Clinging Heartflower

This modest-sized flower grows up to 1.1 feet (33 cm) tall. Its gray-green stems grow in bunches of 6 and are thick with a curved tip, and the huge, brown leaves are very thick with toothed edges. The leaves alternate on the stem from the base up to about halfway.

A single giant flower sits at the end of each stem. The flowers are 44 cm (17.3 inches) wide, with petals that are either dull blue or cream, with a yellow center. The flower head is shaped like a heart with 53 widely spaced, narrow petals. They detach easily.

It has a weak scent that smells like freshly washed clothes, and it has copious amounts of pollen, but it does not cause any allergic reactions. It is pollinated by insects , but is also visited by a small species of bird.