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marricgardens

My new favorite......

marricgardens
14 years ago

I received seeds for this in an exchange. I didn't even really know what the plant was. I didn't check it out because I wanted it to be a surprise. Right now I'm just hoping I will be able to get some seeds from it.

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This is 'Abelmoshus Manihot'. I wintersowed some of the seeds and ended up with 6 plants. I have now researched it and it is an annual. It has grown about 3' this summer and is covered with buds. Marg

Comments (23)

  • gardeng8

    I can see why this could be a new favourite. It is gorgeous! I'd be interested in trading for some seed also. If I am lucky, I may have some cherry brandy rudbeckia seed (fingers crossed) to tempt you with perhaps?

  • gardeng8

    I can see why this could be a new favourite. It is gorgeous! I'd be interested in trading for some seed also. If I am lucky, I may have some cherry brandy rudbeckia seed (fingers crossed) to tempt you with perhaps?

  • gardeng8

    I can see why this could be a new favourite. It is gorgeous! I'd be interested in trading for some seed also. If I am lucky, I may have some cherry brandy rudbeckia seed (fingers crossed) to tempt you with perhaps?

  • diane_v_44
    14 years ago

    Marg

    I had this plant at one time

    Got some seeds from plants growing at the Montreal Botanical Gardens.

    For some reason I really did like the plant.
    You know I can not remember what happened with it. Don't remember if it grew or not.
    Had forgotten the plant until I have seen this photo of your plant growing.

    How did you think to wintersow some of the seeds.
    I would have planted it in spring.

    I enjoyed to see the photo
    It looks something like cotton growing in the south.

  • greylady_gardener
    14 years ago

    oh that's a beauty!! Very nice!! (I hope you get seeds:))

  • halaeva
    14 years ago

    I also must have it! It is lovely plant,Is very ornamental:showy flowers and big showy leaves .It is Hibiscus.It is Okra!I like Okra very much. All the parts of the plant are edible.This is so interesteng,I,ve never know that.I just searched Google for it and got a lot about the plant.
    Thanks Marg for leting us know what is your new favorite.
    Hala.

  • marricgardens
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I researched it and found a lot of information at hibiscus.org. It said it was a native Australian hibiscus, edible leaves, sometimes reseeds. When I received the seeds I knew nothing about the plant.
    Diane - When I read that it reseeds, I decided to try wintersowing some. The plants were about 4" when I planted them out.
    greylady-gardener - the plant is lovely and it looks quite 'regal' towering over the other plants in my garden.
    Hala - glad you liked it. If I get seeds, I will let you know (I will post on my page) and if you want some I will send you some.
    Marg

  • halaeva
    14 years ago

    Marg;
    Thank you.I just went to hibiscus.org.Very good site,have learned more about Hibiscus Abelmoshus Manihot.the plant which produces tasty vegetable:Okra' Aibika'.In result,I am about to buy some okra fruit,take seeds out,dry them, sow them and wait until it shows what Hibiscus it is- depends what cultivar of Okra I got at the store.I see myself peculiar,but I like experiments.
    I wish you success with your New One.
    Hala.

  • marricgardens
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Gardeng8 - I just went out and checked my plants. None of them have seed pods that I can see but I may be wrong (it won't be the first time). There is a frost warning out for tonight so I'm trying to figure out a way to cover the plants. I'll just cover the one with the most flowers on it. Keeping my fingers crossed. Marg
    P.S. Your cherry brandy rudbeckia is very, very tempting.

  • jroot
    14 years ago

    She is a beauty. Well done. I have quite a few hibiscus, but don't have this one. Envy growing here. LOL

  • donna_jj
    14 years ago

    I grew this Hib last year, and yes the butter-yellow flowers are magnificnt! If you plant to collect the seeds please let me offer my 2 cents and warn you that the seed pods are very prickly as are the stems. There are lots of tiny sharp barbs and gloves are essential to collect them, open them and to get the seeds out. You can't really see the barbs but they are there. Grasping bare handed is not a good idea as I learned the hard way. They are easy to regrow from seed indoors the following year - I started mine in March and they bloomed beautifully in the summer. Good luck with the wintersowing, I have never tried that technique, please let us know how it turns out!
    Happy gardening,
    Donna

  • marricgardens
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Hala - please let us know how your experiment works out. I'd love to hear what type of plant you get. I also read that this plant is easy to start from cuttings, I have to try that. Good luck!

    Donna - Good to know about the thorns. We did get frost last night but a light one. Nevertheless, I put stakes around the plants and covered them with a frost blanket last night. Here's hoping I get some seeds. I did winter sow them. I put the pots outside about the end of March and all 7 grew.
    Marg

  • ianna
    14 years ago

    I thought it looked familiar. I eat okra too. Love it, but didn't know all the plant is edible. I only eat the fruit.

    Isn't it awesome that hibiscus can be found in all forms through out many climates. From the hawaiian hibiscus to the mallows, even the rose of sharon.

