About Cantua buxifolia Juss. ex Lam.
Cantua buxifolia, with Hispanicized spellings cantuta and cantu, is known as qantu, qantus, or qantuta in Quechua. It is a flowering plant native to the high valleys of the Yungas in the Andes mountains of western South America. It is also commonly called the Peruvian magic tree. This evergreen shrub grows to 4 meters (13 feet) tall and 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) wide, with small leaves and clusters of brilliant pink, narrow tubular flowers that bloom in early spring. It is the national flower of Peru, and one of two national flowers of Bolivia, with the other being patujú (Heliconia rostrata). The Bolivian national flower is actually a specific variety of qantuta called qantuta tricolor, which has red petals, a yellow floral tube, and a green calyx, matching the colors of the Bolivian national flag. The Latin specific epithet buxifolia translates to "with leaves like Buxus (box)". This plant needs sheltered growing conditions where temperatures do not drop below −5 °C (23 °F). In colder climates, it must be grown under glass, but can be placed outdoors during the summer. This plant has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
