Hi guys :)
What do you consider your most rare prized species?
For me it's my Paramongaia Weberbaueri!
I have never seen one of this sold in the US ever! It has the most beautiful flowers and they're very fragrant :)
Here is a link to pictures and info http://www.bulbsociety.org/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLDS_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Paramongaia/Paramongaia_weberbaueri/Paramongaia.html
My Worsleya is a very close second, and when I finally get my Pamianthe Peruviana in the mail, that'll be number 1~
What is your most guarded species of plant that took you forever to acquire?
What's Your Most Prized Plant?
Mine is Amorphophallus titanum
Tropical Breeze,
How long have you had it :) I've heard that they bloom maybe a few times in their lifetimes, I've also heard a guy that said his bloomed a few times already and he thinks it'll bloom again! This is probably the most intriguing plant and not too easy to get a hold of since they don't make offsets readily and they don't bloom nearly enough to make seed :)
Mine is probably my Licuala mapu palm
Josh, I've had my plant about a year and was told it was already 6 years old. From what I understand these plants don't operate on an annual cycle so flowering can occur any time of year. Also, the female flowers become receptive before the male flowers produce pollen. This ensures only cross pollination can occur, with another earlier flowering plant. The possibility of there being two plants flowering the right sequence and in close proximity becomes remote hence the low rate of seed production in natural situations.
With the flowering, there's a plant I've heard of in Bogor Gardens in Indonesia that flowers every 2 years. Otherwise, I don't know of any other regular flowering.
Gothqueen, Licuala mapu is high on my "want list", along with Johannesteijsmannia magnifica.
I got this one years ago, for $35. A pittance when you consider what they sell for now. Its so slow growing its painful, and I would die if I lost it now. I had a Joey magnifica, but it croaked. I have Joey Diamonds that are doing GREAT but the magnifica did not like me
I've been talking to a guy about buying a titan, I can buy a big sized one or a smaller, I think I'm going to go with the smaller! I love to grow things from smaller on up!
When yours does bloom you should get as much pollen as you can and freeze it! It lasts in the freezer for a good amount of time! I'm sure someone would be more than willing to trade ya :)
I finally got my Pamianthe in the mail, they don't look so good but considering they've came all the way from the Netherlands I think I expected much worse! I'm praying that they make it considering the ONLY other source I've ever seen them would cost me about 220 - 250 to purchase, then on top of that the seller lives in Australia! I guess they're extinct in the wild completely and there are very few in cultivation!
Goth, you don't see the Licuala mapu around very much. The most recent price I've seen for a small plant was $55. The Joey magnifica you have to ask for the price, they don't advertise it. I saw the one in Cairns and even there it's kept in a green house. But one day .....
I bought a small Joey Diamond but as it's grown I'm beginning to suspect it's actually Licuala grandis, and I've already got enough of those.
Josh, I know they've pollinated the Titan from frozen pollen successfully in Germany. But don't know how long they'd kept the pollen. I've enquired around but still haven't come up with a pollen swapping arrangement with anyone. I was advised by people in botanic gardens that they are reluctant to deal with the public on this one.
I'll take a photo of my Joey Diamonds. Fronds are about 3-3.5 ft now. They have done well. The other palm that is doing well for me is my Darian Palm. I really like it.
ALL OF THEM ! No, Yes...Seriously, I love them all, and asking me to pick a single one is impossible...........at least for me. ( Course that could be the Blond hair emerging from the Gray Roots !) LOL, Not off Topic, I did mention "Roots"
and I'm just a little heat stroked................
Goth, mine is small but when I bought it the fronds looked convincingly like they were going 'diamond'. Now that it's grown a bit it looks more like L. grandis beginning to fan out. I've still got my fingers crossed but it's looking more like a double-cross.
Had to look up Darian Palm, don't have one of those. The texts say it grows better in the cooler climates (sub-tropical, like Brisbane) rather than in the warmer wet tropics, like Cairns. But it's originally a swamp dweller.
My prize 'entire leaf' palm is Pelagodoxa henryana. Couple of weeks ago made up a shaded sheltered bed for it and will be planting it out in about a week.
