Medinilla magnifica or Showy medinilla

Care of the indoor plant Medinilla magnifica or Showy medinilla

The genus Medinilla, family Melastomataceae, includes 400 species of flowering plants native to Africa, Madagascar, the Pacific Islands, and Southeast Asia. Some species are: Medinilla magnifica, Medinilla cumingii, Medinilla sedifolia, Medinilla waterhousei, Medinilla myriantha.

Common names: Showy medinilla, Rose grape. This species is native to the Philippine Islands.

They are tropical evergreen shrubs with an elegant bearing that reach 1 meter (3.28 feet) in height in a pot. The large oval leaves are glossy dark green with marked white veins. The spectacular hanging floriferous stems feature pink bracts and small purple or pink flowers. They bloom in summer.

These delicate plants are not easy to grow and are used as greenhouse and indoor plants.

Medinilla magnifica needs exposure to full sun or dimmed light. In spring and summer the temperature should be 24-27 ºC (75-80 ºF), in autumn 20-22 ºC (68-71 ºF) and in winter it should not be lower than 15 ºC (59 ºF).

The soil can be a mixture of garden soil, peat, coarse sand, and leaf mulch. Transplant every 2 years in winter and renew the substrate.

Water regularly with lime-free water so that the substrate never dries out; It's advisable to wait for the surface of the substrate to dry. The humidity must be high; periodically spray the leaves with lime-free water but without wetting the flowers.

Fertilize every 15 days in spring and summer with mineral fertilizer for indoor plants.

They do not need pruning.

Low environmental humidity favors the appearance of mites. They are sensitive to overwatering, cold, drafts, and insufficient light.

They are propagated by cuttings of young shoots planted in a sandy substrate with peat at 25-30 ºC (77-86 ºF); use rooting hormones.