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Anyone grows Michdia?
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Posted by shic_2006 4a 5a (My Page) on Wed, Feb 8, 06 at 14:49
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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- Posted by bboy z8 WA USA (My Page) on
Wed, Feb 8, 06 at 20:25
| Looks like Michelia (Magnolia) champaca 'Alba'. Many threads here about this one, apparently some find the fragrance devine. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Yes, that is the plant. I searched the Fragrant forum before I post. I did not find any live-post about it. Are you suggesting another forum? |
RE: Anyone grows Michelia?
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| Oh, I see. I typed it wrong. How embarrassing ^_^ However, I could not find any discussion on aquilaria malaccensis. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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- Posted by bboy z8 WA USA (My Page) on
Thu, Feb 9, 06 at 14:52
| There may not be anybody else talking about it right this minute, but there usually aren't that many threads about any one topic active all at once. |
Here is a link that might be useful: GardenWeb's Gardening Search Engine
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| ok, thank you for the link. However, do you have any personal experiences with this fragrant plant to share? |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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- Posted by bboy z8 WA USA (My Page) on
Thu, Feb 9, 06 at 23:29
| I've probably walked under it at the Wahiawa Botanical Garden in Hawaii, maybe elsewhere. And I saw a local garden center had some recently arrived five gallon specimens in their house plant section. These had Monrovia nursery (monrovia.com) picture cards hanging from them. That's about as personal as I've gotten with it. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Bboy, I think there are a few different plants with first name michelia. Some are not trees. I also heard, there is some kind of needle-injection that can be used to treat seedlings. The process creates smaller sized mature/flowering house plants. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| I have M. figo, M. skinneria and M. maudiae. The plant you have pictured is not any of them, but looks like a relative. All of the ones I listed are wonderfully fragrant plants. Better than sweet olives or anything else I've ever grown except maybe night blooming jasmine. All of my plants are outside except for the M. maudiaes, which are not hardy until they are large. So they are in the greenhouse until they fill up a 5 gallon pot. FYI, they are doing fine in the greenhouse, and the ones outside have been disease/insect damage free so far. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Oh, gee, I hope they become more widely available in dwarfed houseplant form! |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Wow cweathersby, Your branch in TX must smell wonderful! Are you open to visitors? Also, are these easy to grow indoors (dwarfed version)? The image is M. Alba. It is a tropical michelia. A few images of other michelias from the web: M. figo
 M. maudiae
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RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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Bobby is right. The plant is Mechilia Alba. It is one of
the most tender plant, any frost will kill it. So, it can
only grow outside in very southern area. Besides, it is
hard to propagate, grafting is the way. it is said that it
can be air layered, but I have naver made it. I have one in 5G pot. Every summer, it flowers in tens of
buds from May to Oct, bring me its extreemly great smell. And then, before frost cames, I pruning it to control its size and move it in room on windowsill. It needs sun light. Every two years, I do root pruning on it. Root pruning is dangeous, but needed to control its size for a container plant. it also need acidic soil. It is not a easy plant in northern area. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| ermazi, Is it possible to discribe their fragrance to us? Do they flower a lot? With so many ready products for acid loving plants, I don't think it is difficult to plant these anywhere. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Hi schic 2006 - the scent is similar to Juicy Fruit gum. Michelia Alba is a wonderful fragrant plant. One bloom can scent the entire room. I am in Southern California, so this plant is readily available. Kasie |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Cool, can you show us some pictures of your local plants? I lived in SC for many years. I never see any. Maybe I cannot tell when they are not flowering. To post a picture, first upload some pictures to your websites. Then in the forum types lt img src="http://www.yourwebsite/yourpic.jpg" gt You need to replace "lt" by "<", and replace "gt" by ">". |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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In Southern California, you will be able to fine M. Alba in Asian supermarkets and nurseries. Where are you located now and where did you lived in SC? Also, if you type in the word
"michelia" in the search box, you'll see so many posts about this wonderful plant. Kasie |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| I lived in Seneca SC. I never see any Asian markets, etc. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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Yes my house is open to visitors! But nobody ever comes! And the people who do visit are NOT interested in fragrant plants.
