| Description | Thread Flower (Nematanthus corticola) A pendulous plant native to Brazil. Inflated orange-red flowers are borne on long purple flowers stalks (pedicels). |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | Indoor Flowering Plants, Perennial Tender, Tropical herbaceous plants |
| Hardiness Zone | probably 10, determined by looking at a hardiness zone map of Brazil, never seen it actually listed |
| Sunlight | bright |
| Moisture | average, moist, will tolerate house humidity but prefers higher rates |
| Growing Media | well-draining soilless mix |
| Temperature | warm |
| Flowers | found at the apex of long wine colored flower stalks (pedicles) that can reach 8 inches, originating from the axil of the leaves, wine-colored calyx, has periods of bloom |
| Leaves | simple, opposite thick and fleshy |
| Stems | trailing pendent |
| Dimensions | grows as a trailing or pendulous plant |
| Propagation | cutting, seeds |
| Native Site | Montane forests of southeastern Brazil usually growing as an epiphyte. Have also seen it listed as a subshrub. |
| Misc Facts | The genus was first created in the 1820s. The etymology of the name comes from the Greek nema, meaning “thread or hair” and anthos, meaning “flower.” The name refers to the thin pedicels of the hanging blossoms on many species, especially the type species Nematanthus corticola. |
| Author's Notes | Although I have never grown this particular Nematanthus I have grown others. The inflated flowers are unusual and will create horticultural conversations. |
| Notes & Reference | Flora do Brasil 2020 web site, Curtis Botanical Magazine, |
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