Dimorphanthera species SEH#11078

This is a genus of evergreen shrubby plants native to New Guinea where they grow alongside their relatives in the Ericaceae – vireya rhododendrons, blueberries and Gaultheria spp. This genus is most closely related to blueberries (Vaccinium ) but unlike their widespread and widely grown relatives, the various species of Dimorphanthera are rarely seen in cultivation. The flowers and fruit are very similar to those of a blueberry but on a vastly larger scale - with the flowers sometimes over two inches in length. These range in color from white to pink, red and bicolor. Best treated like a vireya with excellent drainage and protection from frost. The leaves are covered with short silky hairs. These are grown from seed collected in the wild. Reddish new foliage.