The magnificent medinilla is a little-known plant, but with a spectacular image, which stands out for its large bright green leaves and its impressive inflorescences, a showy pink. It tends to be grown as an indoor plant due to its needs, which are somewhat demanding, but are within the reach of anyone who takes the trouble to get to know them and dedicate a little time to them.
If you want to learn what are the Magnificent Medinilla carekeep reading us in this EcologíaVerde article.
Characteristics of the magnificent Medinilla
These are the main characteristics of the magnificent Medinilla:
- The magnificent Medinilla belongs to the genus Medinilla, of the Malastomataceae family, which is made up of tropical plants native to Sumatra, the Philippines, Java and Madagascar.
- The Magnificent is a shrub specieswhich in its natural environment can grow to over 2 meters in height, although when grown in pots it maintains a much more controlled size, 1 meter at most.
- Its leaves arise from woody stems, are oval and leathery, with very marked white or light green veins, and can measure up to 30 cm.
- In the warm months, flowering takes place in clusters terminals of bright pink and redwith large and very showy bracts protecting the small flowers.
- Magnificent Medinilla is the best known of its kind for home cultivation, although it still remains largely unknown to many enthusiasts.
Location and climate for the magnificent Medinilla
What tropical plant that is, the magnificent Medinilla is usually grown indoors, as it needs temperatures and surroundings similar to those of its original habitat. Unless you live in a tropical climate, without cold winters or very hot and dry summers, the best thing to do is to keep it indoors, where the temperature tends to be between 20 and 22ºC throughout the year, precisely what the plant needs.
These temperature requirements are especially important and stringent during spring and early summer as this is when the medinilla flowers and if the temperature is too high or too low it will interrupt its bloom. The plant does not tolerate temperatures below 15ºC at all, so if necessary, a small greenhouse or suitable place will have to be enabled.
As for its light needs, like most tropical plants, it is used to growing under the tree canopy, so it needs very bright locations but always without direct incidence of sunlight. If it receives direct sunlight, it is most likely that its leaves and flowers will burn quickly, which could threaten the life of the plant if the situation continues. Nor should it be exposed to drafts or air conditioners such as radiators, air conditioners or the like, as they can also dry out the magnificent Medinilla.
As you can see, finding a location for the medinilla is surely the most complicated of its care. If you pay attention to everything that has been mentioned here, you already have practically all the work done.
Irrigation of the magnificent Medinilla
The medinilla needs a certain degree of humidity constantly in its substrate. This means that watering should be frequent, but never too abundant. If you waterlog the plant from overwatering, you run the risk of root rot, and this is a much more difficult problem to deal with than a lack of watering.
Use a finger or a small stick and carefully stick it into the soil: if there is stuck soil it means that the soil is still wet and you don’t need to water again yet, but if it comes out clean beyond the surface, the plant needs water. Always water with distilled or low-mineralized water and at room temperature, not cold. If you can’t use more than the tap waterleave her stand for 24 hours before watering with it, and do not pour the grounds.
It is also necessary that the magnificent Medinilla be located in a pot with drainage holes and, if you put a plate under it, remove the excess water about 10 minutes after watering. You can also place a plate of water and some large stones or pebbles in it, protruding above the surface. Place the pot on top and in this way it will not be in direct contact with the water but will benefit from the humidity that it causes when it evaporates naturally.
Find out more tips on when to water plants here.
Substrate for the magnificent Medinilla
The most important thing here is that the substrate offers a drainage as best as possible. You can be sure if you use the universal seed mix that we usually recommend: mix peat, earthworm humus and coconut fiber in equal parts, and add a handful of vermiculite and another of perlite. You will obtain a very nutritious, light and airy mixture, with excellent drainage.
Add some more earthworm humus or compost in the warm months, once a month, and your plant will not need anything else. Here you can learn how to make homemade compost.
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