A deep taproot bring home the bacon sustenance to the jewels of Opar ( Talinum paniculatum ) industrial plant , which is aboriginal to the New World in a mixture of habitats . The glossa - like deep green leaves are put in whorls on the red stems that are clear with a branched display of lilliputian red or pink blossoms in summer . This species produces lots of seeds that germinate nearby , often giving it " annoying - weed " status .
Native and Introduced Growing Ranges
Jewels of Opar is native to the New World , from the Mississippi River westwards and then southerly across Central America and northern South America , including the western islands of the Caribbean . It is a successful recurrent flora that grows in moist to dry timber and prairies in a wide regalia of clay , grit and alkaline ground that have expert drainage . Only in soggy or flooded soils does this species not grow well .
The abundant production of seeds has found the precious stone of Opar grow into easterly North America and southerly Asia and Africa , usually as a nuisance weed .
Growing Habit
This plant grows in a tufted clustering of sprawl to upright stems from a late - growing taproot . Often the stems have a red green tincture and may have little whorled branchlets equally hand out along the length of the stem .
In regions with dusty winters , jewel of Opar dies back and overwinters , the taproot hold out and re - sprouting stem when passion return in spring . In subtropical and tropical region where kill frosts and freezes are absent , this perennial remains evergreen and becomes quite tumid , approaching height and circularise of 3 to 5 fundament .
Foliage
The leaves are elliptical to rounded oval in build , like a tongue , and are usually held in round whorls on the stalk of the plant life . distort a rich , deep special K , leaves have a satiny sheen and are quiet and thin . In nourishing - miserable grease , such as those that are sandy or gravelly , the foliage may be a lighter green to yellowish unripened in colour .
Flowers and Seeds
From the tips of stems and side ramification appear the thin branched , sometimes nodding anthesis , or collection of tiny blossom . single efflorescence are one - after part the size of a pea or lowly and have oval petals that are distort flushed or pinkish . Petals may also hold a blushing clue of yellow or empurpled as well . The small carmine abridgment that later form shed the seeds to nearby soil , to pullulate when spring up conditions are ripe .
In regions where there are stale winters , flowers occur from June to November , up until the autumnal frosts kill back the foliage . In frost - gratuitous areas jewels of Opar can bloom in flower year round .
Ornamental Selections
The wild coinage kind of jewels of Opar is usually considered an unwanted wayside dope . However , selections with colourful foliage have make popularity for manipulation in warm climate gardens . White and green colored leaves are known on ' Variegata ' while yellowish green - greenish to yellow - dark-green foliage make ' Limon ' a variety popular to brighten dry - soiled landscapes . Finally , ' Kingwood Gold ' has prosperous leaves with a xanthous - green tincture , and flowers that are coral - pink .
