Aeschynanthus evardii Family: Gesneriaceae Common Name(s): Grown by: Ellen Frank, Martinez The genus Aeschynanthus is native to the mountains of China and Southeast Asia and includes many species that are borderline hardy outdoors here in the bay area. Most varieties do best if protected from frost during the coldest months. A. evardii has some of the largest flowers in the genus. They are bright red-orange tubular flowers nearly 2 inches long by a half inch wide in upright facing clusters at the ends of the stems. It is a low mounding shrub that makes a good hanging basket. It can bloom from late autumn through early spring. Best grown in filtered light, it needs regular water with fast draining soil. Photo by Steve Morse