Good news for all of you to whom I owe cuttings-today is the day. Behind this butterfly is a rather large leopard, gigantea by name. I am going to go on a leopard hunt. Here we go
I'm going on a leopard hunt.
I'm going on a leopard hunt.
I'm not afraid.
I'm not afraid.........
Found a short. fat, funny looking pod on butterfly, but not a leopard.
Aah Haa. Leopard tracks!! Very tall yellow flowers means that there is a leopard about.
A very long pod hanging on V. peach. The leopard can be seen lurking here. I think one more large branch will do it. Back to the saw for me.
(Tossing dozens and dozens of buds into the compost is very sad but it has to be done. Now that this thing has started to bloom, It seems set to bloom all winter. Even V. peach is enoying the cooler weather and sending out buds again.)
Is that one of his eyes staring at you down on the lower right? Be careful!! ;)
Barb
I found it!! It is a bit spindley from being so shaded. I cannot trim the V. peach branch overhanging it until the pods ripen but I can now see the leopard and the polka dots. The poor salvia is going to a sunnier home in the garden. The trunk that you can see on the fence is part of an "annual" salmon thunbergia that has been blooming happily on my fence for three years or so now.
Those are HUGE leaves! What, pray tell, is that? I love the cluster of yellow daisy-like flowers.
Barb
It really is a Giant Leopard Plant (gigantea), Barb. Fancy title is farfugium japonicum. I have another larger one in the front. Pretty amazing looking with the 5 foot flower stalks. They take up way too much of my available shade but I love them anyway.
LOL Janice. What a fun hunt. I was going to say your leopard lost his spots! I had no idea the leaves get so big.
Well I'll be darned! I googled it and found that the Japanese boil and eat the stems with soy sauce. Then I looked on Plant Files and saw that it said parts of the plant are poisonous. Go figure! Anyway, it's a unique plant with a cute flower! Wish I had even a smidgen of shade in the yard. :-(
Barb
janice, wow. what lush leaves!
Ok kell. Perhaps it is a panther as it has no spots lol!
Barb, you are not boilin' this leopard!! I raised him and his brother from small bits of rootstalk. He is a pet, not food!! LOL!
I have chucked so many immature pods into the compost today......... Can't save them all. I had no idea there were so many until I started striping stems. I think I will actually grow out one of the ones on V. peach. They are "bumblebee" pollenated so the father is unknown but I think a V.Peach x butterfly could have potential.
Well oka-a-a-a-ay... I promise I won't have the leopard for dinner. We civilized folks don't eat our pets. Eeeeewwwwww.....
That looks like it would be a spectacular plant specimen. I can imagine it with yellow spots all over it and tall spikes of bloom clusters. Yep.. think I may have to figure out how I could grow one here. Can they take full morning sun? I'm thinking the east exposure of the house might work.
They can take full sun but do not really like it and will wilt in the afternoon. The spotted specimens have much smaller leaves than my beast. Areomaculata (the spotted one lol) is hardy in your zone.
Here is the front door guardian leopard. Man, the sun is bright today!
I'm liking that! Maybe over on the north side of the house under the holly tree. ~~sigh~~ Is Spring here yet??
Spring here! Wanna see my larkspur babies?
How about that picture?
Aaaaarrrrrrgggghhhh! I'm gonna cry me a river... cry me a river.. cry me a river.. over COLD!!!! (my apologies to whomever sang that song)
I think I need to go play with my plants inside for winter keeping. That'll help. At least until it snows the middle of this week - if their predictions hold true. :`-(
Cute little buggers, there Janice... what a crop of gorgeous flowers those will grow up to be.
i want a leopard where do i buy one??? i have a big shady spot one can have.
beautiful pics and such a fun hunt!! hehe
I have never seen a gigantea for sale even here in tropic land. I got mine from a friend who has had them in her grden for 40 years. Some of the others are easier to come by and should be available by mail order or at local stores.
your farfugium japonicum is beautiful !
I have 3 of the spotted ones, they're still small - just got them this spring. Two of them bloomed. Have you ever started them from seed?
I get flowers but no seeds . I think they are bulbs . Mibe is from the island Palma in the meditraium - they call it the dinner plate plant .
I get seeds. They are dandylionish seeds. I have tried to start them with no success but seeds and I are not friends on a good day lol.
LOL Tony, yours is BIG!! I just noticed that looking at the picture again. Where did you find it? Did you get to go to Palma and collect it yourself? Wouldn't that be fun.
