Rhodospatha sp. Glaucous

by Chuck Nishihira

While a small number of Rhodospathas have made it into the terrarium hobby, none are as special (at least in my eyes) as this unknown glaucous colored species from Peru.  There is at least one species from Ecuador that wins in terms of brightness of the color (that color is red), but even that one isn’t as exquisite as species Glaucous. Of course, this statement is debatable and comes down to personal tastes. The combination of the bright pink new growth that turns into purple as the leaf expands, and finally into the silver-blue/green of the mature leaf is something to see first hand. The colors are difficult to capture in a photo, and never seem to do the plant justice.  As the plant with it’s 3″ to 4″ leaves climbs its way up a branch it displays these colors all at the same time. Colorful, and at the same time elegant.