Achimenes

Plants of the genus Achimenes (Cupid's bower, magic flower, nut orchid) can produce a spectacular combination of foliage and flowers in spring and summer. All forms de­velop a root system which grows from a number of small rhizomes (about i inch long and \ inch thick), each of which sends up a single stem that carries opposite pairs of heart-shaped leaves on short stalks. An achi­menes normally produces several such stems. The leaves are generally dark green, velvety, and tooth-edged. Flowers, which appear on short stalks from the leaf axils, consist of a narrow tube flaring out into five broad lobes. Each flower lasts for only a few days, but the flowering period is extensive. Length of stems and size of leaves and flowers vary widely. Stems may be as short as 3 inches or as tall as 30 or more inches. The taller species tend to sprawl. Thus, some forms of achim­enes are useful for planting in hanging baskets. After the flowering season the leaves begin to shrivel. When they have dried out, cut off the stems just above the surface of the potting mix­ture, and lay the dormant plant aside in its container till spring.

RECOMMENDED ACHIMENESES

A. erecta (also known as A. coccinea) has trailing, hairy, green-to-reddish stems up to 18 inches long. The leaves, which are 1-2 inches long and 3-1 inch wide, are dark green on the upper surface; the underside is pale green or red. Bright red flowers have J-inch-long tubes and are f inch wide.

A. grandijiora has hairy, upright, green or red stems 12-18 inches tall. The leaves are hairy and rough, sim­ilar in color to those of A. erecta, and notably large—up to 6 inches long and 3 inches wide. Flowers are deep reddish purple, with a white throat, and they can be 11 inches long and ij inches wide. A. grandiflora is one parent of the popular hybrid A. 'Purple King.'

A. longiflora has trailing stems about 24 inches long, and its markedly sawtooth-edged leaves are up to 1 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. The flowers are blue, with a white throat, and up to 2 inches long and 3 inches across the mouth. There is also a white-flowered form,  alba. And  alba is one of the parents of a hybrid, A. 'Ambroise Verschaffelt,' which has white flowers with purple lines running into the throat.

There are many hybrid forms of achimenes. Among several with reasonably short stems (6-12 inches high) and flowers that bloom close together, providing a mass of color: A. 'Tarantella,' with salmon pink flowers; A. 'Minuet,' with deep pink flowers; A. 'Fritz Michelssen' and A. 'Valse Bleu,' both with blue.

PROPER CARE

Light An actively growing achi­menes does best in bright light but should never be subjected to the mid­day sun. During the long period of dormancy light is not a consideration. Temperature During the active growth period, these plants thrive in temperatures ranging from about 60°

to 8o°F. They tolerate temperatures as low as 55⁰, but they cannot stand temperatures above 8o°. If high heat persists for more than a day or two, buds will turn brown and fail to open. Dormant rhizomes may be stored in any cool spot, but they will not survive frost.

Watering Correct watering is es­pecially important for the successful blooming of these plants. As soon as the rhizomes start into growth in early spring, begin to water plentifully, as much as necessary to keep the potting mixture thoroughly moist. If the mix­ture is allowed to dry out even for a short period, the plant is likely to return to dormancy. Increase fre­quency of waterings when plants .are in flower, but limit the amounts; never let a flowering achimenes stand in water. After the flowering period, gradually reduce the quantity, and do not water at all during dormancy. Feeding During the early weeks of the active growth period use a nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer to en­courage leafy growth. As buds form, change to a fertilizer that contains more phosphate and potash than nit­rogen. Apply a one-eighth-strength dose of fertilizer at every watering until the flowering period has ended. Potting and repotting Use an equal-parts mixture of peat moss, coarse sand or perlite, and vermiculite. To reduce acidity, add three or four tablespoonfuls of dolomite lime, lime chips, or crushed eggshells to four cups of mixture.

In early spring the clumps of newly sprouting rhizomes should be care­fully shaken out of the previous year's potting mixture and, if desired, sep­arated (they pull apart easily). Single rhizomes will soon form larger root systems if placed horizontally \ inch below the surface in shallow pots of fresh mixture. Plant three or four rhizomes in a 4-inch pot. For a hanging basket at least a dozen rhizomes are required. The potting mixture should not be packed down firmly. Over-firm packing causes waterlogging. Propagation New plants are cus­tomarily grown from detached rhi­zomes, but an achimenes can also be propagated from a 3-inch tip cutting taken in early summer. A cutting will root easily in the recommended pot­ting mixture if kept at normal room temperature in bright filtered light and watered plentifully.