They can be quite touchy but as you know high humidity is best for them. They can grow as epiphytes, but again, when well watered and in high humidity. An orchid mix is the best medium. Faster draining with more frequent watering is better than slower draining soil with watering when the soil dries. They don't like strong sunlight but bright light is good. I have 3 of them which don't get the attention they'd like. They're still okay but don't like it during hot weather with low relative humidity.

Thanks Tropic for the advise and help...how hot do you guys get in the summer. I lived in the Philippines many, many years ago and I can't remember if its hotter here or there...we've had upper 90's here **sigh** its brutal. Do you think they can take a month or so of that type of heat or should I bring it inside the house for a month or so?

My problem is during our dry season, technically speaking that's winter (low sun). The summer is the wet season, hot and humid with regular rain. But during the dry season relative humidity can get quite low in the heat of the day. Like yesterday's maximum was just over 36C with RH bottoming out around 36%. This morning's minimum was 25C with 92% RH. Middle of the dry season maximums are generally around 33/34C with RH sometimes bottoming below 20%, a bit stressful for Medinillas. But those temperatures would still be quite okay if humidity was higher.

The Philippines are islands well off the Asian mainland so humidity is always high and proximity to the equator keeps temperatures up, day and night. And that's what Medinillas take as being perfect.

So I wouldn't worry about your high temperatures if your humidity is up, but keep it out of direct sun.

Thanks tropic...this plant is going to be a challenge,lol...

I have been eyeing these plants at a local nursery and going back and forth if I should take the plunge. I love the waterfall effect of the flowers. I would normally have no qualms about trying a new plant but these are pricey (at least at this particular place, but they are large and flowering) and have a reputation for being hard to grow, especially getting them to reflower. I live in upstate NY so I'm worried about humidity, I use a warm mist humidifier for my rex begonia collection I wonder if that would suffice.

That's the irony of growing these. In the tropics and suitably warm places they're grown outdoors where there's no control of the environment. The plants are subject to the vagaries of the weather. In colder climates people have glass houses or climate control rooms and are able to fine tune conditions for finicky plants. So if you have the room and are able to control the environment around the plant then it's worthwhile giving it a try even though there's always an element of risk. But don't "kill it with kindness". Soil needs to drain well and should never dry out. Bright light and not direct sun.

I lost 2 that were planted in the ground. 2 others I planted in hollow logs like epiphytes are still going okay. The last one I got about a year ago was quite large (200mm pot) and only cost $10. Couldn't pass it up because that's about the price for a small plant. It's still in the original pot, until next wet season when I really need to decide where it goes.

They are very pricey here...$45 for small non blooming plant and $65 for a larger blooming plant **sigh** so I totally get the reluctance on getting one only to kill it in a few months :o(

Tropicbreezent, thanks for the information, I really appreciate it, love this little helpful community.

Puglvr1, woah, I thought it was pricey on my end, these plants are large and in flower, they are priced at 29.99, but not knowing anything about them I didn't want to go ahead with it till doing a little research. My birthday is coming up, maybe I'll call it a present to myself! Lol of course the particular day I went to this nursery I think I picked out the two most expensive plants, the medina magnifica and a gorgeous Passion flower vine.

My apartment is absolutely brimming with all different kinds of plants and animals, lol, but I have the most tolerant of boyfriends who almost always laughs and tells me, at least it's a healthy hobby! Plus it's finally warm enough to bring most of my house plants outside, in which I am blessed with a huge wrap around front porch.

Went back yesterday, there was only two left, so naturally I talked myself into it, I actually ended up buying the one with no current flowers but it has the beginning of buds, the other plant had only two leavss and looked rough, whereas the one I bought looked perkier and has three sets of two leaves. The name of the place is Bristols Garden Center, in Victor, NY, I don't believe they do online ordering/shipping, but I'm not positive. Ohhh you Medinilla Myriantha is gorgeous!

