Odontonema schomburgkianum

RHS Plant Profile

Schomburgk's fountain plant

Christopher Whitehouse

Conservatory Greenhouse Shrubs

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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

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 1-1.5 metres
Max Height: 1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

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

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

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