That picture of M. maudiae doesn't look like the one I have. Do a search of SFA Mast Arboretum. The homepage has a picture of theirs in bloom. The blooms are larger, like a magnolia. And the fragrance is more like gardenia.
The M. figos have an unnatural fragrance. Smells like banana scented car air freshener would smell if they made such a thing. But it's wonderful because it's so strong and waftes for great distances.
I'm really sad right now because the M. skinnerias and M. figos were loaded with buds and then we got a weekend of hard freezes.
I've never seen an M. alba before, but I want one. BADLY.
I've asked a michelia expert on propogation methods, and he said that it's done by seed. Cuttings don't take very well.
Shic 2006, in April I'm attending a plant sale put on by SFA. They are going to have lots of michelias. They'll only cost about $5 each. If you want I could buy you a couple and ship them to you. This goes for anybody else on this forum too. Just let me know. You won't know what kind of michelia you are getting, though, because the school planted a "grab bag" of michelia seeds which included lots of michelias I had never heard of. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Sorry, the M. maudiae image is linked from the internet. It is taken from a wild plant. I assume yours is a greenhouse cultivar. Thank you for the offer and great price. I run out of space right now (check out my window garden in house plant forum). I am planning on buying a new house with garden in 5 years. I am looking forward to contacting you than. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Shic - I know nothing about Seneca and had to search for it on Google. When you said you lived in SC, I had assumed you meant Southern California like Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego and so forth. Kasie |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| We grow it at SF Bay area. I have many in my backyard. In colder regions, you need a green house or proper shelter room to protect it from the winter cold. Well heat bill may be too high. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Hi Longriver - do you prune your plants/tree? Or do you let it grow into shade tree? I have 3 plants and each reside in 15 gallon pots. I would like to prune it for better shape but I'm too afraid to clip them. Kasie |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Kaisie: Of course you can prune the tree. Then it will branch out with new leaf buds. Please prune only a few necessary branches to improve the appearance. It is not a willow tree. Timing is just before new growth in spring. I uasually use a long leggy branch to make approaching graft. Then I cut off the branch to form a new plant. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Thanks Longriver. I will do that. Maybe this year it'll look better and not so leggy. Kasie |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Everyone, images, please. I would be interested to see a flowering and leggy michelia. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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The M. figos have to be pruned here because there is always some winter die back. Don't worry about pruning. The flowers come from within the branches, not just at the tips, so it's not like you are pruning all of your flowers off.
Shic, sorry, no pictures. Mine look aweful right now because of winter, plus they aren't blooming since it the buds just froze off. Ask me again later. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| I've intended for 10 years to buy a Michelia. The first I saw, the nursery owner's son showed me a plant not in bloom, and said, "When they bloom, it (the fragrance) will make you want to eat a banana sandwich." There's a giant michelia probably close to fifty years old in a city park in town near the River. Heavenly, when in bloom. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| foxesearth, which city park has these? |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Oh. Sorry. I forgot that my Zone no longer reflected where I garden. I've fixed that. The city park is in a town along the Flint River in southwest Georgia. Nell |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Nell, Do Michilea trees and flowers look like Magnolia trees and flowers? I mean in shape, size, etc. I never knowingly see one. Do they bloom all summer like Magnolias? |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| The trees and flowers don't all look like magnolias (they are all in the same family, though). M. maudiae is tree-like and blooms late winter. It was in bloom last month at the arboretum I listed earlier. M. figo and M. skinneria are large shrubs that bloom mainly in spring but have a few flowers in summer and fall. The flowers are small and not anything to look at. They are a beige color. The only reason you would ever notice them would be because of the scent which will knock you down 100 yards away on a warm day. They are mostly scented in the late afternoon and evening. I went to the arboretum at SFA for 2 years in a row and never noticed the scent because the plant sale is in the morning when the scent doesn't wafte. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| The leaves of some Michelias resemble somewhat some deciduous Magnolias. That's about as far as I can commit. Nell |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Wow, nice and powerful fragrance. How wonderful! |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Michelia yunnanensis 
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RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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I got my from http://www.troptrees.com/default.asp.
The price is quite good, so is the tree quality.
