Hi Jim - It's Michelia Champa and Alba all the way!! I fail at growing Ylang-Ylang. I've smelled the Magnolia Coco at our local Asian nursery and decided that I'll spend the money on more Michelia Alba and Plumerias instead. You too have a great 4th.

Kasie

I had a wrightia, [ Notice Had ] it was a good size specimen with 2 inches truck caliper. Slowly, I continued pruning it down with
the goal of just the single lowest branch that leaned toward windswept style. Final move was made.....Whoops now it's gone!

Not to easy to come but so easy goes ;-]

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Supannee,

Sorry to hear about your wrightia -- I've heard they can stand a complete defoliation, but I haven't tried it with mine; I'll be cautious in the future! I had a terrific flush of blooms in early summer, I may cut back the branches and see if I can get another.

Kaisie -- I'm still waiting for a dwarf champaca to be developed! ;>)

Jim

I had a wrightia, left it on courtyard (which is protected) in Sacramento, CA and it died. OOOps...left out winter before in same spot and it lived. It never bloomed so I never got to smell it.

Just purchased a Michelia Alba...
Really would like a champaca for my backyard and I hear we can leave those out all winter in Z9. Also, in side yared of my house, I am putting about 13 roses in. Have a whole list of wants there....have been reading the rose forum and a number of other sources to try to find roses that waft!!

Oh, also want a tall pink brugmansia!!

Never just 1 want!!!
Karen

My two cents?

The coco is a nice plant but the bloom barely last a day and is only scented a part thereof. The smell is really pleasent but the flower is so shortlived.

You cannot go wrong with the michelias. They bloom profusely and waft a great scent.

Hi Jim;-

Wow, you have earned the bragging rights on those blossoms. Is your's the double or single flowers?

I had only just began to learn a little during the 5 years that I had the Wrightia. I seem to recall reading somewhere
regarding defoliation as well. Have you ever considered trying this treatment with yours? I would really like to hear
conformation how well your's responds to this treatment and your observations of how the new leaf flush performs.
If you should receive another flush of those lovely blossoms I would also love to hear about that as well.

{{gwi:8337}}

Don't sell the mag. coco short. I keep two bushes near my front door and wouldn't miss their scent for the world. Blooms only last a day or so, but they are beautifully fragrant, and if you poor coffee grounds on the soil, they really do get quite a few successive blooms.

For those looking for a dwarf michelia, I top off one of mine every year and it's none the worse for wear. Seems like you could keep one just about any size with this technique.

What's special about wrightea? Never heard of it...

Hi,
I'm driven to find the fragrant carnation called Cottage pinks... I smelled them in a garden years ago. I remember the fragrance being so wonderful it made you dizzy.

Yup, my want is simple.
Elaine

Altadena,

thanks for the thumbs up on the mag. coco -- what michelia are you growing, by the way?

Here's my take on wrightia --

to the best of my knowlege, it has a long history of cultivation in gardens and containers in Southeast Asia, and a shorter history as a tropical bonsai species, but was pretty unknown in North America until about 4-5 years ago.

Somebody imported it because it's fragrant, pretty, compact, takes pruning well (but see Supannee's post above!), and blooms in flushes on new growth, and suddenly it became "the legendary wrightia religiosa" -- gotta love a botanical name like that anyway -- and so I naturally took the bait and ordered one.

Here's the catch: I ordered a three foot high specimen from a company, Bloomin' Good, that no longer does mail order! Some nurseries sell small starters, and I suspect they're harder to grow because they don't have extensive root systems -- it's really a tree, not a woody vine like most true jasmines.

Mine has been very tough within limits, it takes full sun and loves the heat, has survived night temps down to the low 50s with only some leaf dieback (I wouldn't leave it out in anything under 50 degrees), and has survived spider mite attacks in winter.

The flowers look like single fuschia flowers, and all hang on roughly the same horizonal plane in a cluster, so several clusters open at once look very elegant. The scent is not, I'd say, quite as wonderful as a sambac jasmine; it's not as heavy, and slightly less rich, but it's very nice, again particularly when you've got a lot of flowers.

I don't seem to have a picture of it right now; if I get more blooms soon I'll post 'em!

Elaine, I'm pretty sure "Cottage pinks" is just a name for a group of carnation cultivars, not one particular variety. Check some seed catalogs and Flower Scent Gardens online to see if you can find some good ones!

Jim

Hi altadenafoothills ;-

A bit more on Wrightia religiosa. As the species name 'religiosa' implies, much like Ficus religiosa not only does this Plant
has a long history in association with the Buddhist religion and Buddhist Monks, 'Mook koew' is highly regarded for
containing medicinal properties as well.

Which plant becomes special to someone is a matter of a personal perspective. I think every gardener has his or her own special
favorite that is close to their heart. For myself, it is simply a pleasure that I allowed myself a bit of time learning what this plant
needs and it's natural requirements in keeping it looking at it's best. Together with my attempt with a little manipulation and hope
that the plant will respond to my optimistic desire for it to have a presentable appearance and, my eye, pleasing personality.

During this process I somehow lost myself to this lively greenery thing becoming dear to me. Lol.

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Jimshy: Well, now I have to buy one for the name alone. I grow both m.alba and m.champaca (the white and the yellow). I have two alba's, one in a large pot and one in the ground, both get some shade and both look great (after a shakey first two years). The yellow is in the ground and about 18 feet tall now. Doesn't bloom as much as the whites, and most people agree the fragrance isn't as nice as the whites. got a couple of figos too, and they're very nice.
I too have an ylang ylang, but mine has never bloomed and looks like kind of a sad sack right now; never recovered from the hail and wind storm of april or may. Does yours bloom? If so, please describe.

Supannee: I've enjoyed your posts for years. I broke my leg a couple of weeks ago and am now in a toe-to-hip cast for six weeks. Among my first thoughts when I got the news: My dog! My horse! My plants! (It all worked out, thank god.)

not a shrub but i grew the single mexican tuberose in a container this year and am really pleased with its fragrance (perhaps jasmine-like; very sweet). i am going to put them in the ground and hope they return next year. have read they can be hardy outdoors in zone 8.
also planted some peacock orchid bulbs this season and they are blooming now. to my nose, the fragrance is somewhat similar to moonflower and smells sort of like baby powder with something else thrown into the mix.
both containers are close to my front door, which makes for a nice greeting. :-)

As an aside, a plant that I would recommend is Aloysia virgata-Almond Verbena. Very pleasent smell that wafts.

There is also a variegated wrightia. The scent is just slightly less that the non-variegated.