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dogboy7

Colocasia Coffee cup/ Big dipper

dogboy7
18 years ago

Anyone have a source for either of these plants? Would like to add them to my collection.

Thanks

Comments (38)

  • bihai
    18 years ago

    Plant Delights has them.

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    Bihai - do you they they are worth that price? Please don't tell me that beauty is in the eye of the holder of cash. Do you really think they are worth it, or are we going to see thousands of little coffee cups saturating the market in the next couple of years, like Black Magic and Illustris have?

    Susan

  • dogboy7
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks for the info- $35.00 does seem kinda steep

  • bihai
    18 years ago

    I personally will not be buying either one of them until the price comes down. They don't look all that special to me

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    I kinda sorta agree with you, Keiko, unless I come into a windfall of extra money. In that case, I might break down for Coffee Cup. And who knows, I might walk into Lowe's and they'll have it for $14.95. You just cannot imagine the things you sometimes see in the market in the least likely places.

    Susan

  • bihai
    18 years ago

    Susan, I think you are right. It could pop up at any time in the box stores, probably misidentified and maybe cheap. Once it gets into tissue culture and gets distributed the price will drop. I have seen what looks like Big Dipper on another site, being called Colocasia fontanesii "Tea Cup" so beware, the proliferation of misnaming has already started.

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    ....as expected. Which is why I will probably wait and be checking my local Lowe's and HD a few times this spring. Even my local Garden Center comes up with some dandy's every now and then and doesn't really know what they are. Don't even have them tagged.

    This is a "keep you posted" post.

    Susan

  • Georgia_on_my_mind
    18 years ago

    Brian's Botanicals has them on Ebay, Buy it now for $7.00

    Here is a link that might be useful: Brian's Botanicals

  • bihai
    18 years ago

    Yeah for a 3" pot, 5 or so leaves...sounds too small to me

  • planty01976
    18 years ago

    Herein lies the problem, everyone wants huge plants and but they don't want to pay squat for them. Its unrealistic. I'd buy from brian williams blindfolded, they grow fast anyways.

  • tropicallvr
    18 years ago

    I ordered one a week ago, but still waiting to see what it looks like. Since it is really rare right now his prices seem really good. It's hard to keep myself from being impulsive when I go to his ebay store.

  • bihai
    18 years ago

    That's the thing. Even when Colocasia Milky Way and Yellow SPlash were still very hard to find, somehow, they wound up at my local nursery here in big full 3 gal pots for $15. So I am going to adopt the "wait and see" attitude with Coffee Cups and Big Dipper too, I think that they will show up here as the better plant for the better price and then I will get my actual money's worth.

  • dogboy7
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    I traded emails with Brian shortly after I posted this message, and he informed me about his plants. Since then, I have watched his site for the availability of coffee cup, but I can remember several plants that I ordered that I could have gotten locally for a better price. Just received a. cuprea from Natural Selections Exotics which I don't think I'll run into around here soon.

  • bihai
    18 years ago

    No, Cuprea is a hard to find plant. I don't even remember where I got mine from now its been so long ago, it may have been in Miami on one of my nursery jaunts, but I have never seen it up here either. You just almost cannot go wrong getting stuff from Enid.

  • planty01976
    18 years ago

    Water the Cuprea like a cactus or it will rot & die. White cuprea shown.



    {{gwi:381161}}

  • tropicallvr
    18 years ago

    Just got mine today from B.williams. Little, but nice plant, like a mini version.
    I showed my mom the pics of the large one on ebay, and she was amazed cause they were just like the ones she saw in Ubud, Bali at a cafe. She said watching them dump the water out was like a kind of meditation. Sounds cool, I can't wait for it to get big enough to do that.

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    Has anyone ordered from A&B Tropicals? They have pretty good prices on their Alocasias/Colocasias, too, and they have a pretty good selection.

    Susan

  • tropicallvr
    18 years ago

    Just got an order of A.m. Lutea, and A.wenti from them(A&B). I was a little disappointed because last time the plants were huge, and this time they were medium/small (still a good deal). Their Musa's were also a really good deal for the size.

  • moschata
    18 years ago

    Here's a photo comparing the two:

    Here is a link that might be useful: c. 'Coffee Cup' vs c. 'Big Dipper'

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    Troplicalvr - I purchased A. wentii last year from PD. I was the tiniest thing you ever saw. Had one tiny little leaf, in a 3" pot. I planted it out in June. By the end of the summer, it was about 2' tall and had several leaves on it, much larger - a very substantial plant. I was very, very pleased. It is a vigorous grower, so I think you'll be surprised. I just ordered two luteas from Brent & Becky's.

    Susan

  • Anela
    18 years ago

    HI, this is my first time posting to the Aroid forum but I thought I would jump in here :)

    I grow plumeria in pots and this year will start REALLY growing Alocasia's and Colocasia's....Been searching the web for good sellers and reasonable prices..Out of everyone I have talked to who's plants were below the outrageous prices of most nurseries (granted those 'outrageous' prices were for 1 gallon and higher pots) Brian Williams has been the most helpful :) I just ordered 4 from him for less then what 2 would have cost elsewhere.