  • halaeva
    14 years ago

    Marg,
    Certainly,I will.Have not my okra yet.
    I plan to do my sowing inside in March.
    You say,you can't see seed pods yet.What about fruits? Did your plants produce fruits?-okra like pods. According to Hibiscus.org-the literature you recommended you should have fruits by now and of course with seeds in.Are you sure the flowers got pollinated? How was the insect population in this growing season over the place you live. I will keep my finger crossed,hope you'll have seeds.
    Hala.

  • marricgardens
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Hala = I'm looking forward to hearing about your experience with growing okra from seeds. I love okra but DH doesn't like it - taste or smell. My plant didn't start flowering til 2 weeks ago. I know it's getting pollinated because we have lots of bees. I plant things like hyssop and lemon monarda that bees love. I did find, what I thought was a pod, but it's taking on the shape of okra. We've had frost the past 2 nights so I don't think it will mature to seeds. I am keeping the plant covered to see what happens! I think this summer they're a bit later maturing because it's been cool and wet. Marg

  • halaeva
    14 years ago

    Marg.
    I just serched Garden Web for Okra.Our members are sharing their experiences growing okra this year.Doesn't look so good.Many of them still are waiting for blooms.It is interesting.
    I went to Superstore to get some okra and did not get any.
    Bad year for Okra ?-maybe.I'll be at Metro tomorrow and my local garden centre which is Plant World in Toronto Hope will get more info about okra crop this year and i'll be looking for seeds.
    Thanks for reading my epistole LOL

  • northerner_on
    14 years ago

    I don't go on this site very often but was glad to see this post. I can tell you that the bloom in the picture is that of Okra because I grow it from seed every year. I direct plant in the spring, and usually get quite a good crop of okra, but this year, because of the wet & cold (it loves heat), I did not get a good crop. The plant is a member of the hibiscus family, but it is not a hibiscus. Hibiscus does not produce fruit like Okra. It is a very strange plant - it does not always produce a fruit from the flower, and sometimes you do not see a flower, but you get fruit. In order to get seeds, you must let the pod stay on the plant until it is brown. You can then open the pod and save the seeds. Fruit from the supermarket is picked young so they are tender, and you will not get viable seeds from them. Because my production was so poor this year, I have only one pod left on the plant from which to save seeds. The flowers are very short-lived - just one day - and they are not usually so visible as in Marric's pic. Of course there are several varieties. I grew about 6 different varieties last year all gifts from a friend in Montreal, but I did not save any seeds. I just consider it one of my veggies and purchase seeds every year. There is also a red/burgundy variety which bears burgundy fruit and has shades of red in the foliage.

  • marricgardens
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks for the info northerner_on. Maybe what I am seeing are seed pods and not fruit forming. We didn't get frost last night so I'm still hoping to get seeds . Right now all my plants are covered with blooms. Maybe I can get seeds for the red/burgundy variety. Where do you buy the seeds? I may have to buy if mine doesn't set seeds. Marg

  • halaeva
    13 years ago

    Hi Marg, seven months later.
    Have nothing interesting to communicate as I did not get Okra's fruits.No store had them, I obsessively was looking for them at many grocery stores.I tried also to get okra's seeds - with no results.It was a bad year for okra-I got informed at Metro. Only could get seeds of low growing variety.I did not give up.I'll be trying my experiment this year and will share results.
    Did your yellow favorite give any fruit? Have any photo to share?
    Thanks for reading.
    Hala.

  • marricgardens
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Hi Hala. I never did get any seed pods. I still had a few left over so I w/s some of them but so far they haven't come up. This year I traded for some of the perrenial hibiscus seeds. I have about 10 growing right now. I hope they do well for me this summer. My favorite last summer was a rudbeckia I traded for. Here are a few pics you might like (please ignore the weeds:

    'Goldsturm' R. and 'Okey Dokey' Geranium
    {{gwi:539920}}

    'Prairie Sun' R. with 'Frosted Velvet' Heuchera
    {{gwi:539922}}

    Russell Lupin mix
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    'Acoma' bearded iris
    {{gwi:539927}}

  • halaeva
    13 years ago

    Hi,I love your Rudbeckia and the arrangement around the stone.Iris is gorgeous.All plants look very healthy.Pictures are beautiful.Hope,you will have a lot nice plants to photograph and share.I have Daffodils and Jonquils so far.Have a look.

    {{gwi:539929}}

    {{gwi:539930}}

  • marricgardens
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Those are gorgeous Hala! One thing I don't have much of around here is spring color. I'm planning on getting some bulbs this fall and planting them. I like narcissus, hyacinth, virginia bluebells and crocus. I do have one tulip, a branching variety called 'Red Riding Hood' but it is early flowering and already over. A perennial I have flowering now is arabis, I need to get a picture of that one it's really nice this year. My 'Gold Dust' Alyssum is also budding up and about to open. Marg

  • halaeva
    13 years ago

    Thanks.I also have not enough of spring flowers.My Tulips are old and they die one after another leaving empty spaces.I need replace them,but have to wait untill Autumn.I love Hyacinth and must have them back-had them years ago.Spring color you say. I take it as a very revelant observation. People tend to neglect this issue in general and Spring blooming plants are rather aside.Summer-blooming time comes late for the most of plants like Oriental Lylies for instance.So it is essential to keep our gardens in blooom as long as only it is possible without gaps.Let us start early next year.Hala

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