Having had three unsuccessful attempts at growing Chilopsis from seed for over a year, pete finally took pity on me and sent me a root earlier this year. Here is the result just a few months on at 70cm tall .... .... and it's blooming .... I never expected the flowers to be so exquisite and in a cluster .... there are at least 30 buds and more developing! Thank you so much, pete. xx Fortunately I took the photos yesterday as the flowers have blown off due to the gusty weather we've been having .... but I'm hopeful the remainder will stay put. Pete, you can perhaps see from the first photo that the flowering stem is crooked about half way up .... is it possbible to break that off (after flowering of course) and root it?
You've done well there LoL.:thumb: It looks a good deep colour and will hopefully not rot as they can over here when it turns damp. I think each individual flower only lasts a day, or at most two, so there is a sucsession of flowers opening and dropping off at the same time. I've not had much luck with cuttings lately, but it would do no harm to try. You can prune as you like but it delays flowering on the pruned shoot. On the other hand you could hope for seed pods, they are similar to indian bean, (catalpa), to which it is related, but smaller. Not sure if mine will flower this year or not.:(
Blimey that's a good colour! I've only had the light lavender form, which I eventually decided was too pale for my tastes. I must think again about this because the one I had grew and flowered very well for a couple of years despite our relatively wet winters.
Hi guys, I'm back here to ask a question. Pete, the pictures I have of your Desert Willow appear to be a pale pink / light lavender as DaveP says. How is it that the root you sent me is this lovely two-toned fuschia-coloured one? I've only had this one flower head and I'm waiting to see if I get any seed pods before I cut it off to shape the shrub up and try to plant the cutting. Albeit 'one day wonder flowers' it's been an absolute beauty .... thank you pete. x DaveP .... if I get a seed pod, do you want to try again?
Yours does appear darker in colour LoL. It was grown from seed and it never flowered for me, so you could perhaps have a better form than mine, which is also seed grown. This is mine back in 06, it didn't flower last year due to the crap weather, I've only got a few buds up to now, this year, which are not likely to open, I dont think I initally thought that your darker flowers were due to the picture not displaying the true colour. I find wet winters not a problem Dave, but good hot sun to ripen the wood and bring on the buds is proving a problem again this year.
Pete, a bit silly, but should I get seeds do you want some to get this glorious specimen I have from you? We can fertilise (IVF) back and forth perhaps ..... :eek::D To be honest, I'm pleased it's not the pale one as I have the Pandorea/Podraneas that are pale pink ...... so it was a blessing it's this colour. PS I've not 'fiddled' with the photos ...... I'm a pretty honest gal.
I wasn't suggesting you "fiddled" with the picture, but sometimes colours dont quite come out right, what with light and shade etc. If you do get seed I dont think we can gaurantee that we will get plants with the darker flowers, I tend to think that mine is the more normal colour. Cuttings are probably the only option to be sure of getting the colour.
LoL, have you got any seeds formed. It has been suggested that root cuttings might be the way to go when it comes to propagation.
Evening, pete. Not only do I not have seed pods but I don't have leaves! Remember I said somewhere that I would take that crooked bit off the top? Well, I did and it's rooted and it has teeny leaves as does where I broke it from. I'll take pics tomorrow. I'm really chuffed about it. I found another link about it and it shows the beautiful coloured one I have .... surely you must have different coloured ones that I got this beauty?
Bit of a damp afternoon here, pete, but here is the Chilopsis looking very sad for itself. :( But you can see the new little leaves on the top centre stem and the little cutting in front of the plant.
So you have a rooted cutting, well done. Any ideas as to why the main plant is a bit short on leaves, you've not been over watering it, have you?
Yes, seems I may have rooted a hard cutting ..... :thumb: But then again, there may be no roots only leaves .... I haven't dug it up to examine. :D No, I haven't overwatered it but perhaps Mother Nature has and I don't think I can control that ...... :dh: :lollol: Any other clever ideas ..... :p
Just thinking of that irrigation system that you have. You know the one that waters plants even if they dont need it:D Cycad Perhaps I'm out of order? My chili, is losing its leaves now, would have thought yours would be very lush.
The Cycad is not on the irrigation system now and looks fab on the front of house patio .... but wow must take a pic of the Washy now it's up on deck (on irrigation) where it was ... did badly .... took it down .... did badly .... put it back and we are really chuffed .... doubled in recent months. This chappie is on the kitchen patio so hand watering only .... plus Mother Nature! You out of order ..... :p
