Showy Melastome Medinilla Magnifica and Medinilla cummingii

What a beauty! One of my overseas gardenfriends emailed me those pic's. This plants for me shows definatetely a "need to have" symptom.

Medinillas are very beautiful plants but unfortunately a nasty pest in the tropics. Tropical evergreen epiphytic shrub grown for its lush foliage and huge panicles of pink flowers.

Use a GOOD rich potting soil (a soil that retains water yet drains well), such as an African violet mix. Use a pot with a hole.

Watering: Keep the soil barely moist and if you use rainwater, be careful as it could be acidic. Use warm water.

Fertilizer: Feed every two weeks during the spring and summer with a water soluble fertilizer diluted by half.

Propagation: Stem cuttings with bottom heat in the spring through summer. It is best to propagate any type of cuttings in a mixture of moist peat and perlite. Cover the pot and plant with a plastic bag secured by a rubber band to prevent the moisture from escaping. Place in indirect sunlight or under a fluorescent light. Repot in its regular mix after it has been growing for a while.

Mist frequently with warm water (lime free to avoid leaf staining) and avoid drafts. Place pebbles or gravel in the drainage dish to hold water and increase the humidity, make sure the pot is sitting on the gravel and not in the water. Should be pruned after flowering and repotted every spring. Needs sufficient light to bloom.

US Source for Medinilla seeds