    Granted they are in smaller pots but with the way these grow I don't think it really matters. I'm very excited to get them and more!! After ordering MANY plants through the mail you kind of get to know who you can trust and who you can't so I would have to agree with planty01976 I would buy from Brian blindfolded he's way to helpful and responsive to be a ripoff.
    I purchased
    1. C. gigantea
    1. Borneo giant
    1. Brian william hybrid
    1. A. gigantea...It's from a TC lab and all he knows about it is it grows to be huge. He's in the process of finding out more. It's a Alocasia for sure but he's not sure which one, or if it's the hybrid Tony Avent discovered in Veitnam. So I figured ooohhh exciting! Plus for the price why not.

    Anyway, HI :) and I am looking forward to learning as much as possible and asking all the newbie questions.

    Anela

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    Hi, Anela, and welcome to the forum! I'm a newbie basically, too, having started last year growing mostly alocasias and colocasias. I have a couple of arisaemas, sauramatum, arums, calla lilies, and an amorphophallus konjac tuber just waiting to go in the ground this spring.

    I had grown regular Colocasia esculenta for a few years, and Colocasia macrorhiza for about 3 years. Last year, I picked up a Colocasia Black Magic, Illustris, and Fontanesii at Lowe's for $12 each in 5 gal. pots. Passed over Yellow Splash - should have gotten it. Anyway, I picked up Alocasia plumbea nigra at my local garden center, too. Purchased the infamous Colocasia gigantea 'Thai Giant', plus 'Ruffles', and Alocasia wentii from Tony. I have dormant tubers right now of Rhubarb, Black Ruffles, Mickey Mouse, and a couple others.

    Here I can grow most of them in the ground. I have a lot of planting to do in about a month. I haven't ordered anything from Brian yet, but I'm sure I will eventually. I just ordered two Alocasia luteas from Brent & Becky's bulbs. They are very reasonable too for small plants. Love this one in particular, yellow stems and yellow veins. Gorgeous. One of my very favorites.

    Where in Kansas are you from? I hale from Kansas, too - southeast corner.

    Again, welcome!

    Susan

  • Anela
    18 years ago

    Thank you Susan :)

    I'm in Wichita Ks. born and raised in Hawaii but been here for quite awhile...No such luck finding these types of plants at lowes or half the time our local garden center here..Of course they can order them for you IF you want to pay their mark up when it get's here. The C. gigantea I bought is also the thai giant I can't wait to get that one! I will most likely keep them in pots this year and 'try' to keep them going over their first winter here inside..Although I don't really know if that's possible??

    I've been growing plumeria in pots for 2 years now and this past winter I kept them all going inside. I think I have around 50 or so ( I gave some away over the winter so would have to recount) anywhere from 4-5 ft. and smaller. I told my DH when we move the new house HAS TO have a large high ceiling room facing south. or a large greenhouse NO exceptions lol! I also grow passion flowers clematis and roses.....But if I could I would yank it all up cover my entire yard and grow a little Island paradise! I'm sure I will have alot of questions and OMG what have I done worries :O).......Thanks for the welcome loving all the information here.
    Anela

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    Cool beans! I lived in Wichita for a couple of years many moons ago. You might be surprised at your Lowe's or HD! I usually check around late June or July in the houseplants part. No, you probably won't find C. gigantea 'Thai Giant', but you might get lucky and find something that you really like and won't find just anywhere on the web for such a good price.

    I have a couple of passi's, too, but hardy ones in the ground, P. incarnata 'Incense', and P. lutea. Clematis 'Nelly Moser', 'Dr. Rupple', Jackmanii, 'Francis Rivas', 'Polish Spirit', tangutica, Proteus, Carnaby, H.F. Young, and Sweet Autumn. I don't dare touch roses, because I don't like their diseases. Too humid in OKC; they WILL get black spot.

    I dream for a greenhouse, sigh.....

    Susan

  • Anela
    18 years ago

    Wow that is quite a few passions! I have two in the ground on the south side of my house..With the very weird winter we had they are coming back great so far. We did however get snow yesterday!! I'll keep my eyes open at lowes :)

    Anela

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    Anela - they probably won't have them this time of year. They usually get them in during the summer. I didn't want you to think you might find them now. Whoa! We got snow, too, and last night it was 23 degrees here. Tied the record for low temps. I am scared to go look at my seedlings.

    Susan

  • Anela
    18 years ago

    Well if you have a inscence passion in the ground that has come up don't look at that one! Mine were about 8 inches above the ground and now they look like wilted little weeds :( poor little guys...I knew I should have covered them. Oh, and the temps were aobut the same here last night also talk about a backwards winter.

