Lobelia Gregoriana

Description

Remarkably similar to the Puya of the Andes in South America or Echium wildpretii from the island of Tenerife, this giant unrelated rosette plant displays the evidence of parallel evolution, producing similar looking plants as they evolve in similar habitats. Although the dark maroon to black flowers are attractive, they are almost completely hidden within the bracts. This rare and astonishing plant is native to wetter spots in the alpine zone of Mount Kenya between 3300 and 4600 m, where the extreme climate is usually clear and cold in the mornings, with intense sunshine, and cloudy or foggy in the afternoons with frost at night. Daytime temperatures are usually only a few degrees above freezing, and in a similar way to many bromeliads, the leaf rosette holds a reservoir of water among the tightly fitted leaves, which is key to its survival in this inhospitable habitat. In cultivation, the giant Lobelias are extremely rare, and will do best outside in temperate, highly oceanic climates such as Ireland, New Zealand, southern Chile or the coastal Northwestern of the U.S. Otherwise they make stunning pot plants if slowly potted on until they flower. Viable seed difficult to collect and very scarce indeed.

Sowing Advice

Sow seeds IMMEDIATELY you receive them in gritty compost, at any time of the year, they depend on having several months, sometimes up to a year in cold, damp compost, (NOT DRY IN A FRIDGE) before they will germinate. Keep the seed tray moist in a cold greenhouse or shady corner and do not discard. These fresh seeds can be very slow to germinate but do not use any artificial heat in an attempt to germinate them as it may simply disrupt their germination mechanism causing them to enter even deeper dormancy. Grow on in a spot as cool as possible but with good light. May be best grown in a pot with potting on as it increases in size, keep dry and cool but not deeply-frozen in winter.

Key Facts