Medinilla Species, Pink Lantern, Showy Medinilla

2 years ago I paid $35 for this plant. Insane. The first summer I burnt the living heck out of the leaves. This past summer I did better....Read More I have two blooms on it now and will probably try for seeds. I don't dare try cuttings.

Remember it likes it dry. I'm thinking about hanging it from a spring that I can use to tell by weight how dry it is.

Anybody try doing a cutting or starting seeds?

I bought this plant last year for my mom and was told it was difficult to get to re-bloom. I bought it anyway because it was so spectacul...Read Morear. The plant overwintered well in a warm (75-80 degree F.) greenhouse, but I should have given it more shade when the days started getting longer -- the new foliage that emerged in March-April got burned around the edges. In May I put it outdoors in a shady spot on the north side of the house, which gets a little morning sun but is in shade or bright indirect light the rest of the day. I am happy to report that it now has one bloom and another bud coming, plus new leaves. In terms of watering, temperature, and fertilizer, I have treated it like my orchids. A couple of badly burned leaves turned orange and fell off earlier in the summer. Does this plant periodically shed old leaves?

A very beautiful plant in bloom, magnificent indeed when well grown, with long-lasting pink flower bracts.

Not an easy ho...Read Moreuseplant for most people. Under ordinary winter household conditions (low light, low humidity) it declines, the foliage deteriorating first.

A plant for those with a greenhouse or conservatory.

I live in Central Florida, in Tampa. We get 9 months of very humid summer and 3 months of usually mild winter, lots of summer rain storm...Read Mores. I bought my Medinilla at a University of South Florida Botanical Gardens plant sale after seeing it and it's bloom for the first time. It cost me $25, more than I have ever paid for a plant. I repotted it in a large ceramic pot with a saucer, and put it outdoors in my back yard on a plant stand, under a large oak tree where it gets dappled sunlight. At first, the leaves were eaten by some bug or other, but it did bloom that year. Last year it did not bloom, but did not die either, and I noticed a lessening of insect holes in the leaves. I water it from the top with a soft spray from the garden hose until the saucer is full. I have not fertilized it yet, but will start this week with an all purpose liquid plant food. It is somewhat protected under the tree, and I can still bring it in during bad weather. Tampa gets up to the high 90's in the summer and it will freeze occasionally in winter, though hasn't since acquiring the Medinilla. This year it has much more than doubled it's original size and currently has three blooms. The leaves are large, shiny, and dark green, very healthy looking. I would like to try to propagate it but do not know how. Ordinarily, I would make a cutting, dip the end in root tone, and place it in a pot with potting soil and good drainage. Does anyone know if this is the way to propagate the Medinilla? I would hate to cut it, and mar this lovely plant for nothing. Any advice?
Love reading all the comments. Thanks.

Medinilla magnifica - commonly known as Philippine Orchid - is an epiphyte with ovid pink brachts of pink, red or violet flowers and frui...Read Morets of violet, fleshy berries. It can grow up to 3m high.

Are the flowers fragrant?

I've had this plant for about 5 years. It has attractive foliage, but has never, ever bloomed. How do you get this stupid thing to bloom?...Read More I'm ready to throw it out!

Recently purchased this plant in Kent England No one even at the Nursery we bought it at knew anything about them , said it had just come...Read More in with another consignment of plants ( not ordered ) glad to have found details on Dave's garden (knew i would ) we are keeping it in our front porch nice and warm but not much direct sun , let you know how it gets on , looks lovely so far 3 flowers
john

After 3 months of very active, impressive growth, my medinilla started curling up its leaves and they started dropping by the hour. I ha...Read Moreve kept it in my cool 70 degree room with a humdifier working about 8-12 hrs. a day. In early Dec. it was over 2 ft. high by 4 ft. wide and the pride of my jungle. Yesterday after watching leaf after leaf drop for weeks, I severely pruned it back but it is still not healthy. It went from flourishing to languishing overnite with the same care and conditions. What did I do wrong? How can I restore it before it completely dies? This is my pride and joy; help me to save it before it's too late. Thank you very much! Susan of Toledo

