What's looking exotic in 2016

Has it bloomed since you planted it out though?

 

All very nice Peter but the Aphelandra squarrosa is a real WOW plant! And they are called bracts - that is it.

 

Lantana camara survived an overnight low of -5°c when the greenhouse glass shattered but is now back in bloom.............


I bought this Pentas lanceolata from Lidl last week. The price on the shelf was £1.99 but the receipt says £1.49


Salvia oxyphora is a most exotic looking Salvia..................

 

Hi Longk,

Now you're just showing off

The Pentas and the Salvia are both absolutely gorgeous.

 

I cannot accept any credit for the Pentas I'm afraid.

 

Aphelandras were popular in the 60's and 70's but lost popularity during the next two decades and only being grown again in recent years, it is not an easy houseplant to keep due to the humidity requirements.
I remember growing them when I worked at Rochfords House plants in another era!
They could, along with so many houseplants now, be grown by tissue culture.

 

No - very luxuriant, but all leaves at present! Maybe you're right and it will flower nearer autumn this time.
Mitraria though is flowering nicely, and red watsonias nearly out.

 

Not so much looking exotic, but certainly smelling exotic! My Cestrum nocturnum has a very early bunch of flowers. They do not usually appear for me until very late summer. This little bunch alone is now sitting in a shot glass by my bed and the smell is intoxicating. Takes me straight back to warm nights in Greece.

 

I love Pentas Longk, but its one that I just can't overwinter. I think it doesn't like humidity.

That's an interesting point Strongy. There must be lots of striking plants, such as your name sake - Strongylodon, that you rarely see because of some hidden difficulty in growing them.

I have done some Googling and found loads of other good looking Aphelandras on the net. But you never see any of them, so they must be even more difficult to grow.

A. golfodulcensis from Costa Rica and Panama. Other than the name and country of origin there is absolutely no other information about this.


A. scabra from South America. I have actually seen this one on sale in the USA. Its a shrub up to about 5 feet from forest areas.


And A. tetragona. I think this is lovely. Like the others its a shrub up to about 5 feet from northern South America. And it likes heat and humidity.

 

That is my challenge. I reckon that the cool porch area will be best. It's a thirsty bugger though!

We need to track some of those down, especially A.tetragona.

A couple of seasons ago @pete sent me Echeveria cante. It is just about to bloom but the best thing about it is its ghostly appearance...............




Echinopsis subnudentata...............


Not super exotic, Eccromocarpus scaber is a hardier plant than its reputation suggests. It is also the best doer in my garden year in year out................

 

Ok, so its BoP time again, not so many flowers as last year, but still enough to put on a show.


The basjoos,


Maureliis

 

Yes, I suppose they are LongK - thank you. I think of bracts as being smaller than or the same size as the flowers (as in most Salvias). However I feel there should be a special name for bracts that are 10 times the size of the flower. I think I will just have to call them mega-bracts.

Pete, whilst I love all of your plants - those Ensetes are so magnificent. And huge - they must be a good age as I find that my inside ones can get to 8 feet very quickly, but any ones outside over the summer grow very much more slowly.

 

You're showing off again now Pete

 

Does anyone want a rare BOP ?

It's around 4 and half feet high, 4 feet wide, has 30ish leaves , is in a 12" container and weighs a ton

PS...... You pay P+P

PS...... It's rare cuz in 15 or so years it's never booldy flowered......




( I'm not getting rid of it really )

 

One on the left was in a 12in pot all last winter, in the cool greenhouse frost free.
The one on the right is a year older, but I cut all its roots off last autumn after I lifted it, it grew new roots through the winter but was still in a 12in pot this spring.