There's a story behind Deppea splendens.  In 1973, botanist Dennis Breedlove discovered this eye-catching plant while trekking through the mountains of southern Mexico.  It was a beautiful member of the coffee family, with rich, warm colors that almost seemed to glow.  The plants were found nowhere else except a single location in the Mexican hills.  When Breedlove returned to the site in 1986, the plants were gone - a victim of farmland development.  The species is now believed to be extinct in the wild.  Fortunately, Breedlove had saved some seeds of Deppea and grew them.  Any existing plants of this species originated from those seeds.  This is one of the rarest plants in cultivation today.

Deppea splendens is an evergreen bush that grows about 6 to 10 feet tall (potentially double that in the wild).  The leaves grow in whorls of 3 and have an interesting, ribbed texture to them.  The plant flowers from fall through spring here in San Francisco and is a heavy bloomer.  The 2½" blooms are mango or apricot in color, with a burgundy or wine-red calyx.  The tips of the petals are sunset orange before they recurve gracefully.  Each flower - and the entire cluster - is suspended by a long, wiry stem.  It's amazing how such a thin strand can hold the flower bunches.  This is a very elegant and beautiful species, and not simply a "collector's plant."

Deppea needs frost-free conditions.  I don't know if it can survive more than a degree or two of frost.  It comes from cool cloudforests, so it prefers moderate temperatures, moist soil, and some protection from strong afternoon sun.  I don't think it will thrive in very hot climates, especially if nights are warm.  It grows well in a pot and can be grown indoors if the air isn't too dry.  If you can provide the right conditions, you'll find it is easy to grow.  Complete growing tips for it are here.

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