Fire Flash, Chlorophytum amaniense or Chlorophytum orchidantheroides, C. orchidastrum, C. filipendulum amaniense Chlorophytum orchidastrum, Chlorophytum filipendulum,
Family: Anthericaceae, Liliaceae or Agavaceae
(Also known as a Mandarin Plant, Fire Glory, Orange Spider Plant, Green Orange Tangerine and Sierra Leone Lily.)
Introduced to the Americas not much more than a decade ago, this perennial foliage plant - native to the rainforests of East Africa in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania - is fast becoming a favorite for both indoor and outdoor use. But take note: It does require substantive shade. (In point of fact, I’ve moved mine three times, before finally finding a location that seems to suit its fickle nature!) So new is it to this side of the Atlantic that – as seen above – there is significant confusion as to its Latin name, family and even the name by which it is commonly called. In fact, few of the presently published books on landscape plants include this gem in their texts. (By the way, to find a publication that meets your specific needs, through reviews - and to order – any of numerous tropical botanic publications via Amazon, go to “A review of tropical plant, palm and flower books”, under the sub-tab of “Tropical Gardening Advice”, below the major heading of “Tropical Gardens” on our web site: www.olabrisagardens.com) We do know that the Fire Flash is a colorful relative to the Spider Plant and, while it forms no runners, it seeds itself most prolifically. If you choose to plant these seeds don’t be worried if only a few sprout as they, generally, have a very low germination rate.
Transplanted barely a month ago, these finally have found a home they like in our gardens!
Regardless of the confusion as to where it fits in the plant world and its best moniker, it is an intriguing plant. It has a shiny rosette of dark green pointed leaves and a heart of glowing pink to coral orange from the base of the leaf up through the petioles (that’s the stem connecting the leaf to the stalk) and leaf midribs. These leaves, 25-30 cm long (app. 10”) and 5-10 cm wide (2-4”), are rubbery yet brittle. (For the brightest colors, remove basal sprouts, as they appear, to avoid crowding which can hide the colored growth.) There are a few “down sides” to this plant. One is that the petioles are brittle and can be broken easily. As a result of this, they are not good plants for high-traffic areas. Beyond that, the old flower stalks go black and become unsightly, requiring removal. Lastly, any leaf tear or petiole break will develop black marks around the injury.
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