Incarvillea delavayi aka Chinese Trumpet Flower

Incarvillea delavayi, also known as the hardy gloxinia or flowering fern, is a slug-prone perennial native to western Sichuan and northwest Yunnan provinces of China. It belongs to the family Bignoniaceae, although true Gloxinia plants belong to the Gesneriaceae family, and true ferns are flowerless plants that reproduce through spores. This herbaceous perennial can reach a height of around 60cm and features a basal rosette of pinnate leaves with coarsely toothed leaflets. In early and mid-summer, it produces clusters of showy, tubular to funnel-shaped white flowers with yellow throats on upright stems. Incarvillea delavayi is hardy in USDA zones 5b through 7 and is recommended for borders and rock gardens in part shade to full sun. It can be grown as both a perennial and an annual, with leafless stems rising up to 2 feet above the graceful, fern-like foliage. Good drainage is essential due to its fleshy taproot, making it suitable for raised beds or containers. Cultivars such as 'Bees Pink' and 'Snowtop' are commercially available.