Thanks April!!! Congrats on your new purchase :o)...Please update this thread if you do end up getting that prettylittle bud to bloom. Nice, healthy looking plant, I too would have passed on the one that already has a bloom for one that looked healthier and new growths/bud! If it was me I would repot and change the soil too...better to do it now before the bud is any bigger since the blooms can last months. Its best to get it in better draining soil as soon as possible...I hate that hard straight Peat mix most nurseries use. The mix you are planning on using is similar to what I'm going to use.

My small plant is suppose to be shipped tomorrow. Fingers crossed I get it by Friday? I plan on repotting it to a nice free draining mix right away too...

Good luck to us both!!

Nurseries often use peat because it saves on watering. But long term it's not so good. Good luck to you both.

Thanks Tropic, we will need it Lol...

My plant arrived a little while ago...its much larger than I was expecting! Always happy about that :o)...repotted it to an Orchid base potting mix. The plant has new growths and looks nice and healthy...we will see how long it stays that way,lol... Wish me luck!!

Orchid potting mix I used...

Looks like a good start.

Thanks Tropic, I've given it the best chance I know, the rest is up to the plant ,Lol...

So its been a little over 3 months and I wanted to update this post...mine seems to really like the homemade Orchid based potting mix I put together. Here is a picture I took yesterday...It's now in an 8 inch pot. I just hope it survives the winter, fingers crossed.

April, how is yours doing?

We live in Central Fl, an hour south of Orlando and purchased a Magnificum 2 Aprils ago from a greenhouse in Deland. The flowers that were on it lasted for over 6 months!! It rested a bit over the winter. I brought it inside a few nights when the temp was down near 40, but otherwise overwintered just fine on my lanai. Kept it fairly dry, which was tricky as the soil was very light and it wanted to topple over in the wind. Getting very top heavy and is heavily staked now. Started blooming again late May and now has at least a dozen flowers with more on the way. I have it on the east side of my screened lanai where it gets maybe 3-4 hrs of AM sun before the lanai posts shade it somewhat for the rest of the AM. Gets bright light only for the rest of the day. I only water when top of soil feels dry to touch, but water thoroughly when I do. Winter, I let it dry out a little more, but not enough that the leaves start shrivelling. I fertilize with Rapid-Gro for Tomatoes about 1/4 strength when the plant is actively growing. This has become one of my favorite plants out of over 100 pots on the lanai around the pool, and everyone comments on it. How often do you come across a plant that will keep a bloom for that many months?

Now I just have to find out how to propagate it, it is getting so large!!

I grew mine from cuttings from a friend.

Wow, thanks so much for all the great info gardenbear!! You have given me a lot of very useful advise :o), I really appreciate it. I live just an hour south of you. I plan on leaving mine in my screen porch where it does get a couple of hours of morning sun also. I'll bring it in the house when it dips around 40°. Its good to know it will be fine in my screened in porch till then, we don't get too many nights below that maybe 7-10 days so no big deal to bring it in...

Surprisingly enough, it was quite easy to propagate the magnifica ( believe me when I tell you I'm not that good at rooting cuttings,lol...) I used the small orchid bark mix with perlite and added just a little potting mix so the mix holds a little water without it being soggy...it took a while to root, maybe 4-6 weeks...I watered it once a week while rooting and after 6 or 8 weeks I checked the pot very carefully ( tipped it over) and it rooted! Mine was getting too tall and lanky that's why I took a couple of cuttings just to see if it will root for me and yay, it did!

I'm hoping mine will bloom next year...right now its putting out new growths...

Congrats on getting yours to bloom, Wow, 6 months!! That is truly amazing!!!

Steiconi, Best of luck with your cutting plant!!! Has yours bloomed also?

