Our California Plants

My dd and I went to California for her Spring Break, a BIG splurge that she deserved/needed. The hotel let me pick seedheads of anything I wanted "Take a little Cali home with you's" ... lol ... hehehe. The bird of paradise was just blooming and wouldn't be ready to pick, so off we went to Home Depot with dd rolling her eyes. After dd finds us a young "cute" salesman (Chris), we were off to find our plants. Chris picks plants that are 4-6 ft tall and I am explaining I can't get them in our suitcases. Yes, I bought an extra, but I also needed that cuz the airline had messed one up. I was not about to spend $30 to cut one down to the roots. After I explained to Chris why his seeds may not have germinated he directs me to the manager. Ahha the manager wanted a fight!! Wasn't gonna sell me a bird of paradise when he hears I am taking it home on the plane, he was so worried that the plant would die. We walked off and Chris comes back and appoligizes. He was wanting us to go to his college campus and pick some seeds up off the ground. My dd was telling him about my plants and he asked me about several plants and I helped him with the ones I knew about. The manager all of sudden came up to us and Chris tells him I am talking about all the houseplants he's killed and why they died (over watering and not enough light). The manager says he'll try to find one thats around a dollar. He finds some that are $5 and helps me pick out the healthiest one. I found another plant I had wanted but it cost $13 and was only about 4" tall. He knew the landscape where we stayed ... so I acquired one of those and a sedum, I think. He also told how hard it was going to be at the airport so I decided to lug all three and seeds I had collected in my carry on. I got to the inspection line, they didn't ask me any questions about what I had. Feeling better, I look ahead and I see several people laying on the floor spread eagle. My heart is starting to beat a little faster ... I feel my arm being pulled ... I turn around ... whewww ..... it's my dd "Lets go Mom!" ... I guess those people didn't have plants! After two layovers and 14 hours later they are all alive, healthy and hopefully happy! Oh, I ended up with the salesmans address, plant-pen-pals. We are going to swap plants :) Funny how God uses plants to create friendships!!!

Bird of paradise are very rugged. I've sent them bare root in the mail. Yours should be fine.

Hey, I sense a kindred spirit here. I brought seeds back from california, but I bought bamboo and am looking for the right sized palm tree to keep in the house here in MA. I once brought a basket of cacti and succulents home from NC as carryon once. This was before they significantly tightened up the carryon rules. I still have one of the crassula from that trip, too. good luck with your cali plants. I do try to shop around for the plants at home I think are interesting as I hate lugging stuff on a trip, unless we are there in the car.

I mostly do native's, but once in a while I find something that I just have to have :) My daughter also wants a palm ... but they were too big. The guy at the store is suppose to get her some seeds, if he does I will let you know. He said they might naturilize if she starts it out that way and keeps it mulched at all times. He wants Brug seeds from me, he doesn't care if they have names or not.