Talinum Paniculatum 'Jewels Of Opar'

Description

Knowing that a plant has a common name synonymous with a mythical ancient city full of riches should give you a clue that someone thought very highly of the plant. Jewels-of-Opar has attractive, succulent-looking foliage and is quick to send up arching panicles adorned with light to hot pink star-shaped flowers. Amazingly, these flowers appear repeatedly over a long period of time. You might think you've heard of Jewels-of-Opar before, and you may be right. Your grandma may have grown the regular green version and called it Jewels-of-Opar. On the other hand, if you are a fan of Tarzan, then there is a distinct possibility that this is where you heard the name. Edgar Rice Burroughs mentioned Opar in 1913 in his second Tarzan book, The Return of Tarzan, and then in 1916, he wrote Tarzan and the Jewels-of-Opar. Leaves are edible and have medicinal properties

Sowing Advice

Seeds can be sown at any time but are best sown in winter or early spring to benefit from a cold spell in the wet compost to break their dormancy. We advise covering seeds very thinly with sand or fine grit to about the depth of the seed size. If the seeds do not come up within 6 to 12 weeks the damp seed tray can be given cold treatment in a fridge for about four weeks. They may still take very many months to appear, so please never discard the pot or tray.

Key Facts