# Chandelier Tree (*medinilla cumingii*)

The Chandelier Tree (Medinilla cumingii) is an exquisite tropical shrub native to the damp, humid rainforests of the Philippines. Known for its spectacular cascading clusters of pink to purple flowers, this plant gets its common name from the way its heavy flower panicles dangle from the branches like elegant living chandeliers. In its natural environment, it often grows as an epiphyte, anchoring itself to the trunks of larger trees to access sunlight high in the forest canopy. Highly prized by gardeners and botanists, it brings a vibrant slice of the tropics into greenhouses and shade gardens globally, where its lush foliage and colorful berries provide year-round interest.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Found in humid tropical rainforests, typically growing epiphytically on tree trunks or terrestrially in shaded, damp understories.

![Chandelier Tree](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/170932407/medium.jpeg)

Photo: kbkash, CC0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/170932407)

## Appearance

This evergreen shrub typically grows between 100 and 250 centimeters tall, featuring sturdy, woody stems and large, leathery, opposite leaves with prominent veins. Its most defining characteristic is the pendulous, multi-branched panicles of small, star-shaped pink flowers. As the blooms mature, they give way to fleshy berries that transition through a striking gradient of colors, from bright pink to a deep, glossy dark purple or blue-black.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Myrtales
- **Family:** Melastomataceae
- **Genus:** Medinilla

## Interesting facts

- Despite its tree-like common name, it is actually a shrub that frequently lives as an epiphyte perched high on other trees.
- The fruits are highly ornamental, presenting shades of pink, red, magenta, and dark purple simultaneously on a single stem as they ripen.
- The genus Medinilla was named to honor Jose de Medinilla y Pineda, an 1800s governor of the Mariana Islands.

## Special abilities

- **Epiphytic Anchoring:** Can grow securely on the branches of other trees, absorbing moisture and nutrients from the air and organic debris without harming its host.
- **Buzz Pollination Vibrations:** Utilizes specialized poricidal anthers that only release pollen when vibrated at specific frequencies by visiting insect wings.
- **Visual Fruit Cues:** Produces berries that change color in stages, creating a multi-colored display that continuously attracts seed-dispersing birds.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 100-250 cm
- **Weight:** 1-10 kg
- **Lifespan:** 10-30 years

## Diet & Feeding

As a photosynthetic plant, it manufactures its own nutrients from sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and essential soil minerals.

- **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Water, Carbon dioxide, Soil minerals

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Philippine Hanging Parrot (*Loriculus philippensis*) — Feeds on the ripe purple berries of the Chandelier Tree, assisting in seed dispersal across the forest.
- **Mutualism:** Asian Honey Bee (*Apis cerana*) — Visits the star-shaped blossoms to gather nectar and pollen, aiding in the pollination of the shrub.

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Chandelier Tree?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Chandelier Tree?

100-250 cm

### How much does Chandelier Tree weigh?

1-10 kg

### How long does Chandelier Tree live?

10-30 years

### What does Chandelier Tree eat?

As a photosynthetic plant, it manufactures its own nutrients from sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and essential soil minerals.

### Where is Chandelier Tree usually found?

Found in humid tropical rainforests, typically growing epiphytically on tree trunks or terrestrially in shaded, damp understories.

## Where to spot

- [Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hawaii-tropical-botanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Chandelier Tree: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/chandelier-tree)