|Syzygium wilsonii in bloom|

Like a series of stars bursting forth from a super nova or like the glam jam of an 80′s hair band comes, from Queensland, Australia, a flower of dynamic deliciousness. Something about its image conjures up the song ‘Mickey’ by 80′s one hit wonder Toni Basil.  Remember that one?  Why, you say? Well, the common names of this plant are Powderpuff Lillypilly and Pom Pom Tree. Introducing Syzygium wilsonii.  I encountered this shrub the other day and realized I haven’t seen anything like it before.  The flowers were the first thing to grab my attention.  They were bottlebrush-like but not your typical bottlebrush.  They are spherical in appearance and roughly the size of a grapefruit.  A big ol’ blast of bottlebrush filaments the color of luscious cherry.  Very Dr. Seuss.

|Syzygium wilsonii foliage + flower + form|

Turns out Syzygium wilsonii isn’t commonly known horticulturally or found in many gardens, yet it should be!  Now I’ve been going on about the flowers but it’s also the new growth of this shrub that is extraordinary.  New growth comes out in luxurious, glossy new foliage and stems both deeply saturated in rich red or blazing bronze color.  As the smooth foliage matures, its coloring shifts into a fresh and gorgeous green .  In spring, clusters of elongated grape-like clusters of flower buds form at the ends of weeping stems.  By late spring and early summer, buds burst forth with colorful stamens looking like noise makers on New Year’s Eve.  Once all the buds have opened, the stamens create a stunning inflorescence of floral fantasy that nectar loving birds and bees go crazy for.  After the fantastical flowers fade, striking berries form looking like ivory blueberries.  Very nifty. I hear they’re edible but intensely sour.  Syzygium wilsonii can grow up to 8 feet tall and wide.  It has a fountain-like form growing upright with sprawling, arching branches.  It would look cool as a specimen against a wall where it could show off all of its glory and grooviness.

Syzygium wilsonii likes to grow in part sun to shaded situations.  It likes well-draining, compost rich soil, regular to low water, and is hardy down to around 30 degrees fahrenheit/-1 degree celsius.  It makes a cool specimen in a container as well as in the ground.  To keep it looking lush and not leggy, prune it back after flowering and fruiting has finished. Also, for intense flowering, grow it in a cool, protected spot sheltered from winds.  Now finding one of these babies can be difficult, so ask around for it at botanical garden sales or look online for specialty plant mail order.  If I ever find out where to get one, I’ll pass it along.  To see it blooming, live and in concert, is awesome!  It may just blow your mind.

|Begonia hybrid unknown variety|

Okay. So the hottest things in houseplant couture for the past bit have been air plants and succulents.  Seen ‘em, done ‘em.  Love them both but I think it’s time to bring the begonia back. Especially the hybrid ones with their kaleidoscopic colors and character.  How we style our interiors and bring the “outside” in has become the big cool thing to do. Just look at publications like Elle decoration and Dwell magazine.  It’s become more about the personal aspect, other than that of a hired decorator, as to how we want to represent our our own style and taste.  The individual is now the designer and the decorator.  So with that said, indulge The Plant Provocateur for a moment as I provide yet another alternative to the selections of hip houseplants available to us. The new alternative should be all about the beguiling beauty of Begonia hybrids. The foliage options are seriously stylish and for many of us plant lovers out there…new and oh so exciting!

|From top L to R: Begonia ‘Autumns Best’, Begonia ‘Leprechaun’s Kiss’, Begonia unknown variety, Begonia unknown variety|

