Achimenes mexicana

Achimenes mexicana is a beautiful and easy member of the Gesneriad family that grows from curious elongated scaly rhizomes and is active during the spring and summer followed by a dormancy during winter. It has gorgeous blue-purple flowers with a white throat. They are funnel-shaped and the colour is quite hard to capture photographically as in different lights they appear to oscillate between purple-blue and blue-purple. 

Achimenes mexicana is tender in the UK and needs to be kept indoors in an indirectly lit space. They can be kept outdoors during the summer in the shade but in all cases they must be well watered and not allowed to dry out. In autumn the foliage starts to die down for their dormancy and they should be kept dryish in their pots for the following season. They are ideal on a tabletop or in hanging containers but extra care needs to be taken if in hanging containers to ensure they stay moist. A regular feed with potassium-rich liquid fertiliser (tomato food) does wonders.