Extremely rare - Beautiful Impatiens cinnabarina - Unusual tuberous species

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Extremely rare - Beautiful Impatiens cinnabarina - Unusual tuberous species:
$46.00

Here\'s another gem that you probably haven\'t seen before. Impatiens cinnabarina is a terrific, rare species found in only one spot on Earth - a tiny section of rainforest in Tanzania, in east Africa. It is unusual for several reasons, including the fact that it forms underground tubers. It also has outstanding foliage! Its thick, ribbed leaves have a silky sheen that makes them look like dark-green satin. They create a great backdrop for the luminous blooms, which appear all year. Their color is a divine shade of peachy-orange that is difficult to capture in photos. This is a first-rate plant that deserves to become very popular. I don\'t know anyone else currently offering it.

Impatiens cinnabarina is a perennial species that forms small, potato-shaped tubers. The tubers help the plant survive during the dry season in Africa, allowing it to grow where other Impatiens can\'t. The plant grows 2 to 3 feet tall, with upright, rigid branches that become almost woody with age. The paddle-shaped leaves are 2 to 4 incheslong and can range in color from olive-green to a deep forest green. Their satiny sheen looks great from all angles. The flowers appear almost non-stop all year for me! The 1½ inch blooms emerge from the tops of the branches in clusters of 3 to 5, opening one or two at a time. When the flowers are in the male stage, they release bright purple pollen, which coats the leaves with purple dust! This is a true species, not a cultivated hybrid. It may be cross-bred with a few other Impatiens species to create new and unique varieties!

Impatiens cinnabarina grows in rainforests at about 1000 feet elevation. Temperatures there get in the low 80s (28 degrees C) during the day, and down to 60 degrees F (15C)at night. The plant is untested in warmer climates, but my guess is it should do well wherever the common Impatiens walleriana is grown, since they come from similar areas. It can handle temperatures in the 40s (6 degrees C), but will start to lose its leaves. The tubers might be able to survive some frost, but i recommend growing the plant above 50 degrees F (10C).

It is easy to grow indoors. Give it a well-draining soil mix, such as 2 parts potting soil to 1 part perlite or coarse sand. Like most Impatiens, it likes bright shade or filtered sun, although it is reported to grow in considerable sun in the wild. It prefers moist soil and regular feeding, just like other Impatiens. Over about 40% humidity is recommended.

The rigid, wood-like stems

This sale is for 5 seeds, which were harvested today. The germination rate with fresh seeds is high when following the tips on my website - Promptly sent in a padded envelope. A tracking number is available if you are in the U.S. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Save on shipping when you win one of my other items (request a combined invoice to receive discounted shipping). Not all plants can receive discounted shipping. Please contact me with any questions.

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Strange Wonderful Things is your source for exotic, hard-to-find plants that bring the excitement back into gardening! Most of the plants in my collection are rarely seen in nurseries, and a few are sold nowhere else on the internet. I am a low-volume grower and don\'t produce many plants, so if you see something you like, please offer early! I personally answer all emails, and provide free \"technical support\" through my website. - Good growing! - Jeff

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