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Conservatory GreenhouseShrubs

Odontonema schomburgkianum

Schomburgk's fountain plant

A shrubby, upright plant with oblong-lanceolate leaves to 20cm long. Long, red, tubular flowers, to 4cm long, are borne in drooping racemes, primarily in winter

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Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1B

Botanical details

Family: Acanthaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Odontonema are erect tropical perennials or shrubs with opposite, entire leaves, often large. Flowers are clustered in the axils of bracts, forming a plume-shaped flowerhead.
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Colombia

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in peat-free John Innes No 3 compost in bright filtered light. Between spring and autumn, water moderately and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser once a month. Water sparingly in winter and top dress or repot in spring

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings with bottom heat in late spring or early summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Patio and container plants
Sub-tropical

Pruning

Pruning group 8

Pests

Glasshouse whitefly may be a problem

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

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