinahL]

It's great, if you can do orchids, you can do this one. It's an tropical (comes from the Phillipines) epifyte, usually potted in loose, large bark (and in my experience this works best, so, no cym potting!). Give it high to medium, indirect light. It loves high humidity and room temperature.
Treat it like any noid phal. but just a little bit drier. It grows very symmetrically, out of the middle of two leaves you get either two leaves again or one bloom. Very impressive blooms, or actually, those are pink coloured leaves. The little bobbles are the actual blooms.
Good luck!

(I should have a post about mine somewhere around here)

[1joyceh]

I found this:
Medinilla magnifica - Tropical Rose Grape Plant Care
gave some info....
as long as you keep the humidity up, you should have a beautiful addition to your collection

[JudyC]

Thank you everyone

I'm really thinking of getting one -but at $50.00 *gulping* at it dying I know some orchids are alot more than that...but in my world - that's alot of coin for a plant LOL My hubby already thinks I'm completely nuts and yeahhh he's right

I will definitely be checking out the links you've provided!!!

.........Sunshine I'd love to see your photos of that trumphet plant!!

[SarinahL]

Huh... I got mine for $15!
At $50, that is not a bargain..

[SarinahL]

my thread

[JudyC]

SarinahL - $50 is definitely NO bargain for sure!

Just checked out your post & replied thank you, and those who replied