These tropical flowers are strange and cute, resembling tiny eggs!
Misha: So, this time we’re going to try growing Spilanthes.
Hachibee: Spira…? That’s an unfamiliar name.
Ran: Spispispilanthes! Hello! I’m Ran, the Spilanthes fairy. I’m not very well-known in the gardening world yet, but my cute, vivid, egg-like flowers are really impactful. Remember Spilanthes! Love Spilanthes!
Hachibee: Spilanthes seems like a very energetic plant.
Misha: Spilanthes, also known as “egg ball,” is native to Brazil in South America. It makes me think of cheerful Latin rhythms. I’m looking forward to seeing how it grows. Let’s get started!
Spilanthes “Almost Weekly” Cultivation Report
4/6 Seed planting
Hachibee: What a tiny seed.
Ran: Don’t underestimate it. There’s a lot of power packed into those tiny grains.
4/13 It hasn’t germinated yet.
Misha: You’re pretty laid-back, aren’t you?
Ran: Don’t underestimate me. I’m gathering up a lot of strength.
4/20 Germination!！
Hachibee: A sprout has appeared! What a cute sprout it is.
Ran: Don’t underestimate me. I’m packed with life force despite my small size.
4/27 Leaves begin to grow
Hachibee: I see. It grows slowly, but it’s certainly a color that gives off a strong sense of life energy.
5/4 New leaves are starting to emerge.
Hachibee: Oh, finally, new leaves!
5/11 The leaves start to grow
Hachibee: Those are cute, round leaves.
Ran: Not only are the flowers round, but the leaves are round too.
Misha: Let’s fast forward a bit here.
6/15 The leaves begin to grow larger.
Hachibee: It’s finally grown to seedling size after a month.
Ran: I’ll go at my own pace!
6/22 The stem becomes firm
Hachibee: I’ve gotten to the point where I can stand even when the wind blows.
Ran: I’ll go at my own pace!
6/29 The stem thickens
Hachibee: The stems have gotten much stronger, and it’s starting to look good.
Misha: It’s about time to move them to the ground.
7/6 Transition to planting in the ground
Hachibei: Oh! It’s turned a really deep green, probably because of the sunlight!
7/13 The leaves are being eaten by insects.
Ran: Ah! I’m scared of bugs!
Misha: Spilanthus leaves are tasty, so they’re easily targeted by insects. This is where we need to persevere!
7/20 Leaves grow
Ran: Fight on!
Hachibee: Oh! Even though it was attacked by insects, the leaves are growing rapidly and it’s starting to grow!
7/27 The leaves are growing even bigger
Hachibee: The leaves have grown so big they’re swaying in the wind.
8/3 The leaves increased, then got eaten by insects, then more leaves increased, then got eaten by insects again.
Ran: Hee hee hoo hoo!
Hachibee: It feels like there’s some intense metabolic activity going on every day. Good job, everyone!
8/10 The leaves increase
Hachibee: I’ve won the battle against the insects, and the plant is finally growing into a lush, bushy shape.
8/24 The leaves grow larger and wider.
Ran: Here I go!
Hachibee: Wow! I just noticed there are so many magnificent leaves. They’re tough, even in the scorching summer sun.
Misha: As expected of someone from South America. You have excellent heat tolerance.
8/31 Buds have appeared!
Hachibei: There it is!
9/7 flowering
Hachibee: It seems to be changing color rapidly, from white to brown and then yellow. Wait, what about the petals??
Ran: Hehehe, take a good look.
9/14 The flowers are lifted up!！
Hachibee: It certainly looks just like an egg! It even looks like an eyeball. What a strange shape. Where did the petals go?!
Ran: Hehe, actually, Spiranthus has tubular flowers, and each of those little bumps in the yellow and brown parts is a “flower.”
Misha: So, those egg-shaped clusters that look like flowers at first glance are actually a collection of tiny flowers, huh?
Ran: It’s a technique that allows even small flowers to bloom in abundance. Isn’t that amazing?
9/21 Buds are forming one after another.
Hachibee: It’s as if they had planned it, all the buds are opening at once!
9/28 They all begin to bloom at once.
Hachibee: The flowers are blooming more and more! What a strange sight.
10/5 More and more flowers are blooming
Misha: The flowers have a long lifespan. The number of flowers is piling up.
10/12 Full bloom
Ran: Popopopon!
Hachibee: I’m starting to get used to it. There are flowers all over the place that look like eggs, or rather, eyes. They’re quite cute.
10/19 Flowers begin to turn into fruit
Misha: This egg-shaped flower cluster starts out flat, then gradually takes on an egg shape, and finally the brown part at the tip disappears.
10/26 The flowers turn into fruit and begin to ripen.
Hachibee: The flowers that bloomed earlier are slowly starting to ripen and turn brown.
11/2 Brown egg ball
Hachibee: The fruit has ripened quite a bit and is swelling up. I wonder if the seeds are starting to form inside now.
11/9 There are still buds coming out.
Hachibee: You’re still trying to make the flowers bloom now?! That’s quite a delayed attack.
Ran: I’m still going to keep fighting!
11/16 The leaves begin to wither.
Ran: Not yet, not yet!
11/23 The end?
Ran: I’ll keep fighting until the very end!
Misha: Most of the leaves are already wilting, but the number of flowers is actually increasing. What incredible vitality!
11/30 Leaves wither
Run: Last sprint!
Hachibee: It’s already withered, but it still has flowers! I want to learn from that tenacity.
12/7 Seeds begin to fall ~ Harvest
Hachibee: The seeds have started to fall off one by one!
Misha: I can clearly see that the “eggs” of the Spilanthus, which are made up of many tiny flowers, each produced a seed. That’s why there are so many seeds.
Ran: I hope you can see all the clever details hidden within these seemingly oddly shaped egg balls! Everyone, try growing Spiranthes!
~A quick tip! Spilanthes cultivation tips~
Cultivation difficulty：★★☆☆☆
At first, you might get impatient because it doesn’t grow very well,
but when the hot summer you love arrives,
it suddenly starts to perk up and continues to bloom
its uniquely cute flowers until late autumn.
