Unparalleled beauty of colour and form. Fantastic, exotic flowers justly famous. Grow them in your own greenhouse. One of the most rewarding of plants, it will take quite a bit of abuse and careless handling. Flowers spring. Height: 60-90cm (24-36in).

Sow any time of year. Remove the orange tuft and soak for up to 24 hours. Press seeds into moist sand and seal inside a plastic bag. Place in the dark at 21-24C (70-75F). Germination can take 1-6 months.

Inspect the seeds regularly and pot up any which have started to grow, into a good seed compost. Any which have produced a root only should also be potted up and kept damp until a shoot appears.

They can take 4 or more years to flower from seed. Place outside all summer and bring in before frost. Keep slightly pot bound and feed through spring and summer with Phostrogen. Water with care through the winter.