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Looking
for colorful plants that require little care? San Francisco
is the plant for you.
Known
scientifically as Codiaeum variegatum because of its variegated
leaves, and in the horticulture world as croton, this plant
is grown extensively in the Philippines and other tropical
countries.
In the
Philippines, all crotons are simply called San Francisco.
There are about 100 varieties in the Philippines, many of
them indigenous. Whether planted in home and office gardens,
along highways and byways, and even in the wild, San Francisco
plants are sure to adorn the landscape with their exotic foliage
of distinct and vivid colors.
A tropical
garden is said to be incomplete without at least a brightly
colored San Francisco in it. It is good for landscaping, and
looks best when planted in clumps.
The brightly
colored foliage of San Francisco comes in varying shapes and
sizes. Some are narrow or broad; others are twisted, wavy
or leathery. These are accentuated by a vibrant rainbow of
colors - red, orange, pink, yellow, rust, green and purple.
Many colors can be found in one leaf. Their variegated patterns
come alive in spots, stripes, streaks, or blotches.
Another
unique feature of San Francisco is that it is possible to
root only the leaves. The plants also produce branches, or
“sports” that are different from the parent plant,
and thus result in many distinct forms.
Recently,
PCARRD, the Philippine Agriculture and Resources Research
Foundation, Inc. (PARRFI), and the National Academy of Science
and Technology (NAST) jointly published and launched a new
book on ornamental plants focusing on San Francisco.
The book
“Ornamental Plants in the Philippines: San Francisco”
contains information on the identification of varieties or
cultivars, and on care and management to maintain plant beauty,
luster and color.
While
most flowers and plants have female names, San Francisco plants
are given male names. The author, Dr. Benito S. Vergara, a
National Scientist even named several previously unidentified
San Francisco cultivars after eminent National Scientists.
Vergara
said that the sunlight stimulates color production among San
Francisco plants. Full direct sunlight brings out the leaf
colors all at one time. However, semi shade is best for cultivars
with red, orange, or yellow colored young leaves to enhance
staggered color development.
For
more information about the book “Ornamental Plants in
the Philippines: San Francisco” contact PCARRD through
p.faylon@pcarrd.dost.gov.ph or PARRFI through parrfi@pcarrd.dost.gov.ph.
(Susan Sandra L. Ilao, S&T Media Service)
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