That is how a writer at Southern Exposure Seed Exchange described "Jewels of Opar," Talinum paniculatum, also known as "fame flower" and "pink baby's-breath". The blossoms certainly bring jewels to mind: they are a deep carmine-pink, less than 3/8 inch across (.8 cm or less), and carried on panicles so delicate that the slightest breeze makes them dance in the air! 😊
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| This picture doesn't do the blossom color full justice, but it's about the best my small camera can do. The strand of spider silk in the picture was left when I removed a small web. |
Talinum paniculatum is a member of the purslane family, Portulacaceae; it is native from the Gulf states of the USA well into South America. Sources I checked differed widely in regard to its cold-hardiness, giving minimum survivable temperatures from 35° to 20° F. (I'm going to keep mine with my serissas in winter.) The plant is apparently tough, tolerating heat and fairly dry soil. The leaves are said to be a good substitute for spinach, especially since they don't wilt in hot weather.
Darlene Kittle, current president of the Fort Wayne Bonsai Club, gave me a seedling after the club's Fall Show last September. (She had sold several and didn't want to take the last one home.) I have it in a small pot for now, but it will need a larger one sooner or later; the species grows to 18-24 inches (45-60 cm).
Here's a picture taken a few days after I got it and after I potted it up.
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| Talinum paniculatum, September 27, 2016. |
When Darlene gave me this plant, I thought the yellow-bronze globes were the flowers. Now I'm sure they are seed pods. (You can see one peeking out from behind and below the blossoms in my first picture.) That conclusion is supported by the seedlings that can be seen coming up in the substrate in the next picture, taken nine months later. (Five days ago.)
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| "Jewels of Opar" with new growth, a new panicle developing, and babies around the base! |
:-) :-) :-)
just out of curiosity, where do you over winter your serrisas?
ReplyDeleteI'm in USDA Zone 5a, for background info. The house we recently moved out of has an unheated south-facing mudroom. Observation showed that the temp there was always at least 10 degrees above the temp outside, which let me forecast how cold it would get in there on any given nite. If the temp could be expected to fall below 26º F, I'd move them to a warmer spot for that nite. There were large windows, so if the trees woke up a little bit on a mild day, they'd get light.
DeleteEssential points: I don't let them take temps below 26º, and try to be sure they have at least a little light on mild days.