# Rhexia virginica



## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

This is an intriguing pond plant that I acquired last spring. It bloomed a couple of weeks ago. I have this "meadow beauty", _Rhexia virginica_ in a regular flower pot on the patio--not in a pond--but I keep the potting media wet all the time.










_R. virginica_ is in Family Melastomataceae, a plant group more typical of tropical areas, but this one occurs in North America as far north as Wisconsin. Here's a better look at the blooms. _R. virginica_ has quite prominent anthers.










I remember seeing a number of different Melastomataceae out in the woods in Costa Rica and _R. virginica_ is similar in overall appearance to those plants, having almond-shaped leaves with prominent parallel veination and showy, four-petaled blooms. Many of the tropical ones grow as epiphytes, but _R. virginica_ is a wetland plant especially characterisitc of wet, sandy, acid soils.










It might be difficult to manage in a riparium display because it might demand a winter dormancy. For now the plant is still green, but not actively growing. I'll see how it behaves later on as we get closer to autumn.


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