Recently, my friend Carlos took me to visit Kartuz Greenhouses down in Vista, California.  Owner Michael Kartuz specializes in distinctive varieties of rare and unusual plants.  If you too suffer from ‘Plantaholism’, you must check out this mail order nursery!  Michael won’t steer you wrong.  He offers an astounding variety of spectacular begonias.  Some of which you won’t find anywhere else.  His begonia hybridizing specialist Brad Thompson has created some of the most stunning foliage displays I have ever seen.  Seeing these extraordinary specimens got me thinking. Why not style and profile interior space with one or more of these colorful, textural, super cool specimens?!  I don’t see people growing these plants too often and I think it’s time for an interior plant revolution!  These babies should be collectors items like a Mark Rothko painting or an original Alexander McQueen garment.

|Begonia foliage collection v.2|

One thing to know about these hybrids is that it’s all about the foliage and NOT the flowers.  The patterns, the mosaics, the textural tapestries are so stylin’ and chic. Plant one of these in a toned down container, let the foliage be spectacle, and BAM! your world comes alive with vibrant color and vivacious verve.  The look is upbeat, enthusiastic, and ultra luxe.

Most hybrids are indoor plants only.  They prefer bright, indirect light, and room temps around 65-75 degrees fahrenheit/18-23 degrees celsius.  They like to grow in a well-draining soil mix containing peat moss.  They also like to be watered until moist, but allowed to dry out slightly before their next watering.  One tip is to avoid overhead watering.  This can damage their stunning leaves, so use a watering device with a long snout and that can direct water below the foliage.  Another tip is that they like some humidity.  To provide it, set planted containers in trays lined with rock, fill with some water, and allow to evaporate.  Yet another method is to line the top of the container’s soil with a healthy helping of moss.  When the moss is watered it will hold moisture, then let it evaporate up and through the foliage creating a source of humidity.  Fertilize plants, during active growth, once a week with 1/4 strength fertilizer.  These plants can go dormant and drop their foliage in the cooler winter months.  If protected and provided with the average conditions they like during the other warmer months, they may forgo the shedding of leaves.  Now this all might seem like a lot of maintenance but once you’ve got it down they’re not that difficult to care for and isn’t beauty worth it?!

|Strophanthus speciosus floral detail|

As the saying goes, love is a many splendored thing.  On a recent walk I fell victim to my theory that so many of us tend to walk around our world with blinders on.  There is a place that I walk by on occasion that is bordered by a dense, leafy green shrub. Handsome as its leathery, rich green foliage can be  I’ve never really paid that much attention to it.  Never really thought to stop and check it out…that is until recently. So unassuming and then suddenly this.  Flowers that look as though they come from the fantastical land of Oz.  May I introduce Strophanthus speciosus commonly known in some parts of the world as Corkscrew Flower.  It is a bushy shrub from South Africa that tends to roam and ramble from wherever it’s planted.  In spring, at the ends of its branches, it produces these amazingly unique starfish-supernova-like flowers with wispy, dreamy creamy yellow petals that corkscrew outward from vibrantly vivid candy cane colored throats.  The beauty doesn’t stop there.  The flowers emit a passionate perfume with fresh notes of magnolia, mellow lemon, rose, and a touch of seductive spice.  You might as well surrender to it now!

|Strophanthus speciosus foliage + flower + form|

Strophanthus speciosus is what I consider an ‘Adult‘ category plant.  It’s one of those plants that I would suggest should be grown responsibly.  Primary reason is that parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested.  It is said the toxins in the seeds are used to tip poison arrows.  Alternatively, theses same toxins are used to create medications for treating snakebites and heart failure.

As a garden plant, Strophanthus speciosus can be trained into a sophisticated screening hedge or left to grow into a wild and woolly thicket.  Grow it in the ground or a container.  Ideally, it can grow to be 10 feet tall and wide.  If unsupervised it can grow and spread much larger.  It likes full sun, fertile, well-draing soil, regular water, and is hardy down to around 35 degrees fahrenheit/2 degrees celsius.  It can also go deciduous during dry or cooler periods.  Pruning it occasionally will keep it in check as well as give it a stylishly lush look.  This will encourage more branching which will result in an abundant output of unforgettably unusual fragrant flowers and believe me the flowers are where it’s at!