About Alonsoa

Alonsoa also known as Mask flower is a very interesting plant, native to South America. One can find wonderful species all over Mexico, Peru as well as Chile. The genus can be divided into herbaceous and shrubby species. It belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family, or more commonly known as figwort family. The flowers of Alonsoa can be red, orange, yellow, white or sometimes blue. The selected species include:Alonsoa acutifolia Alonsoa albifloraAlonsoa grandiflora Alonsoa incisifolia Alonsoa linearis Alonsoa mathewsii Alonsoa meridionalis Alonsoa warscewiczii (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alonsoa)
In what follows I would like to present an outline about growing tips. Alonsoa is frequently grown in Romania in greenhouses. This beautiful plant with its fiery red and a bit strange looking flowers can represent a real charm for your sight. It is quite easy to maintain and care Alonsoa. Moreover Alonsoa tolerates well moderate freezing. Therefore the winters from Romania should not be a problem.One should start planting Alonsoa in autumn. In order to have a successful germination of the seed, you will need cold stratification. This means that you will have to soak the seeds for one day in water, then put them into wet sand and place it into the refrigerator for about a month. Allow the seeds to breathe, ventilation should not be a problem, and you will also need to check the humidity of the sand. Afterwards you will need to plant the seeds into a substrate. Maintain it wet, and when the seeds will emerge, reduce watering. Allow the plant full sunlight in order to achieve the best results. (http://www.chileflora.com/Florachilena/FloraEnglish/HighResPages/EH0537.htm)
Thus following these guidelines, you can plant Alonsoa in your garden.
I am sure that the plant will perform well in Romania as well.