Talk about showy!  Bomarea is an exciting, rare tropical from the mountains of South America.  A member of the Lily family and related to Alstroemerias, you can think of it as a vining Alstroemeria - but even more beautiful.  This dramatic "Orange Sunset" form is an undetermined species from Ecuador.  All throughout the year it puts on a fireworks show of clustered flowers that are orange-red on the outside, and speckled orange inside.

The Orange Sunset Bomarea is a tuber-forming perennial with twining shoots that reach 10-15 feet long.  The slender foliage looks attractive even without flowers.  The flower clusters appear in large numbers most months of the year.  Each cluster is 5 to 10" across and has 10 to 40 flowers.  The plant sometimes goes dormant or semi-dormant for the winter months, and then resumes growth in the spring.

Bomarea prefers moderate temperatures and cool nights.  It may not perform well in hot areas, especially where nights are warm.  If you're going to try it in an area that regularly gets over 85 degrees, give it plenty of afternoon shade and don't plant it near a wall where heat can accumulate.  It is root-hardy in Zone 8, although the foliage may die back from freezing temps.  You can grow it in a container and move it to a greenhouse or sunroom over the winter.  Bomarea grows in the rainforest understory, where it enjoys tree-filtered sunlight.  Give it some protection from strong afternoon sun.  It should have something to climb on, like a bush, trellis, etc.  It enjoys rich, moist, well-draining soil.  

Fresh, non-dried Bomarea seeds are rarely seen for sale, but they have a much better germination rate than stored seeds.

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For detailed growing tips about this plant, click here.