WHAT'S LOOKING EXOTIC IN 2015

Watsonia possibly fourcadei

@longk Having said I never get more than one flower spike this one goes and produces 6 (one out of shot), obviously something has appreciated the cool damp summer down here in Devon.

 

The exotic bed has really filled out although the Coleus and Perilla have taken over the front.


Cordyline Sunrise and Torbay Dazzler are growing well as is the Ensete Maurelii, although the Oleanders have slowed down.


Agapanthus Enigma, first flower since I moved it two years ago. Apart from the White and blue flowers, the stem and flower stalks are nearly black.

 

Hi Strongylodon,

That looks absolutely stunning. Well done

 

That is amazing, so neat and tidy.

 

Just a few bits to kind of finish off August,
Passiflora "anastasia" is still doing well.


I might need to move house as the Bougie has gone bananas.


Leonotis doing well on the allotment, thanks to PeterS for the seed a couple of years ago.

Ipomea indica has been slow to flower this year, but I did nearly lose it last winter, so had to start with a fairly small plant, lots of buds coming now though.

Hedychium "tara", another late one this year.

 

Strongy - your exotic bed is lovely. Perilla is not one that I am aware of. I will have to look out for it. I understand that in hotter climates it can be really invasive.

Pete - your Anastasia is wonderful. You know that Leonotis nepetifolia is also known as "Little Maruijana" - so if a policeman asks you if you are growing any narcotic plants you will have to be honest and say you are growing a little marijuana.

Whilst my Ipomea indica has been flowering for ages inside, there is no sign of a flower on any inside ginger.

 

Strange Peter, as my H. gardnerianums are budding up now and even a plant left out on the allotment last winter of H. greenii is showing signs of flowers.

One for @longk here, he sent me the seed earlier in the year, flowers just starting to open on the plant growing up the house wall, other plants on the allotment are now budding up also.
Sorry, forgot the name.

 

Pete -

Well done Pete. Is that Caiophora hibiscifolia. LongK kindly sent me some seeds too, and it has grown tall, but I haven't noticed any signs of a flower. Does it sting?

Looking closer, I think I only have one ginger in my conservatory and the rest are outside. But no signs of any flowers yet.

Even though my conservatory has reasonable good light, having a plastic roof and glass sides, I have noticed that in some plants like gingers and bananas the growth pattern is different from outside. My inside plants tend to grow tall and thin, whilst the outside plants, which are colder and in better light grow shorter and fatter.

I have had to move some Ensete maureliis outside when they hit the ceiling. They are now shorter than before, as the tall soft leaves have been broken by the wind and have been replaced by shorter, fatter growth.

 

Tacca chantrieri "Green Isle"? Absolutely fantastic aren't they

Caiophora hibiscifolia.

Yours and Petes have done far better than ours which have just said bullocks to the weather and gave up growing!

 

My Ciaophora on the allotment have only just put on a spurt of growth, and flower buds.

It's since it started raining, they were standing still doing almost nothing for more than a month while it was hot and dry.
The one near the house is in a pot, so was getting water every day during that time, but it still seems to have preferred the cooler conditions.

As have the gingers, after the first week of cooler weather flower buds were appearing virtually over night.

I think it's always a fact that anything grown under glass will always be softer, taller and often a bit leggy, just look at the difference between flower trusses on tomatoes, grow under glass and outside.

Tara is doing the best it's ever done for me.

 

That Tara is fabulous Pete.

Thanks for the name LongK. Yes its really fascinating. I was sold it as a black plant, which was half the price of the green plants nearby. I can't quite work that out - but I am delighted with it. It seems to be happy and has put out a couple of new leaves.



I recently got a rooted stem of Blue Ginger (Dichorisandra thrysiflora) sent from Hawaii - picture from internet above. Its not a true ginger, but the leaf structure is very similar. However it was 9 days in the post, and I am not too optimistic that it will survive - but I can hope.

 

Sues Brug is finally looking good!

 

LongK - brilliant picture. You can often get them to flower, but that's a wonderful number of blooms. Is that Grand Marnier ?

 

I have a Hedychium Rafilii which has just one spike showing, should it be over wintered inside or left in the ground? I have never grown them outside.

Passiflora Amethyst (or Lavander Lady) supposedly hardy but only planted in June. The flower is much more mauve than the in the photo.