Here are my Joey Diamonds. Young yet, mind you, but probably 6 times bigger than when I first got them a few years ago. They don't exactly break speed records for growthrate
And a second one
This is my Darian Palm. Its probably 3 times a big as it was when I got it and has some divided leaves now
My Pelagodoxa henryana is much older than those palms. Its about 10 years old. Maybe eleven, as I had it for a year or two in a container before I planted it into the ground in the greenhouse in 2002. The top of its biggest frond is at about the 10 ft mark.
Those are probably my fave palms and ones I couldn;t do wothout since my Licuala obicularis bit it. Still too painful to talk about (sniff). I also like this one a whole lit, its still very young but it has the most interesting fronds....Geonoma deversa
Well, I dont have any RARE stuff like you guys have, but probably one of my favorites is my Strophanthus preussii. I just love the flowers on it, and its always full of blooms. I keep it in a pot and trellis on my back porch as a conversation piece. ;)
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/60444/
Brandon,
I have wanted that plant for ages but didn;t want to fund Logee's coffers by paying their outrageous price LOL. I figure I will find it locally...one day.
Hey GQ, sent ya a d-mail! ;)
Very Cool Plant !
Goth - Zone 9 has it for 15.99 1 gallon pot.........I didn't check to see what shipping is.
Logee's say's out of stock and had no price listed, and I couldn't find anyone else when I googled it.
poooooooooo
Well, I do love my plant but things have changes since I posted my last post, I just won a Amorp Titanum on ebay for 32 dollars!!!!!!!!!! Its a year old tuber/corm that is already established!!!!! :) Im so freakin HAPPY! LOL
LOL....I've been cruising Ebay too......looking for several things!
HAHAHA mjsponies, I got that and thats it! Atleast thats what I have to tell myself to get away from ebay! LOL
Oh, I was bidding on that one but I did see it..........I'm looking at a bunch of other stuff tho................one can get in trouble there very easy...
LOL........Seeds, Plants, Cuttings...........OH MY ! but congratulations !
Hey How are those Aphelandra sinclairiana seedling doing ?
Oh yeah!!!!!! They are still hanging in there very well, I just want them to get a little bit more established so that I know you will get a quality plant. Wont be too much longer though, I promise. ;)
Great photos Goth. The petioles on my "Joey" are just a bit too long, and that's why I suspect it's a young L. grandis.
Most of the photos I've seen of the Darian show complete leaves. Possibly it does vary a bit within that species.
Every time I look at my Pelagodoxa I see images of something like yours, but it still has several years to go to get to that size. The bed I've prepared for mine is shaded by a Ficus. They don't drop branches and catch any fronds falling from the larger palms. It's at the back of my 'rainforest', leeward side rather than the windward side just to protect it from the dry season winds.
Licuala obicularis is another great one, and more expensive than L. mapu. I've read a bit about the Geonomas, but I think they need it a bit cooler and wetter than what I could give them. Iguanuras are another I wouldn't mind.
I just ordered a several year old Titan Arum from a Botanical Garden For 10 Bucks!!!!!
Yeah I am starting to wonder if I actually have a Marojejya insignis as these leaves start to divide, LOL.
That could be it, but anyway M. insignis has a spectacular inflorescence.
Marojejya insignis:
www.pacsoa.org.au/palms/Marojejya/insignis.html
Marojejya darianii:
www.pacsoa.org.au/palms/Marojejya/darianii.html
The thing is I bought both the insignis and the darian at the same time from the same palm nursery in Hawaii. The one labeled insignis actually already had some split leaves as a much much smaller palm, the darian did not. The insignis croaked for reasons unknown while the darian has thrived. Now leaves are starting to split and I am wondering, LOL
Interesting thread Josh.
I have one I especially like since it will likely soon be named scientifically after a friend. Right now the plant is being called Croat 101488 or Philodendron Species Limón since it was purportedly collected near Limón, Indanza Morona-Santiago, Ecuador.
