Chorizema

(Chori'zema)

DESCRIPTION: These shrubby plants are natives of Australia. They provide an abundance of pea-shaped flowers on terminal spikes in early summer. The colors may be red and purple, orange-red or orange-purple, depending on the type. Their thin, woody stems are clothed with small leaves resembling holly.

POTTING: Chorizemas may be planted outside in warm climates in positions that provide plenty of sun exposure. They are great for the greenhouse. When grown there, they need a minimum winter temperature of 45 degrees. They should be potted in a soil mixture of four parts peat and one part loam; quite a bit of sand should be mixed in. When the flowers have died, the shoots need to be pruned to one-third. Place the plants in a greenhouse having a 55- to 60-degree temperature. Sprits them regularly to induce the growth of new shoots. When this happens, they should be repotted in slightly larger pots. The soil should be firmed with a potting stick. When growth is done for the season, they are set outside and returned to the greenhouse in October. These plants may also be trained to pillars in the greenhouse. They are planted in a prepared bed and the shoots are allowed to grow without pruning. Only the side shoots are cut back to two or three buds after flowering.

PROPAGATION: In the spring, seeds can be sown in pots of sandy peat and set in a greenhouse having a temperature of 55 degrees. Cuttings can also be made from half-ripened shoots in the summer. Remove them with a "heel" (piece of the old branch) and place under a bell jar until rooted.

VARIETIES: C. cordatum; C. ilicifolium; C. varium. (The latter two flower in May.)

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