What's looking exotic in 2016

LongK - that Alstromeria is lovely. It makes me think of that Lobelia laxiflora you so kindly sent me.


Justicia carnea. My other one has plain green leaves, but this one has darker green leaves, with a purple underside.


Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. I tried to grow this from seed but failed, so this one was bought a few years ago.


Hibiscus syriacus. My first flowers from seed planted in 2012.


Gloriosa has just started to bloom.

I have just noticed that my Canarina canariensis tuber has just started to sprout. How does it know when to? The soil was totally dry, and had been so for weeks.

 

I'm rather smitten. Two more flowering sized stems have emerged so far.

That has some height!

When it's cold enough. Mine has not fully died back this year. It has a couple of new shoots too.

 

Not sure I understand this. It should be hot now and getting even hotter as we go into August. Or are you saying its been so cold recently that my Canarina thinks that winter in starting. I can't say I would blame it.

And is yours re growing without ever having gone completely dormant? I didn't know it could do that.

 

First of the BOPs for this year.

 

Phaleanopsis

 

Personally I think that is the long and the short of it.

That is exactly what mine has done. It has been outdoors though.

 

Sorry about slow reply - been on holiday in Corfu (oleanders, bouginvilleas, russellia
...).
I planted my cantua out last autumn. Survived the mild winter no problem, and growing well. Though how it can under the solanum I don't know...

 

Arisaema ciliatum var liubaense I think.

 

Wow, almost a forest.

 

@pete
Yes I am pleasantly surprised at it's spread. I believe that this is one of the stoloniferous Arisaema.

 

They are great Nigel - how tall are they?


Plumbago auriculata (from seed in 2011))


Thunbergia gregorii - I think I have more different Thunbergias than any other type of plant.


Aphelandra squarrosa. A member of the Acanthus family from Brazil. Wikipedia says it doesn't flower very often, but it has been reliable for me. Strictly speaking the flower is the small yellow bit coming out on the left hand side of the big yellow bit.

Is there a name for the big bracty bit as opposed to the flower itself? There are loads of plants that have these impressive looking bracts, but with tiny flowers.

 

Aphelandra?
Great plant, guessing it likes humidity?
The leaves a nice as well.

 

Yes Pete - its one plant that seems to be very happy with my humidity. Although the humidity drops a lot when it gets hot. I think its a reasonably common houseplant and rightly so, as you say the leaves are pretty even when its not in flower.

I have just had a Google and see that it can get up to 4 to 6 feet high. I like bigger plants - it makes them look more like tropical plants rather than house plants.

 

Its a plant I remember from house plant books of old, but never come across one yet.

 

@PeterS
The Arisaema ciliatum var liubaense are 18" to 24" high.