I have a russelia question

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

I have a russelia in a pot in the gh and a lot of the branches have dead "leaves" on them. If I cut off just the dead stuff will it make new leaves down below on that branch or should I just cut the branch down to the soil? Thanks for your answers in advance.:)

Lindsay, OK(Zone 7a)

Silver I wish I knew for you, how does it do for you in the greenhouse? Is it a plant you had long or what?

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

I've had it about 2 years I think. I got it at my first RU. Both years it's come out of the gh looking pretty poor, but it always comes back. This year looks much worse than last year though.

Lindsay, OK(Zone 7a)

Sorry to hear that - hope it works out for you. Christi has one that I have no idea what one it is for sure but grows in ground year round.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

I send LouC a dmail about russelia and she didn't know anything about it. I tried looking it up in PF and found something that might be it, but there were not pictures and I didn't recognize the botanical name. I'm wondering if I'm spelling it right. It's not ruellia.

Lindsay, OK(Zone 7a)

I know - she has one there because I took cuttings of it - I dont think she knows the latin for it... the leaves are the wider type and it is protected. She keeps things alive there I thought would never ever live here.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

I didn't know there was more than one kind. Do you know the latin name for it?

Lindsay, OK(Zone 7a)

No idea - there are a lot of them - all from Wikipedia.. there are a lot of them out there.
Russelia acuminata
Russelia alata
Russelia alternifolia
Russelia americana
Russelia campechiana Standl.
Russelia capensis
Russelia chiapensis
Russelia coccinea
Russelia colombiana
Russelia contrerasii
Russelia conzattii
Russelia cora
Russelia cuneata
Russelia deamii
Russelia depressa
Russelia elongata
Russelia ephedroides
Russelia equisetiformis Schltdl. & Cham. - Fountainbush or Coral plant (= Russelia juncea)

Russelia equisetiformis flowersRusselia equisitorum[verification needed]
Russelia flammea
Russelia flavoviridis
Russelia floribunda
Russelia furfuracea
Russelia glandulifera
Russelia grandidentata
Russelia hintoni
Russelia iltisneeana
Russelia jaliscensis
Russelia laciniata
Russelia lanceifolia
Russelia leptopoda
Russelia lilacina
Russelia longifolia
Russelia longisepala
Russelia maculosa
Russelia manantlana
Russelia multiflora
Russelia obtusata
Russelia oldenlandioides
Russelia ovatifolia
Russelia oxyphylla
Russelia paniculata
Russelia parvifolia
Russelia pennelliana
Russelia polyedra Zucc.
Russelia pringlei
Russelia pubescens
Russelia purpusii
Russelia racemosa
Russelia retrorsa
Russelia rotundifolia
Russelia rugosa
Russelia sarmentosa Jacq.[verification needed] - Running Russelia or Leafy Coralblow
Russelia serratifolia
Russelia sonorensis
Russelia staleyae
Russelia standleyi
Russelia steyermarkii
Russelia subcoriacea
Russelia syringaefolia
Russelia tabascensis
Russelia tenuis
Russelia tepicensis
Russelia teres
Russelia ternifolia
Russelia tetraptera
Russelia tomentosa[verification needed]
Russelia trachypleura
Russelia verticillata
Russelia villosa
Russelia viscosa
Russelia worthingtonii

Lindsay, OK(Zone 7a)

dmj grows one - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4476303

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Good Grief! I had no idea! LouC said she does have one and knows it by firecracker plant. I thought firecracker plant was something else though.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

That's the one I have. The same thing dmj has. Thanks Mitch.:)

Deep East Texas, TX(Zone 8a)

Does this look like it? http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1334/ Pretty plant and there is a white one also. It is a tender perennial or tropical.

Lindsay, OK(Zone 7a)

No problem - there are soooo many. I have cuttings of her plant here and can tell ya it is not a firecraker plant but one of these I just cannot nail it down yet... trying to but I cannot nail down what one.

Glad you found it - maybe she can tell ya more!

editing to add - well with that post maybe it might be called a firecrakcer plant.. not that one this one has leaves a little wider... not much and might be the rich soil she give it... could be all but the leaves.

This message was edited Jan 30, 2008 8:51 PM

west Houston, TX(Zone 9a)

Mine's been in the ground 8 years, it's been 26 before here. It's tough.

It's not invasive--it's never seeded here. It does grow large, so give it room.

