Bloom Event - Sinningia leucotricha

Apparently, this plant is also known as Brazilian Edelweiss. I think that might be more of a mouthful than its latin name. This species is, believe it or not, a distant relative of the Saintpaulia and Streptocarpus. It probably has some of the most striking foliage of any houseplant, being furry and silver, especially when the new growths are young. As flowering finishes and the leaves expand, the fur becomes more spread out and the leaves look greener.

It is a funny looking thing isn't it? The blooms themselves are quite short lived but are produced in succession from the crown of the plant, so flowering can last for a few weeks. These stems are produced from a large tuber which sits mostly above ground, making this species quite popular with growers of succulents (they term the tuber a 'caudex'. Each tuber may produce two or more stems per season, depending on its size. When flowering finishes the leaves persist for a few months before finally the whole stem dies back and the tuber enters dormancy. A second flush of stems can be encouraged to grow by cutting the existing stems away straight after blooming, but I tend not to force them.

Quite a quirky little plant. Once dormant, the plants really need no care at all but can be kept in a cool place until they are required to bloom. Moving them into a warmer spot and providing water seems to wake them up. Similarly, if they are kept warm with intermittent water they seem not to go dormant; instead the stems drop and new growth immediately comes from the base. They seem not to need a great deal of water even when they are growing. They are exceedingly easy going. The tubers gradually increase in size. The photo above is my largest one, but I have several smaller ones, also. They seem unmolested by pests. They also don't appear to bothered how much light they receive and don't go straggly even when blooming in January under natural light, as this plant is. Perhaps its more important once they have bloomed and the leaves fill out.

All in all, an unusual, easy to grow and quirky little plant.