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Botanical name: Talinum paniculatum ‘Variegatum’
Small pinkish-red flowers on wiry stems followed by berries provide dazzling color over ivory-margined fleshy leaves; often treated as an annual as this plant originates in the Carribean.
Other names: Variegated Fameflower
| Hardiness zone | 7b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | pink |
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | over mound |
| Mature height | 12 inches (18 inches with the flowers) |
| Spread | 18 inches |
| Light requirements | full sun |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Jewel Of Opar's attractive succulent oval leaves remain grayish green in color with distinctive white edges throughout the season. It features delicate racemes of pink flowers rising above the foliage in mid summer, which emerge from distinctive hot pink flower buds. The fruit is not ornamentally significant. The brick red stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.
Jewel Of Opar is an herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Jewel Of Opar is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Rock/Alpine Gardens, Border Edging, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Jewel Of Opar will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 18 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 15 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 3 years.
This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
Jewel Of Opar is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
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