Gumamela in the pathway between Acad Bldg. 2 and S & T Bldg.

Enrich the soil with fertilizers having lots of phosphorous in them. This encourages the plant to produce more flowers.

Pruning is a technique used in gardening to help the plant maintain a compact, bushier shape, and promotes growth by allowing new buds to form. So, trim the plant to keep it neat and help it grow well.

Gumamela is sensitive to cold temperatures below 2°C and should be kept in a warm place always.

Watch out for bugs like aphids, thrips, and spider mites and learn to get rid of them quickly.

First, gumamela plants must be planted in a soil that drains well with water and does not get easily flooded when a heavy rain comes.

Spray some water on its leaves every now and then, to keep it humid. Water gumamela regularly, but don't overwater it. The goal is to keep the soil wet but not soaked in water as too much water blocks the roots from getting carbon dioxide through air spaces in the soil (Smithsonian Gardens, 2024).

Outdoor gumamela plants need 1-2 inches of water per week. Indoor gumamela plants need water every time the topsoil dries.

When placed outdoors, gumamela requires at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, also known as full sun. Indoor plants, on the other hand, require at least 4-5 hours of bright sunlight or part sun. However, light exposure for more than 16 hours a day should be avoided (Taghvael et al., 2022).

In the Philippines, the red gumamela is a popular plant used in gardens, being dubbed as "The Queen of the Filipino Garden".

In China, the petals have been used to make shoe polish and dye hair black naturally. In India, the flowers earned the plant the nickname "Shoeblack Plant" for their use in shoe shining.  In the Pacific Islands, the edible flowers are incorporated into salads and serve as a decorative hair accessory. 

The flower can also serve as a pH indicator, turning acidic solutions into dark pink or magenta and basic solutions green. 

Removing the male reproductive parts (anthers) from the female parent flower before pollination to prevent self-pollination and ensure cross-pollination with the desired male parent controls the parentage of traits present in the gumamela plants (Janakiram & Patil, 2017).

It involves the transfer of pollen from the anther of the male parent to the stigma of the female parent. This is to facilitate cross-fertilization and produce varying traits, which result in a more colorful set of flowers. The pollen carries the male genetic material. (Kuligowska et al., 2012).

A stem cutting from one plant is joined to the root system of the another to combine desirable traits. The scion (stem piece) then grows into the desired variety of gumamela (Janakiram & Patil, 2017).

Gumamela can be treated with radiation or chemicals to cause genetic mutations in the plant, which can result in new desirable traits such as unusual flower colors or shapes. This creates more genetic variety and highly attracts customer attention (Akpan, 2007).

Breeding between two gumamela plants of the same species combine desirable traits while preserving the integrity, overall plant quality, bloom size, color, etc. Hybrids from the same species allow for more compatible crosses (Akpan, 2007).

Breeding a hybrid with one of its parents or a genetically similar plant to introduce specific desirable traits from that parent into the hybrid helps stabilize and enhance certain characteristics (Mercuri et al., 2009).