Japanese name: ブータンノボタン Scientific name:Osbeckia nepalensis
[Overview]
An evergreen shrub 0.6–1.5 m tall.
The whole plant is densely covered with bristly hairs.
The stem has 4 ridges and is square in cross section.
Leaves are simple and opposite, long lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 7–13 cm long and 2.5–3.8 cm wide, with pointed tips and 3 conspicuous veins.
The leaf margins are entire.
Conical cymes at the branch tips bear purplish pink 5-petaled flowers about 5 cm across.
Each flower lasts one day, but they open one after another.
There are 10 stamens.
The calyx tube is also covered with bristly hairs.
The fruit is a capsule.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
In warm regions from the Kanto region southward, it can overwinter outdoors with protection from frost.
In cold regions, grow it in a pot and bring it into a sunny room indoors.
It prefers sunny, well-drained soil.
Avoid places that receive strong afternoon sun.
Be careful not to let it dry out; for potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries, and for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless sunny weather continues and the soil dries out.
Be careful not to let it dry out while in flower.
From spring to autumn, place slow-release chemical fertilizer on the soil.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
