Chironia

(Chiro'nia)

DESCRIPTION: These are tender, herbaceous or shrubby plants found in South Africa. They have slender, ribbed leaves and they produce an abundance of small pink or rosy-purple flowers that are tubular at the base and opened widely at the top. The five stamens are attached to the throat of the tube and bend downwards. Chironias are great for growing outside in mild climates that are frost-free. In harsh climates, they can be grown outside for the summer and brought inside during the winter.

POTTING: They need a minimum winter temperature of 45 degrees. They should be potted in equal parts of peat moss and loam with a generous amount of sand added. Repotting should be done as soon as new growth begins in the spring. The plants are taken out of their pots and some of the old soil is shaken free. They are then repotted in fresh compost. Prune the shrubby kinds lightly once the flowers have died. Water carefully, especially in the winter.

PROPAGATION: In the spring, cuttings can be inserted in sand and kept under a bell jar until they've formed roots. Seeds may also be sown in spring or early summer in a warm greenhouse.

VARIETIES: C. floribunda; C. linoides (ixifera); C. peduncularis. (All of these have pink flowers and bloom for a long time in the summer.)

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