Better With Age

The wise elder statesman of gesneriad judging, Ben Paternoster, has expressed the opinion that one should always be growing new things.  Once one has nurtured a plant for a while, one should move on to new challenges.

This plant shows why I respectfully disagree.  Sinningia rupicola is one of those species which steadily improves with age.  (I do too, but that's only because I had such a lousy starting position.)

The older it gets, S. rupicola (like several other sinningia species) develops more stems and more flowers every year.  The tuber gets larger and stores more energy, to fuel more development.

Better With Youth

This species is impressive in the spring.  Sinningia rupicola has dramatic dark leaves with deep maroon leafbacks.  Flowering stems hold their buds above the leaves.