Showy Medinilla (Medinilla magnifica): The Philippine Orchid Tree

Medinilla magnifica, the Showy Medinilla or Philippine Orchid, is an epiphytic shrub renowned for its spectacular, pendulous panicles of pink bracts and small pink flowers, dangling like chandeliers from the branches. It's a prized conservatory and tropical garden plant.

Botanical Profile

Growing Showy Medinilla

Native to the Philippines, this evergreen shrub grows 3–8 feet tall in cultivation, with thick, leathery, ribbed leaves. The showstopper is the inflorescence: a foot-long, arching panicle of large, pink, petal-like bracts sheltering clusters of tiny pink flowers. It blooms spring to summer.

It requires bright, filtered light, high humidity, warm temperatures (65–80°F), and a well-drained, epiphytic mix (orchid bark, peat, perlite). Water when surface dries; never soggy. Hardy only to 50°F (10°C); a premier conservatory, greenhouse, or indoor plant. The dramatic, chandelier-like blooms make it a collector's treasure.