Mussaenda philippica ‘Doña Aurora’

Originating as a naturally occurring form of Mussaenda philippica in the Philippines, this large tropical shrub reaches about ten feet tall. All five calyx lobes enlarge into white, leaf-like sepals around the much smaller, tubular flowers, which open into yellow to orange stars. Propagated vegetatively at Los Baños, it became an important parent in the development of later Mussaenda cultivars. Photographed in Quindio, Colombia.