From the rain forests of Queensland, Australia comes the beautiful Paphia meiniana - also known as Agapetes meiniana.  This unusual blueberry relative makes showy clusters of pinkish-red blossoms, which are followed by purple berries.  A nice picture of the blooms is here.  This is really nice collector's plant that is rarely seen in cultivation.  I don't know anyone in the U.S. offering it.

Paphia meiniana is an evergreen shrub found as an epiphyte on trees and also in the ground, with branches that wander several feet in all directions.  The plant looks great in a hanging planter or when grown along a trellis.  Its thick, glossy leaves are fantastic, with new growth that's reddish and lime green.  The tubular flowers appear from spring through autumn.  They are 1½ inches long and are glossy with a waxy texture.  They tend to appear in small clusters from the newer growth.  The purple fruit that follows is probably edible, but i'm not certain.  The plant is closely related to Agapetes, and it was recently moved from that genus to Paphia.

It comes from higher elevations in Queensland, where days are usually between 70 degrees and the upper 80s (21-31°C) and nights are between 55 and 70 degrees (13-21°C).  It can tolerate cooler conditions and probably even a few degrees of frost, but i recommend protecting it from freezing temperatures.  It likes a few hours of sun, but it might need some protection from hot afternoon sun.  It likes well-draining soil of relatively low fertility.  A typical mix is 1 part potting soil to 1 part perlite or coarse sand.  Keep the mix evenly moist for this rain forest plant.  Over about 50% humidity is best.  In the right conditions, it is easy to grow.

Check availability