Skip to main content

How to care for your medinilla magnifica

Medinilla magnifica care is actually fairly straightforward, especially if you’re used to caring for plants that are native to tropical environments. In their natural habitats, medinilla plants are shrubs that can grow up to four feet in size; however, with proper pruning and trimming, it’s easy to keep your medinilla magnifica at a size that fits your space. Because it’s used to humid environments, you’ll see that medinilla plant care will focus strongly on the temperature and humidity of your home.

But what if your home isn’t humid, or you live in a dry climate? It can be a bit more difficult to keep a medinilla magnifica alive, but not impossible. Read on for our best care tips.

Pink medinilla blooms
Tracy Immordino/Shutterstock

Growing medinilla magnifica in pots

Like many native tropical plants, medinilla magnifica usually prefers warmer environments. In rainforests, they can be found growing as epiphytic plants that use trees for support. Epiphytic plants differ from parasites in that they don’t harm what they use for support but simply grow alongside it and coexist.

Recommended Videos

You can mimic a similar environment when growing medinilla magnifica in pots. It’s recommended to use a potting mix, like one made specifically for orchids, that’s designed to allow more air flow to the roots of the plant. Medinilla plants will thrive in USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11, where you’ll even be able to keep them as a patio plant in the warmer months.

For other zones, be aware that your home may not be the best suited for medinilla magnifica plants if there aren’t consistent temperatures and humidity levels. For that reason, many gardeners will keep them in greenhouses where they can better control the environment. If you don’t have the space for a greenhouse but would still love to try your hand at growing a medinilla magnifica, you can always purchase a humidifier or keep a tray filled with small pebbles and water in its vicinity.

Ideal environmental and growing conditions

Medinilla magnifica plants love bright indirect lighting and hate direct sunlight, especially at the hottest points of the day/year. In order for the plant to thrive, you should keep it in an area where the temperature is consistently between 70° and 75° F.; however, the plant will do OK in temperatures down to 64°. You should keep the temperature slightly lower (still staying about 60) in the winter than in the summer, but avoid going below 50° F. as that can cause damage to the plant.

How much water does a medinilla plant need?

A lot of medinilla plant care can be traced back to its native environment. Medinilla plants should be watered thoroughly throughout their growing season, which begins around early to mid-spring. Outside of their growing season, you should reduce the amount of watering as the medinilla magnifica will only need enough to keep from drying out.

Although it enjoys moist soil, like most plants, your medinilla magnifica will be unhappy in soaked, soggy water. A good rule of thumb is to water when the top part of the soil is dry. If the top of the soil is still wet, there’s no need to water. It’s equally as important to have a pot with good drainage. This will help you monitor and keep track of how much water your plant is getting because excess water will be able to drain out the bottom.

Should you fertilize your medinilla plant?

Any standard houseplant or tropical plant fertilizer should be fine during the growing season; however, large amounts of nitrogen will cause the medinilla magnifica plant to grow more luscious foliage as opposed to beautiful blooms. To encourage even growth, you can use a liquid compost, which will also aid in maintaining a mildly acidic pH in the soil.

Clusters of pink medinilla grapes
Ano1959/Shutterstock

Can medinilla magnifica be propagated?

If cared for well, medinilla magnifica can be propagated — though propagating at home can be rather difficult. Most of the time, home propagation for these plants is attempted via cuttings. Viable cuttings should have at least two leaves and are able to root in some damp sphagnum moss. If you want to decrease the strain on the stem, you can remove two-thirds of the leaves on the cutting. Medinilla plants can also be grown from seed from the fruit clusters that follow their flowers; however, the fruits won’t grow without being pollinated, so if your medinilla is a strictly indoor plant, you may just find it easier to purchase new medinilla plants from the nursery.

With proper care and the proper environment, you’ll have a thriving medinilla plant to brighten your home. It may take some adjustments at first, but as long as your efforts and conditions are consistent, there will be little to no trouble!

Kiera Baron
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kiera Baron is a freelance writer and editor, as well as a budding digital artist, based in Upstate NY. She is currently one…
Croton plant care guide: Grow this colorful beauty with ease
Growing your own colorful croton plant
Colorful croton plant

When it comes to bringing vibrant colors into your home, colorful houseplants are an excellent option. There are many fantastic choices, with flowers and foliage plants that come in a wide array of colors. Crotons are one of the most popular plants for this, as their mottled leaves are colorful and unique, with a lovely tie-die-like pattern.

If you want to add a gorgeous croton plant to your indoor garden, then you’re in luck! We’ll explain everything you need to know about growing and caring for these stunning plants in this guide to croton plant care guide.
Planting crotons

Read more
How to propagate an anthurium for vibrant blooms
Here are three different anthurium propagation methods to get started
An anthurium in a pot

Anthurium plants, or flamingo flowers, are some of the most stunning houseplants that you’ll come across. A beautiful fixture in any home, they feature waxy, heart-shaped leaves and bold, glossy flowers. While anthurium plants are fairly easy to find in nurseries and online, there are other ways to get them. If you or someone you know already has an anthurium plant, you can propagate it to create new anthurium plants. Want to try it for yourself? Here's everything you need to know about how to propagate anthurium plants.
Method #1: How to propagate an anthurium by cuttings

Can you grow an anthurium from a cutting?
Long story short, yes. Growing an anthurium with a cutting isn't the most common way to propagate it, but it is possible. You can start a new anthurium with a cutting, but it has to be a specific kind of cutting — you want a stem cutting, not a leaf cutting.

Read more
Desert rose care guide: How to grow this stunning succulent
Keeping your desert rose happy indoors
Dark pink desert rose flowers

Desert roses are gorgeous succulents with lovely pink flowers, so it’s no wonder gardeners want to add them to their collections. Luckily, this plant is also easy to grow. It can become a part of an outdoor succulent garden, but did you know your desert rose also makes a great indoor plant? If you want to add a desert rose to your indoor succulent garden, or want to start your succulent collection off with one, then this is the guide for you. We’ll explain everything you need to know in order to keep your desert rose happy and healthy indoors.
Can you grow desert rose plants indoors?

Desert rose succulents are well suited to growing indoors, and they actually grow better indoors than out in most parts of the U.S. These cold-sensitive plants are only hardy in USDA zones 10 and 11, so keeping them indoors is actually the best way to grow them. Like most other succulents, start off with a container that has plenty of drainage holes. Desert rose plants cannot tolerate soggy soil, so both the container and the soil mix need to allow excess water to drain freely. A succulent or cactus-specific soil mix is perfect for your desert rose.

Read more