Plant Profile: Ypsilandra thibetica

Ypsilandra thibetica is an attractive and unusual evergreen perennial, not common in the U.K., native to southwestern China and Taiwan. There are five other species in the genus, all from East Asia. It usually has white scented flowers which become slightly coppery or pink as they age, with pale blue anthers. Some forms have pink or pale lilac flowers, and the flowering stems reach about 30 centimetres tall. The leaves are strap-like and form rosettes, bulking up slowly to form a clump of multiple rosettes.

Ypsilandra needs at least partial shade, not too dry and not too hot in the summer. It likes a humus rich soil. In its natural habitat it grows on wooded slopes, and it is best to plant it with the rosette of foliage at a slight angle to allow water to run off and avoid the risk of rotting.

The generic name comes from the Greek ‘ypsilo’ (y-shaped) and andros (anthers). It is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to stop bleeding amongst other things.

2 thoughts on “Plant Profile: Ypsilandra thibetica”

Leave a reply to Corti irene Cancel reply