Entry No. 216, Petrocosmea forrestii, exhibited by LaDonna Hopson.
Commentary by Aarti Shah.
Look at that symmetry! It's like a perfect fibbonacci sequence. For me, that perfect spiral is what it's all about. This was the plant that got me hooked. One year I went to the National Capitol Area Chapter of the Generiad Society's show at the Arboretum on a bit of a whim. I was going through the exhibits and came across a beautifully formed Petrocosmea forrestii just like this one. I think my jaw literally dropped. To me, the perfect geometric spiral of the leaves seemed (and still seems) almost too perfect to be true. So, I was hooked and joined the chapter.
Over the years, I've tried a number of times to grow a plant this lovely, but haven't yet succeeded. I tell people that I think it has to do with my tendency to keep my home at a toasty 76 degrees or so (which is warmer than Petrocosmeas like, I think) though I suspect the real cause is my tendency to overwater. Oddly, my most successful try was also my first one. The first P. forrestii plant I ever had grew quite well for months, forming a gorgeous flat rosette about 2.5 inches wide. Then it put on the most stunning flush of bloom--at one point I counted over 70 flowers open on the plant at the same time. After that amazing flush the plant went into a slow decline and never recovered. Ah well, I'll keep trying.
Aarti
[Editor's note: for more on Petrocosmea, check out this post, as well as Tim's blog, A Passion for Petrocosmea.]
