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Products > Rovaeanthus strigosus
 
Rovaeanthus strigosus - Panama Rose
   
Image of Rovaeanthus strigosus
[2nd Image]
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Shrub
Family: Rubiaceae (Madders)
Origin: Guatemala (North America)
Evergreen: Yes
Flower Color: Rose
Bloomtime: Summer
Synonyms: [Rondeletia strigosa, Bouvardia strigosa, Rogiera]
Height: 3-4 feet
Width: 2-3 feet
Exposure: Light Shade/Part Sun
Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs
Winter Hardiness: 30-32° F
Rovaeanthus strigosus (Panama Rose) Tender upright evergreen subshrub that in cultivation is typically 3 to 4 feet tall by 2 to 3 feet wide but in the wild can be more than twice as large. It has dark green glossy leaves and primarily in summer appear the faintly fragrant flowers that have a long deep rose colored tube with flaring petals and a yellow throat - in our coastal climate there often are flowers on this plant year round. Plant in part sun to light shade in a well-drained rich soil with regular irrigation. It is only hardy and evergreen in frost free gardens, tolerating on short duration temperatures just below freezing, but possibly root hardy with mulch to around 20° F. It was described as "one of the most beautiful of all summer flowering plants for the American flower garden" by Editor Thomas Meehan in the October 1879 Gardener's Monthly and Horticulturalist: Devoted to Horticulture, Arboriculture and Rural Affairs. Panama Rose comes from the mountains of Guatemala, El Salvador and possibly south into Panama. The plant is part of what is often called the Rodeletia complex that includes Rogiera and Bouvardia and was named for Johan Rova, the Swedish botanist who studied Rondeletia and its allies. The specific epithet means refers to the strigose, or rigid hairs that are in the throat of the flower. 

Information displayed on this page about Rovaeanthus strigosus is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.

 
San Marcos Growers closed for regular business at the end of 2025 as the property is being developed for affordable housing.
While our gates remain closed, we will open them by appointment so we can liquidate remaining plants, supplies and equipment. The plants remaining in the field are listed on our Live Inventory Page.