What's Looking Exotic In July 2014

The photos don't do it justice.

I like that more every time that I see it!

The room is really coming together now!

 

@PeterS
I'm hoping that, having started early this year, my D Imperalis may flower. I first came across in Nepal one autumn and below are a couple of pictures. Fairly common there in the valleys and I didn't realise it was Mexican in origin until back home.

 

Nigel - that's a fascinating picture - to see it in its full height as nature intended - lovely. I hadn't realised that the flowers are only at the very top.

I presume you know Hill House Nursery - being so close. They have grown it inside and outside. In Devon there must be a good chance of it flowering outside, but its a much lower chance in Yorkshire. Having said that mine flowerd outside last year at a height of 6 feet, presumably as a result of the late very warm spell we had. The previous year (its first) it grew to 9 feet but never flowered. This year I have it inside a new sun room, where the temperatures are usually 25C to 30C. Advantage - its flowered; disadvantage - its going to outgrow the 8 foot ceiling quite quickly.

Last year I stayed with my sister on Haytor and visited Hill House in September. I asked Ray where the imperialis was and he said it was still at the side of the greenhouse at about 6 feet. He only moves it into the centre when it starts to take off, which it hadn't yet done. So its a really late plant. He also has Dahlia excelsa, another tree Dahlia. It has a very similar flower to imperialis and there are people who say that its another form of imperialis. However it flowers earlier and more easily. But its very brittle, and I kept knocking branches off, and its growth pattern is not as neat. So when it didn't come back from its tuber a couple of years ago - I said good-bye.

 

No, in the frost free greenhouse, I dont think it even likes that, although I get the impression cold humidity might be the problem.

Regarding Dahlia imperialis, Mine always starts to bud up in late Oct, with the expected outcome, being that late.
I basically grow it because it makes massive growth during the summer and large leaves.
@PeterS , did your plant overwinter in the green?

 

Ah.
Mine was stored dry and frost free in the shed. I know that in SoCal it defoliates and goes dormant during periods of drought.

 

Mine were bone dry at the roots, but come spring the die back had gone right down the stems this year to the base.
The roots were still white and alive, but no buds remained on the stem for regrowth.

 

No it overwintered as a tuber. But you have raised an interesting point - can a Dahlia overwinter in the green?

Going further, what tubers/rhizomes will overwinter in the green under ideal circumstances, and which ones will never do that.

 

Aloe striatula.......................


Bomarea edulis (Sues, not mine)..................


The next two are not really exotic as they're easy to grow, but they LOOK exotic. Lobelia tupa.................


It's very big this year (photo taken about three weeks ago)....................


Rhodochiton atrosanguineus is easy from seed..........................

 

I'm only, guessing but I assume with heat and lights you can overwinter any tuber in the green, it might well mess up is growth the following summer though.

I thought the large Dahlias were "shorter day length" plants and only started to flower once they sensed the days getting shorter.

 

Stepelia has 2 blooms now

Jenny

 

Datura wrightii, Original seed from longk.
This is from overwintered roots, but I had a seed grown plant this year flower a few days before this one.

 

Is it planted out or in a pot?

Streptocarpella................


Sesbania punicea..................


Echeveria pulvinata....................


Gloriosa superba rothschildiana......................

 

It overwintered in a pot, but its planted out now along with two others.

 

I did the same thing yesterday.

 

Beautiful Pete - and the leaves look so healthy. My Brugmansia leaves look really tatty.

Very nice LongK - I especially like the Sesbania. And Gloriosa is really Gloriosa.

Pentas lanceolata - I gather this can stay in bloom for many months.


Cuphea hyssopifolia


Mandevilla boliviensis has almost reached the roof of my sun room and has just started to flower.