Incarvillea delavayi aka Chinese Trumpet Flower

Incarvillea delavayi is a herbaceous perennial called hardy gloxinia. It belongs to the trumpetvine family, Bignoniaceae. Its native range covers western Sichuan and northwestern Yunnan, China. It grows in grassland, pastures, and scrub on mountain slopes. Reports place these sites between about 6,560–11,480 feet [2,000–3,500 metres]. Plants For A Future reports declining abundance in its native range.

The plant forms a rounded clump with a basal leaf rosette. Garden plants often reach 1.5–2 feet [0.46–0.61 metres] tall and wide. RHS gives a taller upper limit of 3.3 feet [1 metre]. Its green, arching leaves reach 1 foot [0.3 metres] long. Each pinnate leaf has several pairs of deeply cut leaflets. The leaves look fern-like, but this plant is not a fern. It loses its leaves at the end of the season. Below ground, it has a thick, fleshy taproot.

Strong, bare flower stalks rise above the leaves in summer. Each cluster holds five to twelve pink-red, trumpet-shaped flowers. Yellow throats mark the centre of each bloom. Flowers reach about 0.21 feet [0.064 metres] long. Missouri Botanical Garden lists flowering from July to August. Other sources place bloom in late spring or early summer. The flowers draw bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The fruit is a capsule. Both the blooms and leaves add interest to small borders.

Grow it in sun with some afternoon shade in warmer places. It needs moist soil that drains well, including during winter. Deep sandy soil suits its fleshy root. It also grows in loam or chalk across several pH levels. Hot, humid summers do not suit this plant. Sources list USDA zones 5–7 and UK hardiness H5. Winter survival can be less reliable in northern zone 5. Mulch can help protect the crown in cold areas. Removing spent blooms can extend flowering. Its taproot makes division hard; seed and spring basal cuttings offer alternatives.

Use it in rock gardens, cottage beds, borders, or containers. Slugs and snails can damage it. Crown rot and root rot are possible problems. RHS otherwise reports few disease troubles. Cooked leaves and young shoots have served as famine food. Plants For A Future warns of possible mild toxicity. ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats and dogs. These reports do not establish that it is safe to eat. No medicinal uses are recorded in the supplied evidence.