Hoffmannia discolor

• Origin: Central America, Mexico
  
• Care: Easy / Medium / Advanced
• Suitable as a houseplant?: Yes / Limited / No
• Suitable locations: Terrarium
  
• Special features: Very variable appearance, known by several names.

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Hoffmannia discolor belongs to the Rubiaceae family and originates from southern Mexico and Central America. Unlike many other Rubiaceae, and especially other members of the Hoffmannia genus, it does not grow as an upright small tree or shrub, but as a ground cover with prostrate, short stems. It reaches a maximum height of only about 25 cm. Its rosette of leaves has a total diameter of approximately 30–40 cm.

The leaves are obovate to spatulate and up to 20 cm long. The leaf veins are very conspicuous, arranged very regularly and deeply sunken, giving the leaf a bullate, ribbed appearance. The upper surface of the leaves is velvety and dark, and their color varies from reddish to dark brown depending on the light. The leaf veins are highlighted in a light color. The underside of the leaves is red. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, whitish to pink, and appear in panicles with 5 to 20 individual flowers. These characteristics apply specifically to our plants, as Hoffmannia discolor is an extremely variable species.

Some specimens have more green leaves, some have a whitish leaf margin, and others lack light-colored veins. Because of this variability and its large distribution area, it has been described several times under different names, such as Hoffmannia refulgens or Hoffmannia bullata . However, these likely all refer to the same species. Different authors have found these variations at different locations, but a closer look at the populations reveals that even within a very small area, virtually all forms grow side by side ( link ).

We propagate our specimens vegetatively, so you shouldn't expect such variation in the plants you receive from us. They will all grow as shown in the pictures.



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You will receive a strong young plant in a 7cm square pot.