Can not said enough about this wounder tree. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| I am not sure if I am paranoid. The website looks suspicious. Eastern lilies cost $125! Oh, maybe I am ignorant, there is a tropical lily tree that I don’t know of. But their Michelias are not labeled with clear prices … I’d rather talk to cweathersby. Also the newly identified Michelia yunnanensis by British botanists has large white flowers. It is a very good starting point for cultivars. I heard each popular cultivar benefits its inventor by millions of dollars. Anyone want to try? |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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- Posted by phapsu z10 LongBeach (My Page) on
Mon, Feb 20, 06 at 18:40
I bought one in a 2G pot, last October, from Mimosa
Nursery . Paid $25 for it. The ones in 5G pots are
around $50 to $60.
My plant's blooms do not look as pure white as in the pictures posted here. They are a little bit yellowish. I asked the owner of the nursery, and he assured me that mine
is not Michelia Champaca ( yellow ). He said Champaca
would look much "yellower", and not as fragrant. |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Hi Phapsu - the leaves on M. Alba is shiny and smooth and the blossom is either white or creamy white in color. The M. Champaca has the fuzzy peach texture on the leaves(at least to me)and yes the flower is yellow to orange in color. I hope this helps. And at $25 you have only one? :) Kasie |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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- Posted by phapsu z10 LongBeach (My Page) on
Mon, Feb 20, 06 at 21:03
Hi Kasie,
Thanks for the clarification. I might go back and get the M. Champaca later. I only bought one M. Alba, because I know it
can get really huge, and I do not have much room left ( already have a lot of different plumerias ). Mimosa Nursery has all kinds of tropical plants/trees, if you are interested.
Michael |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Hi Michael - would love to know the location of Mimosa Nursery. I think another M. Alba for $25 would be nice. And did you say Plumeria? Oh oh, this is another addiction of mine. Just can't seem to have enough of them. I root this funny stick plants all year long:) Kasie |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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- Posted by phapsu z10 LongBeach (My Page) on
Mon, Feb 20, 06 at 23:55
Hi Kasie,
There are 2 nurseries in Southern Cal, both named Mimosa. One is in East LA, in the Montebello area. One is in Anaheim, Orange County. They are kinda related ( long story ), but I recommend the one in East LA. Just Google "Mimosa Nursery", and you will find their address. Make sure you go to the one in East LA ( bigger ). They have all kinds of tropical plants & fruit trees. Once in a while, they'd have a big sale, 50% off. I saw some Juju Be plants, over 8 feet tall, going for $60 ( it would cost $150 at any other nurseries ). I also bought a Pandanus plant from them
( $15 ). They have lots of plumerias too, but only the common kind.
Michael ( email : phapsu@yahoo.com ) |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Thanks for the great info Mike. I will have to check out the East Los Angeles one. I did a Google search for Pandanus plant...ahhh so that's what it is. Learn new thing every day :) Again, thanks a heap Mike. Kasie |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Its actually called Michelia Champaka sometimes spelled Cempaka. It is origianlly from India. I first came apon the flowers in Bali Indonesia. They are extremely fragrant and the tree is comonly known as the Chanel No5 tree, as it is the flower the colounge is made from. One of two of the flowers in a dish will fragant the entire room. It is a compelling scent. I personally have grown 5 trees here in the Hollywood Hills, and I took out the three yellow flower trees because they never bloomed although they reached massive heights. My "Alba" trees bloom almost all year round now that I have planted them in the ground last year. Everything I've read about these plants suggest that they don't like water, but I have found that to be very incorrect. - what they don't like is "wet feet". Dig the hole, put lots of gravel in the bottome and water it on a regular basis. I have mine in direct sun. Best of luck! |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Is this thread still alive? I was in beautiful Brookgreen Gardens near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina a couple years ago and walked by a row of shrubs that smelled WONDERFUL! I've often wondered if it was Michelia I smelled. I wasn't into gardening then so I never thought to ask. I would love to smell this plant and to try to grow it in a container. Anyone know where I can find it at a good price? |
RE: Anyone grows Michdia?
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| Yes, I grow a Michelia Alba for 19 years old. It is 25 feet tall. It has 2000 very fragent flowers every year. I grow it in San Francisco, Ca. The image is in the photo gallery under the topical paradise, the second picture. Enjoy. alba-mickey |
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