Puglvr1 - thanks for giving me hope in being able to take cuttings! What time of the year did you take them. I wonder if now is too late in the season for me to try. It's getting pretty big, in a 12 inch pot so I will need to do something with it by next spring, at least. So, if you are an hour south of us, would that put you in the Sebring/Lake Placid area? I am in Poinciana, between Winter Haven and Kissimmee.

I may try and take a photo of our plant if I can figure out how to upload it.

Hi gardenbear! Sorry for the late reply...I was out in Vegas and CA visiting family...totally missed the Hurricane ( thank goodness...no damage!!) just some pots toppled over and minor debris in the yard, could have been so much worse!!

I think you should be able to take cuttings now...we still have appx. 7 weeks of summer/fall type weather to go...I wouldn't wait any longer but if I were you I would take at least 2 or 3 cuttings and try it now...it should be rooted by the end of Nov...and if the weather was anything like last year, it will be very warm till end of Dec. I would only bring the cuttings inside at night if the temps dip below 70° just to keep the potting mix nice and warm at night for best rooting...

Then I would try a few more cuttings in mid March...I actually think fall and spring is the best time to take cuttings...I took mine in June but I used the fast draining Orchid mix that I concocted myself...my own little modified potting soil that seem to have done the trick, lol...

Good luck!!

Puglvr, mine is about 6 feet tall and has bloomed many times. I rooted it several years ago.

That's amazing steiconi, 6 feet tall!!!! Wow, I'm sure they do extremely well in Hawaii, you guys have the perfect conditions for this plant :o)

I've seen them in a local greenhouse about 6' and all around. Hard to imagine that growing in a tree in full bloom. I passed on expensive cuttings for sale.

There is a related hardier species sometimes grown outdoors in California-almost identical in foliage..but the blooms are small compared to M.magnifica.

As usual with tropical's,the more flamboyant the more ultra tropical.

Actually, conditions here are so perfect, they're considered an invasive plant and propagation is discouraged! I didn't know that when I started mine. Still love it.

That's pretty crazy Steiconi, invasive!! That's probably one of the few invasive plants I wouldn't mind :o)

Stan, maybe you're thinking of Medinilla 'myriantha'?

Mine is doing really well here planted in the ground, I planted it several months ago and its been blooming non-stop since a month after planting!

The blooms are almost as pretty as the 'magnifica' :o)

Just to update on my magnifica...I had 2 plants in smaller pots and decided to pot them together in a larger pot (14-15" I think)...it seems pretty healthy enough, I didn't want to have 2 separate pots of them and thought it would be easier on me to combine them.

Now I've got my fingers crossed it will bloom this spring or summer?

April and gardenbear...how are yours doing? Gardenbear, you live fairly close to me...I live about 1.5 hours south of Orlando so we should have similar climate :o)

Mine's in bloom now

Steiconi, yours is Medinilla 'myriantha'...I have one of those also and they've bloomed like crazy the last several months, its taking a little break now.

The picture (in the 15" pot) I posted above is Medinilla 'magnifica' and the blooms on those are suppose to be a lot more showy and have petals :o)...that's the one I'm hoping will come into bloom in a few months...

My Magnifica still has the last few flowers of the season... Pretty good blooming span since it started in May!

Isn't resting much this winter. Lot of new growth already. Warmer than usual

Puglvr1 saw your great pic of one in the ground. What kind of soil is it in? I think our soil might not have good enough drainage as it is very heavy.

Never did get brave enough to take cuttings last fall. Branches all seem to be at odd angles and not long enough to take without sacrificing entire branch.

Hi Gardenbear, I can't believe yours still has a few flowers, that's great! I really hope mine will bloom for me this year...

My 'myriantha' is planted in the ground and is doing very well. I have it in my mulched area...its mostly florida soil which I'm sure has mostly sand in it. I do add red mulch on those flower beds almost yearly...and it seems to thrive there so far. I just make sure the red mulch is several inches away from the trunk.

My cuttings I took rooted nicely...it took about 6-8 weeks to get nice roots and I added it to the same pot.