Featured Plant of the Week (Stromanthe Triostar)
Stromanthe Triostar
One of the most interesting plants we have recently begun stocking is Stromanthe Triostar. This strikingly colorful tropical never fails to catch the eye, and makes a perfect choice for something different indoors. Native to the wet forests of Brazil, Triostar is a member of the Marantaceae or ‘prayer plant’ family, and those that are familiar with Maranta will immediately notice the resemblance.
In nature, Stromanthe’s long, blade-shaped leaves are a sort of olive green on top and deep maroon on the bottom, sitting atop stems that can grow upwards of 5 feet in a truly tropical environment. However, in cultivation Stromanthe has produced several head-turning variegated varieties, such as Triostar with its remarkable green, white, and pink brush-stroke patterns.
The botanical name of Triostar is Stromanthe sanguinea, and is known among cultivars as Multicolor, Horticolor, Stripestar, Magicstar, and Tricolor. It’s closely related to Calathea and Ctenanthe, which also originate in South America. Their similar appearance sometimes causes confusion, leading people to incorrectly believe they have similar care requirements. However, Stromanthe Triostar has a somewhat rightly deserved reputation of being a bit hard to care for, unlike its relatives.
One thing they do share in common though is their peculiar ability to move their leaves in reaction to the sun. At the base of every leaf they possess a small BB-sized bulge called a pulvinus. The pulvinus contains two pigments, phytochrome and cryptochrome, which are sensitive to the red and blue spectrum of light, respectively. During the day the cryptochrome is triggered and the pulvinus angles the leaves to point their tips towards the sun, which helps reduce the amount of light falling on them and preventing the plant from being dried up by sunshine. This is called paraheliotropism. In the morning and evenings the phytochrome is triggered and the pulvinus angles the leaves down so that they are catching the maximum sunlight possible. This is known as diaheliotropism. How these pigments work is still unknown, but this heliotropism (movement in reaction to the sun) is central to its survival strategy.
As mentioned earlier, caring for Stromanthe Triostar is a bit more challenging than its Maranta cousins, but the real difficulty comes from its need for a humid environment. This more than anything else will determine how easily the plant with thrive. Triostar is not frost tolerant but can handle chilly weather without much fuss; and while it prefers shady places or bright indirect light, it can handle full sun assuming it is well watered. In fact, so long as you can meet that somewhat challenging requirement of finding it a humid place, and keep the soil moist the plant should flourish.
BloomRite® Gardens currently offers Stromanthe Triostar in 6” grower’s pots for $6.50. Swing by this week and take a look at this beautiful tropical for yourself!
