Garden Guide: This plant is like an orchid, but it's even easier to grow!

The Philippine orchid Medinilla magnifica isn't a common plant to see, but it's an easy one to grow on your patio in the summer and inside the house when the weather cools down.

If you're searching for a tropical plant that's surprisingly easy to grow, Medinilla magnifica could be the perfect plant for you. If the name is hard to remember, you can also call it by it's common name, the Philippine Orchid.

Although it's technically not an orchid, it grows like one (and might be even easier!). This is a great plant for a shady summer patio, and it does great inside the house during the winter.

What Is Medinilla Magnifica?

Native to the Philippines, Medinilla magnifica is a tropical plant known for its hundreds of pink flowers that hang from the tips of the branches. This chandelier of flowers can last for three to six months.

Medinilla is an epiphyte, which means it grows in tree crevices. This plant won't grow in soil and needs a light & airy mix instead. The benefit to this is it doesn't need to be repotted and will grow great in a hanging basket that seems small for its size

The wide growth habit of Medinilla magnifica makes it an ideal candidate for hanging baskets or decorative pots placed at eye level.

What makes Medinilla worth growing :

Medinilla magnifica among the easiest "unusual" tropical plant to grow and it's very rewarding. Here are a few reasons I love it

Long-lasting blooms: The pink bracts and dangling flower clusters last almost half the year
Low maintenance: This plant blooms despite neglect (and perhaps because of it!). Many of my tropical plants struggle after a long winter indoors, but that's when this one typically starts to bloom.
Indoor-friendly: Most epiphytic plants a lot of humidity, but Medinilla will thrive under normal household conditions. Keep it by a bright window and give it water once every week or two, and it will reward you with unusual foliage and eventually blooms too!
Dramatic shape: With horizontal growth and draping flowers, it could be the perfect plant for a hanging basket or unusual decorative container.

Medinilla Magnifica care tips

Despite its exotic appearance, Medinilla magnifica is one of my easier plants to take care of. Before you buy one, make sure it will grow in the conditions available in your home or garden

1. Lighting

Place the plant in bright, indirect light. Medinilla loves warm temperatures but would prefer to stay out of direct sunlight when outdoors. I keep mine right by my pond, which gets only about an hour of direct sunlight

2. Watering

Medinilla plants don't mind drying out between watering, but prefer extra water when outside for the summertime. As long as the soil drains fast, it's impossible to overwater this plant in the summer. I have gone more than 2 weeks without watering in the winter without any problems.

3. Containers & Soil

Use a well-draining soil mix and a pot with excellent drainage. These plants don't mind being rootbound. I give mine fertilized formulated for orchids and fish emulsion a few times during the spring and early summer so it gets the nutrients it needs to thrive.