    Anela

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    Mine doesn't usually come up until around May. It's on the North side, which oddly enough is the sunnier side. I live on the south side of 40th, so the front of my house faces North. But, the front is sunny. I think our streets don't run exactly North, South, East and West, but are slight angled with the sun.

    Is yours situated in a south facing situation? Don't worry - it'll come back!

    Susan

  • Anela
    18 years ago

    Yeah, it's on the south side of the house. I put it in last year not thinking it wouldn't get too big at first. It attacked my house lol! So this year when I saw it start to come up I built a 'freeform' rebar tree for it to climb on it looks really cool. With my luck it won't come back and I'll have a rebar tree with nothing on it. I wont' mind though I'll just stick some lights on the tree :).

    Anela

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    LOL! I don't think you need to worry - it will come back. The top growth may have died back, but the roots will be okay. I'm amazed yours came up this early! Amazed and jealous. Although mine is interwoven with my Clematis 'Polish Spirit' and tangutica, so I like to give my 'Polish Spirit' a chance to bloom its head off before the passion vine begins to engulf the trellis.

    I'm going to have to see how you built the rebar tree. I really need to do some more trellises for the Japanese morning glories that I am going to plant this year. I have tons of seed from someone who was very generous with it. Have about 20 different cultivars, plus a lot of other vines I need to plant, like butterfly pea, ecremmacarpus, milkweed vine, asarina, hyacinth bean (white pod with purple seam), and so on and so forth.

    Susan

  • Anela
    18 years ago

    Well I got my plants from aroidgrower on ebay and I am very pleased. The plants look awesome and were packed the best I have ever gotten from ebay! not a leaf was broken and the roots are awesome! So if anyone is wondering about this seller he get's a BIG thumbs up from me :O)

    Anela

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    Thanks for the heads up, Anela!

    Susan

  • wolflover
    18 years ago

    I got my plants from Brian last week too, and am very pleased with them. They are small, but they were cheap and they'll have all summer to grow. I got Alocasia 'Portei', Colocasia 'Coffee Cups', Canna 'Flamingo Flight' and my very favorite!! Cyrtosperma Johnstonii. I'd been dying for all of these plants for several years, so was glad to get them all at one time to save on shipping. Actually the canna was new to me but I love big cannas. I also won the bid on an Alocasia 'Lutea' last night and will be thrilled to add it to my collection. :)

    Susan, I'm curious to hear how large the luteas you get from Brent & Becky's are. I may wish I had ordered from them instead of eBay. :)

  • susanlynne48
    17 years ago

    They are supposed to be in 4" pots. Same size that PD uses anyway. But at $8 a plant, can't beat that. I'm sure if it was PD selling, it would be $18-20.

    I'm so happy for you! Finally got your lutea! I just love Cyrtosperma johnstonii - another "to die for" plant. However, I don't believe it's hardy here, nope, pretty sure it's not. I know you have a greenhouse, but Dawna, are you gonna have enough room????? Or, is DH gonna do an add-on for you soon? LOL!

    Susan

  • wolflover
    17 years ago

    LOL, Susan. Nope, I don't think I can swing another add on. DH doubled the size of my greenhouse after the first winter, and I doubt I can talk him into doubling it again. At least not unless I turn it into a business instead of just my addiction... Which isn't likely. I always spend my profits on new plants, and I'm waaay in the hole now. :)

    That Cyrtosperma johnstonii had been on my top ten list for a couple of years now, and I'm thrilled to finally get it. It's such a cool aroid. I love it. Maybe I'll have a baby to trade you by the end of the summer. I think there is a baby or two on it now but they are very tiny.

  • susanlynne48
    17 years ago

    The only problem is that I wouldn't have any place to put it over winter, unless it can be a dry-stored bulb? I'm ready to move my alocasias and colocasias that have been inside in pots and looking downright sulky, outside now. Put them in my warm shady corner to acclimate at first. My typhoniums are breaking ground as of 3 or 4 days ago. And, I think my A. triphyllum is making an effort to come up, after doing a bit of "dirt surfing". The ground is so warm that I don't think it's going to take very long for the in-ground aroids to pop up this year. Last year, it took a very long time.

    Do you have a New Guinea Gold? I'm getting that and Lime Zinger so I can do a comparison after last year's heated debate. Also possible I will get A. 'Shattered Glass'. Am on the hunt for it. Will keep you posted.

    Susan

  • lanafaith
    11 years ago

    I am looking for one of these in my Michigan garden. Can anyone help? Of course I would be able to paypal shiopping costs. Thanks!

  • miketropic
    11 years ago

    new to the forum but I thought I would chim in.. didn't know bryan was so popular here. I live very close to his place and have been many times..If everyone could only see some of the monsters he has there. There should be no worrys about any of his plants. I do have a few of his personal hybrids that might be avalable in a few years. If I knew how to post pics I would there very nice Colocasia and neither of us really know enough about these hybrids yet. Im excited for everyone to see some of the new stuff he has made when it gets released for sale.

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