Scaphosepalum verrucosum
Scaphosepalum verrucosum is native to Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela and Guyana at altitudes of 1300 to 3500 meters and I have seen it described as a miniature and although the flowers are small, it grows into a very large plant over time. We have had our large plants with over a hundred flower spikes, and the species is constantly flowering and a froth of flowers surrounding the plant which grows in a basket. Each flower spike lasts three years and slowly gets longer and longer. The flowers themselves are well worth a close inspection – we particularly like the ‘fangs at the tip of the synsepal (fused lateral sepals) that happens to be at the top of these non-resupinate (upside down) flowers.
We have had the species since 1999 and it has been in flower every day since – 25 years without a break in flowering is not bad. This parent plant won an RHS Cultural Certificate at the London Show in 2016 and these divisions for sale are from this plant.
It enjoys being watered well and doesn’t seem to enjoy hot summers which usually result in a bit of leaf drop. It looks its best in the spring with this winters fresh green growth and a fresh crop of flower spikes just starting to flower.
At the nursery we grow this species in baskets, mounted, and in pots, in our Cloud Forest Greenhouse (min 12C) When kept cool and damp rewards us with vigorous growth and its continuous flowering.