Wigandia caracasana
Caraccas big-leaf
Wigandia Caracasana is native to Central America. It has large oval wavy-edged leaves - about 45cm long - deep green above, with a hairy, white underside. Through Summer it bears large clusters of purple flowers. It is heat tolerant. WARNING: It can be very invasive, and it stings when you touch the leaves, and can cause severe contact dermatitis. Cuttings in sand will strike if placed under glass and in heat.
-
Full sun
-
Frequent watering
-
Frost Hardy: 23F (-5°C)
-
Free draining
Common name
Caraccas big-leaf
Latin name
Wigandia caracasana
type
evergreen perennial
family
Boraginaceae
ph
6.0 - 7.5 Acid - Neutral
-
Light
Full sun
-
Frost
Frost Hardy: 23F (-5°C)
-
Soil
Free draining
-
Water
Frequent watering
Plant & bloom calendar
-
Best time to plant
-
When the plant will bloom
full grown dimensions
3.00 M
3.00 M
Wigandia caracasana
Wigandia Caracasana is native to Central America. It has large oval wavy-edged leaves - about 45cm long - deep green above, with a hairy, white underside. Through Summer it bears large clusters of purple flowers. It is heat tolerant. WARNING: It can be very invasive, and it stings when you touch the leaves, and can cause severe contact dermatitis. Cuttings in sand will strike if placed under glass and in heat.
Flowering
From Early Summer TO Late Summer
Large clusters of purple flowers appear through Summer
Planting
From Early Spring TO Mid Spring
Plant in free-draining, moist soil in full sun. WARNING: This is an invasive plant - it also can cause contact dermititis
Propagating by cuttings
From Late Summer TO Early Autumn
Take semi- ripe cuttings from this season's growth in Autumn. Cut neatly, just below a leaf node, a 5" approx. piece of a healthy shoot that has soft growth at the tip. pinch out the growing tip, and cut off the bottom leaves. Dip the bottom of the cutting in hormone rooting powder, and carefully place in a pot of cutting compost with the leaves just above the level of the compost. Water, label, cover with a polythene bag, and place in a warm, bright place, out of direct sunlight. Take the polythene bag off periodically for a while for ventilation (at least twice a week)