This message was edited Jan 30, 2008 8:59 PM

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Yep podster that's it. I'm glad I found out more about this thing before I put it in the ground. If it's invasive I'm keepin' it in a pot.:) I wonder how far out from the mom plant the roots will go. Somebody reported that they have it in shade too. That's good to know, because I really wanted to put something else in the spot it usually gets. I have an alamanda.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Would it make it through a freeze like that in a pot instead of in the ground?

Deep East Texas, TX(Zone 8a)

The zones start at 9 a and get warmer. Will that do in ground for you? Sure wouldn't here. Depending on how cold the roots in pot may freeze also.

Lindsay, OK(Zone 7a)

right in a pot it would be too cold.. a protected spot with mulch it might be ok.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Well I guess I'll just keep it in a pot and put it in the gh for the winter. If I can cut it back way down it won't take up a lot space.

Deep East Texas, TX(Zone 8a)

In a few different references, it is listed as hardy to 32 degrees.

west Houston, TX(Zone 9a)

it's hardier than that here.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

LouC in zone 8a has it in the ground and says it's been down to 29 so far this year. It has freeze damage, but she says it'll come back.

Deep East Texas, TX(Zone 8a)

That is good to know. It is a neat plant.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

dmj, did you say it doesn't send out runners and come up somewhere else?

west Houston, TX(Zone 9a)

never has here--its in pretty rich soil too. Never has seeded either. But give it some room and think of it as a small shrub--I'd say its about 3' high now. Mulch it real deeply it's first few years--sometimes the tips will get frost damage, just trim them off. It is blooming now, hard to beat a plant that will actually bloom in the summer.
Debbie
=)

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

What kind of sun does yours get. I heard it can bloom in full shade.

west Houston, TX(Zone 9a)

Absolutely unrelenting full blazing sun. =)

They may bloom in shade too, I just don't know from my experience. It is on the north side where frost settles the heaviest on the property.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

LouC sent me a dmail with pictures of hers and it really doesn't look like mine or like the pictures dmj posted the link for.

Lindsay, OK(Zone 7a)

Yep - I know what it is in the ball park but still working on the type for her.. I am helping her work out the names of a lot of the things in her yard.

Desoto, TX(Zone 8a)

To have Mitch as my mentor is truly, truly a blessing.

Lindsay, OK(Zone 7a)

I dont know about that - I just wish I knew more, I have been digging in books more then once to find things out you have.

Desoto, TX(Zone 8a)

I'm just an impulse buyer. It I see it, like it, I buy it. Worry about the consequences way later.

Lindsay, OK(Zone 7a)

You do good - you really buy great plants.

Deep East Texas, TX(Zone 8a)

Silverfluter ~ you said it didn't favor the above link/photo. Does is look similar to this one? R rotundifolia? http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/62095/

or R. sarmentosa http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/59718/

This message was edited Jan 31, 2008 10:49 PM

Rockport, TX(Zone 9b)

I have Russelia equisetiformis (firecracker plant) in two pots at the bottom of the uprights on my stilt house.One faces south and gets a lot more sun than the other, facing west. Both bloom but the south-facing one blooms more. I don't think we've had freezing temps here but the winds are fierce from the northwest sometimes. Mostly these plants look like grassy strands with flowers, but the base of the plants are thick stems with little leaves on it. I have trimmed off the brown stuff from time to time. I asked one time at a local nursery whether it needed to be cut back, and was told to cut it way back in sections (that is, some now, some later). I have seen very bushy plants, though, that don't look as if they've been cut back. I had a little one that I'd managed to propagate (somehow), and it was completely brown but I ddn't get around to pitching it and lo and behold green appeared again. The picture is from last summer.
For what it's worth....

Thumbnail by decklife
Deep East Texas, TX(Zone 8a)

Interesting to know that it will grow 'container sized' too. It makes a very pretty display in that attractive pot.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Well I'm trying to figure out if mine is equisetiformis or not. I think it is. I'm going to try and find a picture. right it looks like nothing, because most of died back. I guess it just doesn't get enough sun in the gh. It's definitely not samentosa. Let me see what pictures I can find.

Fredericksburg, TX(Zone 8a)

Well I can't believe I don't have a picture of that plant, because it is one of my favorites. But I'm pretty sure it is equisetiformis. When I get to the RU, I'll get somebody to tell me how to pronounce it.lol

Desoto, TX(Zone 8a)

davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/177441

This is the one I have. Finally found it.

Christi

Lindsay, OK(Zone 7a)

Christi link it not working - do you ahve the name?

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