I came upon it by pure luck at the International Aroid Society Show in Miami in September 2008 when Ivan from Ecuagenera was unpacking all their boxes. Ivan has become a friend and while we were talking he said he had a new plant I would like. He pulled a long leaf Philodendron out of the top box with quilted leaves and without asking the price I told him I'd take it.
I took it straight across the room to Dr. Tom Croat to ask if he knew the species and he immediately asked where I got it. He explained he was certain this was a new species not described to science and began to explain all the things that were unusual.
With his supervision I have photographed and charted notes of the plant almost weekly since we got it home and have made him aware of every new feature we see. I have now taken the plant to his office twice but it is now so large I can't move it without damage. He has now assigned it the research name of Croat 101488 and the scientific description has now been roughly written with only a few details remaining to be seen. he has asked that I not cut it or handle it excessively in order to give it a good shot at producing an inflorescence.
The biggest problem now is we awaiting is the inflorescence which has yet to be observed. He thought it was producing one in May but that turned out to be a false alarm and was only a malformed new leaf We are now hoping for September or October but may have to wait again until spring. A dried specimen of the inflorescence must be with the herbarium specimen of any new species before it can be published. I have already collected and dried leaves, cataphylls, roots etc. for the jacket.
Regardless, it is a beautiful Philodendron and I recently was told by an individual that has assisted Dr. Croat on field searches she has seen it near Limón, the same region Ivan originally said it had been originally found. Once we can collect and pickle an inflorescence so it can be fully studied he plans to publish the plant to science in honor of a mutual friend. If we are lucky enough to be able to pollinate the inflorescence once seen I hope we can distribute seeds with the first ones going to botanical gardens.
I understand Ecuagenera is now growing more of these plants but so far none have shown up on their plant list.
If you would be interested in the studies done so far with the help of a bunch of scientists you can read about it here:
http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Philodendron%20Limon%20Ecuador.html
Steve
Hey Gothqueen!
The leaves of Marojejya insignis are supposed to divide.
The leaves of Marojejya darianii remain entire (except when wind-ripped), such as this one:
Metro,
it wouldn't be the first time I got mislabeled palms from this particular palm nursery (he's in Hawaii you probably know him). I've gotten mislabeled Pinangas, Licualas, Dypsis to name a few. If the Darian isn't a Darian but an insignis, then that was mislabeled as well. It looked like a Darian when small, now that its gaining size, it looks like an insignis. I guess only time will tell. The fronds would have a real hard time getting wind ripped inside my greenhouse, LOL so any dividing is totally 'au natural'.
Would that be Floribunda? He has several workers, and may not take care of all orders personally. The plants are easy to mistake when young.
affirmative
I'm easy to please.......my favorite plant is my plumeria (s), plus majesty palms and ferns....any thing that looks "Tropical". HAHA!
Jeanne
I would say it is my Alpinia Rugosa I have been growing it in a pot. Next summer I plan on putting it in the ground. Even if it never blooms , I really like the ripples in the leaves. Nice plant :)
I would not dare to say it out loud. If I did, that plany would die the next day.
This message was edited Aug 24, 2010 7:00 AM
For those who know me, they also know my favorite and prized plant!
Purchased at home depot in 2004 as a scraggly charlie brown tree fern (C. Cooperi) with one burnt frond, and also scheduled for the dumpster it was like one of those puppies in the store window ya couldn't resist. I planted it by the pond, and having no prior success with tree ferns, began to wonder why this one was doing so well. Turns out that it was a C. Australis, which is more cold hardy, heat hardy, more drought tolerant species which equates to more ideal for my area here in Houston. Finding this species to buy intentionally is unusually difficult. It has weathered droughts, hurricanes, hard freezes 3 days long, monsoon summers and keeps kicking. Last winter when it was so cold it lost every branch, so it was pretty much a stump, so I wrapped it in outdoor seat cushions during the cold snaps (for which there were several) and was rewarded by new fronds in the spring.
With out further adieu...meet La Fern!
rj
Wow Randy, La Fern is really looking good! So good to see it!
Jeanne