Mystery plant ID needed

[ChrisB]

Friend has this mystery plant and wonders if anyone can tell her what it is.

[fermi de Sousa]

Philesia magellanica,
cheers
fermi

[ChrisB]

Wow thanks Fermi, I'll let her know!  I racked my brain but couldn't think of anything, nor could anyone else at our Northumberland Group for that matter.  Seems so strange to have flowers like that on what looks like a conifer...  Thanks again. Christine

[Maggi Young]

Not only is it Philesia magellanica, Christine, it's one with a very nice large flower They do have  good-sized flowers but that appears to be a larger than average bloom, with a good wide flare. 

[ChrisB]

I'd never come across it before.  It's growing outdoors in a walled garden at Cockburnspath... So it's quite hardy.  I think Judy got it from our members stall one year.  Quite an unusual plant that's for sure...

[Maggi Young]

I always think of it as a mini- version of a Lapageria!  Really super plant.

[Melvyn Jope]

Maggi,I guess that's what someone else was thinking when they produced xPhilageria veitchii

[Maggi Young]

Maggi,I guess that's what someone else was thinking when they produced xPhilageria veitchii

Indeed, Melvyn- I've never seen it though

[Melvyn Jope]

No neither have I but would like to be able to grow it though!

[Otto Fauser]

Chris , I think your plant is the paler coloured variety rosea . In my garden the plant covers several square meters and I have to constrain the suckers . I used to grow the bigeneric hybrid x Philageria veitchii , imported from Hilliers Nursery many years ago when they stocked many more unusual plants . It never flowered ,so eventually it got the chop .

[ChrisB]

Thanks Otto, I bet your clump is a sight to behold!  I will let Judy know, I will be seeing her next week all being well.