I love iochromas and have a number of varieties. First off they don't grow dormant like brugs. They can also bloom continuously throughout the year and not in flushes like brugs. Mine are container grown and brought in over the winter. I cut them back when necessary. I don't feed or water them as much as the brugs either. They are fed about once a month during the growing season and watered when they look limp. lol Most of my iochromas can take full sun but my reds need afternoon protection. All in all they are easy plants to care for. The only problem I have is getting cuttings to grow. I have a MUCH lower success rate with rooting, in water or soil. Even when they have rooted and seem to be growing well they just die on me after a couple months for unknown reasons. I do have very good results growing them from seed. I have a problem with those little black eggplant beetles eating pinhole size holes in the foliage and I've also had to fight scale on occasion, neither of those pests affect my brugs. I pruned a number of my iochromas last week and have about 40 cuttings. If I'm lucky I'll get roots on 5 of them
Karyn
Hi Karyn, I knew you would come to my rescue! I did a search & you were in every post.Your Iochromas are beautiful by the way. When do they start to bloom. I've heard they're almost non-stop bloomers.
Thanks. I really think they have a beautiful bloom but not many people seem to grow them. I bought mature plants and most were already in bloom or bloomed shortly thereafter. My seedlings are getting big and some are over 5' tall and two years old but they haven't bloomed yet. I'm not sure why or if they need to be a certain age before they start to flower. I'm going to increase feedings next season with a bloom booster and see if that gets them started. My older plants do bloom most of the year, even while they are inside. I have seeds from a wine pod parent, pollinating plant is unknown, if you'd like to try some.
Karyn
Karyn, you know I would love to try it ,thanks. I just looked at my little 12" rooted iochroma & it's all wilted! I had to repot it when I got it yesterday.I sure hope it makes it!
I got 2 rooted ones in trade.I already have them in GH & they are releafing out nicely.Ones sky blue& the other scarlet.I've admired them for 7 years.My seeds have still not sprouted...but I keep watering them.
Purple Bells.....That would be cyaneum ‘Royal Blue’. I don't know what to tell you about your baby, Theresa, but be careful not to overwater it. With little foliage, it won't need much moisture. I let mine go dormant in a frost free area over the winter and I do mean dormant. LOL! They looked like dead shrubs. They came back each spring with the only problem being that they got to big and I got rid of them. I needed the winter space for brugs anyway.
Theresa, I will be happy to root you another one. So do not worry. As far is the bulb, my dog got hold of the plant as I was trying to get your pkg finished. It is the alocasia macrorhiza variegata. I just stuck it in the pot so it would not get lost. It was to dark to go and get another one. I am sorry you did not get my email explaining. Cindy
I hope you plant gets better. I am scared to google Iochromas or I will be on another plant hunt I'm sure, lol. Its useless to look for anything unusual around here. The local nurseries totally lack imagination so if it isn't extremely common you won't find it anyway.
I grew Acnistus australis from seed and for 2 years wintered it over in the GH along with my brugs in a semi dormant state too. I cut it back hard to bring it in, leaving only about 8" on each branch. It grew new sprouts and flowered before I had it outdoors again in the spring. It was in 50F temps and watered like the Brugs. The third fall I gave it away as it was just too darn big.
Ruth Ann I also cut many of my iochromas back but even if I keep them in relatively cool temps they continue to grow and usually bloom. I tried to allow some to go dormant the way I do with plumies and brugs (dark & cool) but they died so I always keep them going now.
Karyn
I heard a rumor that they may have reclassed this plant, but don't know... When I was living in the coastal PNW we had pretty good luck with overwintering established plants in the ground in a sheltered location. But it seems to act a little different than the other iochromas, I think its definitely the hardiest species. Unfortunately, the last ones I had got frozen in there pots while I was away for a couple of days last winter. Darn fluke frosts anyway. But they were beautiful, I had the lavender & white forms.
Good luck with the little one, Theresa, & happy gardening everyone.
I had to repot it when I got it yesterday.I sure hope it makes it!
