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karyn1_gw

Solandra in bloom

karyn1
14 years ago

My Solandra maxima has begun blooming. I figure this isn't too far OT because it is a brug relative ; ) The smell is wonderful. I have it inside in very low light and am surprised that it's blooming so well. It's just too big to fit in the greenhouse. I had to stand on a chair to get these pics. I wish there was some way I could trick it into flowering during my growing season. The flower is actually a deep yellow. The lighting is bad and it looks white in the pic.


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Here's the arbicola with seeds in FL. I didn't even realize that it flowered.


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Some pretty weeds in FL


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Had to toss in a couple of Kyle. lol


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Comments (19)

  • karyn1
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Here's a few more pics of the solandra that are closer to the true color. You'll also notice some of the aphids that have been plaguing the plants that have been indoors.

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  • beachplant
    14 years ago

    Mine bloom a couple of times a year. The two planted in the garden did fine after being covered, one in a pot I brought in and it's back out blooming like crazy. The other in a pot I left outside, laid it flat, covered it and it looks awful!
    Tally HO!

  • karyn1
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I'd love to get mine to bloom sometime May-Oct but it always blooms Jan - Mar for me. It wouldn't be a problem if it didn't get so damn big and bloom on the new growth. I might play with a few cuttings this year and see if I can trick them into blooming a different time of year. I have a friend in So CA that has an old solandra maxima that must have at least 30 blooms at a time on it. It's absolutely gorgeous. I'd also love it if my variegated solandra would bloom but I've never even had a bud on that one.

  • pagrdnr
    14 years ago

    Wow that is beautiful Karyn. Looks like a combo of brug, dat, and daylily. Is it a bush or a vine? Do you treat it like a brug the way you overwinter it or is it more picky?
    Shawn

  • phatboyrose
    14 years ago

    Ms Karyn such a Beautiful solandra its' just Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing it with us.
    Harold

  • napdognewfie
    14 years ago

    So cool. Another one on my wish list.

    Looks like Kyle is a hit with the little ladies too.

    Linda

  • karyn1
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    It's called a vine but here grows nothing like a vine. It's like a big shrub but in a frost free zone it can spread over quite a large area. It doesn't have any tendrils or anything to hold on but the branches can get really long and are somewhat flexible. It remains growing all winter and that's when it blooms. In it's natural environment late fall thru early spring is it's blooming time. It's a pretty carefree plant. I feed and water it when I remember and it's very easy to grow from cuttings. I've never taken a cutting that didn't root. I had (have) more in the greenhouse that I took over the summer but I have no idea if they are still alive. I cut it back after it's done blooming to get it to a manageable size. It blooms on new growth so I can't prune it late in the season. The blooms are big, about 5" across and 8" long. Mine have never produced seeds. I don't know if they can self or need cross pollination from an unrelated plant. I'm also not sure if they are easily grown from seed but no matter because cuttings are so easy.

  • eloise_ca
    14 years ago

    Beautiful solandra Karyn, and I like the "weeds" too! Kyle is so cute. That second pix looks like he is dancing with the girls, but I'm assuming it's that big parachute game, LOL!

  • chena
    14 years ago

    Looks like Kyle had a ball.. I bet you miss the sunshine.. Beautiful plant!! I may have to beg a cutting from you come Spring..I have never grown that before..

    Kylie

  • marcie_new
    14 years ago

    Beautiful weed in the water!! My 3 weeds are in Japan, but come june-july I will see them they coming home for a week or so. May I beg for a cutting or 2 of your solandra? Marcie.

  • karyn1
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    You don't know how much I'm missing the warmth. It's in the teens with a half foot of snow here. I was going to go back with Kyle next week but I think my older kids are getting upset and DH too so I don't know if I should take off again so soon. We are going to Disney as a family the week of 3/11 so I might end up waiting until then.....maybe. lol

    I might still have rooted cuttings in the greenhouse. If not I'll be cutting it back around March and will have more. I just stick them in a pot of soil and they root. No hormones, no humidity dome, nothing. They just root.

    Eloise that was a birthday party. It's so funny the two little girls that he's jumping with are twins and they call him on the phone all the time.

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    14 years ago

    Karyn, my plant died when we had the 100 degree days. I had it planted in full sun and it never bloomed. Do you think it would have done better if I had moved it to only morning sun? I am afraid of buying another one, since I had such bad luck with the first one. Everything I read said to plant in full sun. Barbra

  • karyn1
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I keep mine in full afternoon sun during the growing season and we get plenty of 100 degree or close to it days. It's one of those plants that I pretty much ignore. It's a winter bloomer so you wouldn't expect blooms until sometime after Nov most likely. It's also not cold hardy so maybe you should try growing it in a pot and giving it winter protection. If you want I can send you a cutting when I prune mine which will be sometime in the spring. I might also have some rooted cuttings in the greenhouse but I haven't looked. I had about 20 rooted cuttings last summer and didn't get rid of all of them.

  • Frances Coffill
    14 years ago

    What a beautiful and unusual flower! makes me think of passion flower for some reason! :O

    Thank you for sharing, it is always good to see new and unusual flowers!

    Frances

  • figara
    14 years ago

    Solandra is a very interesting looking plant but Kyle's picture are favorites. Looks like he had a lot of fun.
    Karin, are you missing the sun and warmer days?

    Pat

  • yaslan
    14 years ago

    Wow. your Solandra has beautiful blooms. It's a very nice sharp-yellow coloring your yard. ( :
    ~ Bo

  • gardenpaw
    14 years ago

    Wonderful pics Karyn!

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    14 years ago

    Karyn, I would love a cutting or rooted cutting, if you have any left. Are they easy to root? I think I will move it out of full sun this time. I planted it on the side of the garage, and nothing ever grows there, its just too hot. Barbra,

  • karyn1
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Barbra just get in touch with me about it in the spring. If I don't have rooted ones you can wait for me to root more or you can try a cutting. They are extremely easy to root.

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