About Odontonema tubaeforme (Bertol.) Kuntze
Odontonema tubaeforme is an upright shrub that reaches a height of 2 to 3 meters. Its elliptical, glossy leaves measure 10 cm by 20 cm, have 2 cm-long petioles, and are arranged opposite each other along the stem. It produces terminal spikes of waxy flowers that range in color from red to burgundy; each flower is 30 mm long, with 5 mm petals, and the species blooms in summer and autumn. It is cultivated as a frost-tender ornamental garden plant grown as an annual. Odontonema tubaeforme is native to Central America, but has naturalized in multiple countries after introduction as an ornamental garden plant, including New Zealand and Australia. Since 2005, it has been recorded growing in the wild in the far north of New Zealand, at Auckland, Kaitaia, and Doubtless Bay. In New Zealand, it usually spreads via the dumping of garden waste, though seedlings have been found at one locality, Cooper's Beach. It is classified as an invasive species in the Pacific, and has recently naturalized in Rarotonga and Mangaia in the Cook Islands.
