What's looking exotic in May 2012

My miss almost puked by the small , the funny think I can`t leave them outdoor yet , got 2 more to flower and I`ve got more 3 giants flower on the way .
ps got an orange hibiscus as well.

 

ps this look exotic.

 

Its only my thoughts but I cant work out how a plant such as a banana can be said to grow in such cold places.
Bearing in mind basjoo is NOT hardy, its roots survive, but the top growth goes at the first sign of a real frost.

So, my question is this, how would it grow and produce seed, bearing in mind its never going to reach flowering size to reproduce.

My basjoos have been cut down for three years now by frost, and each year they get weaker and weaker shoots.

I'm convinced basjoo comes from milder parts than the UK in general offers, and suggestions of -20C, might be survivable but hardly the best growing conditions.

On the other hand, minus 20 with a 9 month summer could just about work.

 

Well .....that is an upsetting situation , like you say this year they had a -16 , but they have 30 at the moment .....the difference btween the normal musa and the sapporo is that the sapporo go to mash at -7 , but the question is , for how long they can support -7?
this year I want to try one without cover and see what happen .

 

Sal - I had to look up the Voodoo Lily. I presume yours is Sauromatum venosum, though I think the English name can also refer to Amorphophallis, which is what I recently bought.

I see it is described as as a dry flower - ie doesn't neccessarily need any potting soil - presumably this is only at the flowering stage. This is like the Pleone. I had never heard of such things before - and wonder how many others there are?

 

Its surprisingly hardy Peter, I grow it outside all year.
I dont think its Amorphophallis.

 

Yes Peters , Pete is right , it`s not an amorphophallis , got 3 of them as well , this is a Sauromatum venosum as you say , be honest with you I bought it for it`s leaves and not the flower , they told me that can survive happy outdoor , but kept it in last winter , usually it would have flowered outside , but keep indoor till now and just realise how much it stunk , my girlfriend want me to get rid off them.

thats the leaves of it

 

Those Cordy's look chipper

You got any other Nana's John? I think the leaves on Basjoo are a bit weedy-looking, rather than great big strapping canoe-paddles! but my Basjoo is 1st season, so I may be being unkind to it ...

 

Basjoo is not really weedy Kristen.
We just dont get the conditions that suit it anymore.

 

Pete , nothing look more tropical then those bananas , have those been covered? or back from the roots?

John really nice red dragon , my carmesitas are still green can`t belive yours are already red , what the plant in the right hand corner?

 

2006 Sal, you didn't need to protect back then.

 

I used to have spider plants outside they used to die back and come back in spring , yucca elephantis , aeonium and dates palm , not a chance in the last 4 years .
Pete have you got any picture of banana growing from roots at the end of the season?
ps my first tropical border.