Description
Five-fingered leaves spring from a smallish, fat rhizome. The flowers are produced from May onwards and are flaring trumpets of green and cinnabar-red with a slightly upturned spur. At the mouth the bloom flares open to present a five pointed star in dark jade-green, spotted and lined with purple and with two bright red “flags” showing at the top of the flower.
By repute this is tender but it has survived outside in the garden here over several years now, growing through a Pieris and with no special treatment. It is also readily grown in a pot or greenhouse border under cool or cold glass where it’s curious corky-nut tubers will make slow increase.
Fertile, loam-based soil in full light with support for the scrambling growth. Provide a dry rest from the summer until autumn, but don’t bake it. When grown outside in a favourable spot it will become a winter dormant plant!
Pictures by Jeffdelonge, from Wikipedia, with thanks, used under GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2.