This isn't a bloom, so what is it?
Thanks, Lynn
Weird Thing on Texas Mountain Laurel
Some people call them snakes. I remember hearing somewhere not to remove them because they have something to do with next years blooms.
That's weird! I've never seen that on my mountain laurel.
It is several little branchs that have been "webbed" together. Think of webbed toes . . . you can leave it but I end to cut them out due to the fact I just dont like the look.
Adding to say - it can happen on any plant not just this one.
It does look like a bloom stalk on the ends. If you can stand it, I'd leave it just to see what your blooms will look like in March.
Lucky you!!!
It looks like fasciation:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0700/fasciation.asp
I've had it happen on my Rudbeckias and Celosia.
Thank you for the link Fly-girl, I know what it was but didn't know the term, now i do.
I would leave it if I were you Lynn, it leeks very interesting, and yeas tose are next years flower stems.
Josephine.
Thank you all..
About two months ago,
I did feed this guy with a fertilizer designed to promote heavy blooming..
Bad idea to mess with mother nature..
Texas Mt Laurels only bloom once a yr, around Texas Independence time(March, 1836), as far as I know. We have them planted & sell many here @ the Farm where I work. I have only seen them bloom once a yr for the 9 yrs, I've been here.
We've had many customers complain that their's have not bloomed. Later, we find out they cut the bloom stalks off.
The stalks are not a pretty part of the tree but they tell you how long your blooms will be next yr.
Mine was in a 30g b4 I put it in the ground. It was only about 4-5' tall but I counted 50 stalks & stopped counting. Due to all the water that is in my yard fr my new neighbors, it has now drowned. I am so upset!!! That was one of the first plants I bought when I came to work here.
:~(
Oh no! Not the mountain laurel! Will you replace it? They're too pretty not to have, even if they only bloom once per year and grow slow as molasses. Maybe a higher spot?
I've been told to contact my cty commissioner. Hopefully, the new neighbors will have to fix the flooding problem they caused in my yard & replace my Mt Laurel! But I need to get something done soon are I fear I may start loosing a bed of Bearded iris, as well!
How do you spell ggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr?
With a brown paper bag, dog poop, a lighter and a door bell. Hahaha.
Edited to add the hahaha part.
This message was edited Jul 10, 2007 1:13 AM
Wish I knew how to get my pix on here! I'd show you what a disaster the whole south side of of my property is. It just makes me want to cry since I have put most of my time in on that side of my 2A since I bought my house 3 yrs ago.
That is such a bummer. What are the neighbors doing that causes you're yard to flood? Do they have a pool?
Can you transplant anything in hopes of saving?
Do you have any software with your camera? I'm interested in seeing.
They built their new house up & also, a long drive that runs by my property line. Now, all their water comes to my yard not theirs. It has been standing in water for the majority of 5 months out of 6.
Never had this problem til they cut down most of the trees & stopped the natural flow of water the the lake.
The one place that would stand in water sometimes, we made into a small pond about 10' x 10'. Now, about 30' x 50-60' place is ankle deep all the time!
Ohhh...yes, I'd be madder than all get out. I would definitely contact anyone you can to resolve the problem. I'm sure you already have a mosquito fest going on there. My heart goes out to you. All the time and effort put into your yard and seeing it literally go down the drain...there really is no compensation for it, is there? Hopefully, there will be some justice for you.
LInda, I presume your photos on on your computer, in files. All you need to do to post a photo is to click on the Browse button below the post, and files from your computer will show up in the image window. Then locate the photo you want to post, and double click on it. The photo's address will go into the Image window. To check, click on Preview. Then you can post it.....
I have a Texas Mountain Laurel, and I've never seen those things either....Have to keep a lookout.
Here's a Hyperlink to more information on fasciation and another picture of it on a Texas Mountain Laurel.
http://www.plantanswers.com/abnormal_growth_mexican_hat.htm
If the Texas Mountain Laurel doesn't come up, click on the bottom left screen icon.. The picture is interesting..
That is interesting! Thanks for the link.
Princessnonie, I looked @ your link & saw the Sago next to it!
This is currently growing in Katy. This is the off yr since this one did a pine cone last yr & they 'supposedly' only do this every other yr. The female is just sitting there sleeping & this male is going nuts! lol
Ck this out:
Oh how pretty..
I'll have to read up on Sago's.. I didn't know they were male and female..
I'm sorry about your flooding problem..My neighbor cut down all his tree's too and keeps adding top soil to his low spots.. I think we have more water in our yard than we used to but no real damage so far.. Fortunately, most of the water is in an area we call the swamp.. It was there naturally when we built and we left it and use plants that can take standing water in it...
Do you have a POA? Ours has regulations about changing the natural flow of water..
Lynn
They come in male & female. Can't tell you how to tell by looking!
The female has a feathery crown & the male has this pine cone. They only grow these every other year, normally. Smock shakes the pine cone over the crown & 6 mos later bright orange seeds start showing thru the feathers of the female.
This nutty male doesn't get any fertilizer. He has been in the same spot for about 15 yrs, at least. Don't know what caused him to act this way! lol Must be the rain!
:~)
A neighbor of mine moved about 13 years ago..She gave me a leaf of a Sago Palm in a pot..Here it is..I let a Passionvine cover it assuming that it makes a nice place for the Gulf Frittary cats to go to pupate....
I'm going to have to pay closer attention and see if it has " pine cones"
This message was edited Jul 13, 2007 11:18 AM
That one looks old enough to tell. Watch the middle. Ck this out:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.plantanswers.com/sago_female.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.plantanswers.com/sago.htm&h=150&w=200&sz=22&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=eiQ5vABoGX1ZjM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsago%2Bfemale%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DG
Aha..
It's a female..I remember seeing seeds once on whatever that is..I worried about the seeds because I have heard they are poisionous and we have pets..
I wonder how it got pollinated..Bee's I guess, when we used to have bee's..
Thanks for the hyperlink..
Lynn
She may grow seeds but they will not be viable unless she gets the pollen fr the male's pine cone. Smock cuts it fr the male & shakes it over the female's crown like sprinkling parmesan cheese on pizza! lol
Smock now has 65+ that he is growing. Silly things don't even have to be planted. He just lays them on the ground & they grow.