I purchased this plant in 2018 under an old name, Primulina, but it seems to be Chirita now, so I’m listing it that way here. I ordered my plant off of eBay and have grown it in my TeamChild office from the beginning. The plant was in bloom when it landed as a little start. It has grown well and bloomed well ever since.

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My favorite things about this plant are that it seems easy to please, it blooms prolifically through the warmer months, and I love the way the flowers develop in an alien-looking bud that then splits up to have multiple flowers on long stems.

This plant grows easily from leaf cuttings so I have a few clones of it, as well. Strangely, one of the flowers also was pollinated and set seeds, so I sprinkled the seeds on some soil in a solo cup with a clear solo cup on top. I never thought this would go anywhere, but within a few weeks, I could see tiny seedlings–lots of them. I moved about 15 of them to a solo cup of their own and they are now growing on slowly–they are at about the two-leaf stage now. If all goes well, I expect to have 20 Chirita tamiana plants to share.

For the care of this plant, I give it bright indirect light. It seems happiest going a bit dry between waterings. It is potted in a general organic potting soil. I feed it orchid food and organic fertilizer spikes in the growing season.