Hi I live in Devon in England and the picture I have uploaded is my Medinilla grown in my conservatory - I just love this plant and hope ...Read Morethat it will have a second flowering as quite a few plants in my conservatory are flowering all year round I guess they're forced because of the warm and lots of TLC. Anyone got any hints about when to prune the dying flower heads? Datora

I bought this plant at a craft fair 2 years ago in Naples FL. It was a foot tall with 2 branches and few leaves. I stuck it on the nort...Read Moreh side where it gets good light but no direct sun. It is now over 2 feet with several branches. Last week it went below freezing a couple of nights and the plant looks just fine. The Coleus next to it is dead. We live in a landscaped community that gets pest control and fertilizer quarterly and I have done nothing else to it. My plant has no pest damage anywhere. Since we are up north for the summer I only saw the last of the flowers when we returned the end of Sept. That was the first time it flowered so I am hopeful to see more before we leave this year.

our medinilla gave us bounteous blooms for the first time this year, after about four years of growth in a sheltered position. the bloom...Read Mores started in spring, and they persist on the plant, quite attractive still on sept 29. we have it in the ground, a raised bed lined with lava rocks, so the foliage and blooms are at eye level. it is underplanted with bromeliads and begonias, and requires little care, other than water in dry spells and some mealy bug control (spray with dilute simple green).

Got this plant on sale at one of the box stores and wasn't sure what to do with it, never having seen it before. But it was so pretty I j...Read Moreust had to get it.
I ended up planting it in a mostly shaded area under a couple of oaks. It gets somewhat regular water and spotty sun and hasn't stopped blooming. It seems to have been left alone by critters so far. I'll continue crossing my fingers. I imagine I'll have to cover it come winter.

This plant seems to be very easy to grow and flowers readily. The picture I submitted shows the flower buds emerging. I will add others a...Read Mores it progresses.

We live on the Kona side of the Big Island of Hawaii. The plant was in bloom when we bought it at Lowes about 4 years ago but has not bl...Read Moreoomed since. It grows agressively in mid-day sun near the ocean with shade in the morning and afternoon but will not flower.
Also, something is eating big holes out of the leaves that look like Japanese rose beetle bites but we have not found the culprit for sure.

Any ideas why it won't bloom?

I love this plant. I have searched long and hard for her. Thanks to joining DaveGarden I was finally able to find her.
She is gro...Read Morewing well with me in the basement. She loves grow lights and liquid compost. Since she love humidity I keep a special temperature gauge that tracks the highest temperature and humidity during the day vs at night. I find that 35-45% is a great balance to keep all my plants happy and growing. So far I have not had any problems with her. She did suffer a little transplant shock and dropped two leaves.

I live on the outermost Atlantic barrier island w/lots of salt air. I 've kept my beautiful Medinilla in a large pot snuggled in the co...Read Morerner of the east wall of my home, where it gets morning sun until noon. Normally, my plants are better insulated against our mercurial weather planted in the ground (ranges f/below freezing some winters to 98F), happy f/heat radiated off the wall in winter. It is blooming now, mid-June thru mid-July w/several blossoms. I moved it into garage f/3 hurricanes last summer, and although I don't keep many plants in pots, felt I'd protect this one f/nematodes. It seems to do well in open shade, but definitely post noon direct summer sun will cook it.

there MUST be something wrong with this plant because i cannot imagine why it hasn't gotten the attention its beauty deserves.
...Read More /> the one i bought today, the 'grapes' start off white and gradually darken through pink to purple. the foliage is extremely attractive.

occasionally it gets to way below 40 degrees here in bradenton, fl., so i guess i'll lose it shortly, but the pleasure it will give me until then will be worth it.

perhaps if i wrap it well?

anybody got any ideas?

We had a beautiful specimen of this plant in the property where we lived previously (same village). It reached huge proportions and when...Read More covered in blooms it was gorgeous. Locals call it Filipino Grape Hyacinth.