ecrane3,
I don't think either one of those is the one called Mexican BOP in Phoenix. I thought they were so beautiful, and I was really taken with the red/yellow orange flowers. I don't see those colors in the C. mexicana or the C. gilliesii. But we know that's a problem with regional flower names anyway.
I, too, have tried several times to grow the C. pulcherrima and failed. I'm going to try again with some seeds I bought, but the other two are a definite possibility if I still can't get it to grow.
Karen
Pride of Barbados Help?
Hey Karen, Cannas are fairly easy to sprout if you file the seed coat till you see a spot of white, then soak overnight in warm water. If you do that they should sprout in a few days :)
Steven
Steven, thanks for the tips, Jocie has good success doing the same thing, filing the seed coat and soak. Karen, the Red BOP on the file you show is the one I've I think. My daughter lives out west and she had one that is about 6 feet tall and just as wide, blooming profusely out there. I'll def. take pic. of mine lone flower when it's fully open.
Kim
Steven,
Thanks for the info on sprouting canna seeds. I will dutifully chip and soak. I decided to try them because I read that they will bloom the first year from seed. I hope so.
Kim,
Yes, the red/orangey yellow one is the one I meant. Does your daughter live in Albuquerque? My sister lives there. So, if this plant survives Albuquerque winters and Phoenix summers, it's a lot more hardy than supposed. I lived a year and a half in Phoenix, and these plants flowered year around. Why is it so hard for us to grow it away from the desert then? I think the answer must lie in poor, sandy soil and little water.
Have you seen these? http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/265/ Supposed to be hardy to only zone 8a, but I bought mine on eBay from a lady who grows them from seed and she lives in NM at 10,000+ altitude. She told me they grow like crazy all over her town which has to be colder than 8a. In Phoenix the city plants them as street trees, poor sandy soil, no water except when it rains, no fertilizer - they're gorgeous there, bloom for months at a time.
Do post a pic when your new bloom opens. I'm dying to see it.
Karen
I love Chilopsis, it's a gorgeous tree. High Country Gardens lists it as hardy to zone 7, and root hardy to zone 6. I'm not sure how it'll do in a climate with more summer rain and humidity though, HCG also mentions that it is extremely xeric and can only handle up to 20 inches of rain per year and I know that many plants that are well adapted to the hot dry climates and don't like a lot of rain are prone to rot in wetter climates. It's closely related to Catalpa and those will do fine in your climate. And there's an intergeneric hybrid X Chitalpa tashkentis which may be more moisture tolerant too, so if you like the look of the flowers you may have better luck with one of those instead.
Chilopsis linearis is growing well in zone 5a, Denver, Colorado and Elba, New York according to our plantfiles, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/265/ , and I seem to remember some corroboration from the folks at 2lazy2p. :) http://hometown.aol.com/fitzroya/myhomepage/index.html . Desert willow's survival seems to depend more on xeric winter conditions than cold.
Here's some chitalpa information: http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/chitashkentensis.htm :)
-Joe
This message was edited Apr 19, 2008 12:41 AM
Karen, have you gotten any sprouts on your cannas yet??
Steven
Steven,
I haven't gotten a chance yet to try starting the seeds. Still trying to get the veggies in the ground. I should be able to get on with other things next week. The cannas from last year are between six inches and a foot high.
Karen
Morning everyone, this is the very first flower bud on my POB, after having refused to bloom for me for several years..... This particular type is hardy here. Yesterday, I think I discovered more tiny little buds are being formed. Will show more pics. soon.
I have that one too, Caesalpinia gilliesii. It is a lot less trouble than Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), it's hardier and even here in zone 9 it's much easier to keep going than C. pulcherrima is.
Thanks ecrane3 for the positive I.D. gilliesii versus pulcherrima. ^_^
Karen, your so lucky because you cna just leave your cannas in the ground all winter....here they're really hit and miss.
But about the problems with digging up a POB in the fall, what if cuttings could be taken? That way the plant would still be 'mature' but it wouldn't have to be dug up.
Just a thought,
Steven
Steven,
I did find a reference that POB can be propagated by cuttings, either softwood or by layering in the ground. If I get my seeds to grow okay, I'll try the layering. I don't have much luck with cuttings on anything.
Karen
I got my seeds to germinate by clipping the edge of the seeds a little bit with a nail clipper. Then I sand the hard coating edge off with a nail file. Then I soak it in water for a little over 24 hours. Sometime 48 hours if it helps the white part come out. Then I put the seeds in a coffee filter and put in plastic bag but blow some air into the bag. I sit it under those warm under the counter puck lights and they usually germinate within 3-4 days.
The seeds that I didn't clip open doesn't usually germinate.
Ill make sure to clip the ones i have left.
If you can't get them to germinate, send me the seeds and I'll get them to germinate for you and send them back to you. I don't have any seeds left or I would just do one of mine.
May be someone here can tell me by their experience, did they get flowers the first year they germinated their seeds?
LiliMerci, check with Cindy (riverland) from MidSouth garden forum. I think she has some last year that flowered for her.
I've got 2 POB, one orange and one pink so I think I'll just stick the orange one out there in the ground and see what happens and if all goes well I'll take cuttings for next year!!! YAY!
Just a thought. My neighbor has phenomenal luck with seed that needs to scarified by just putting some water in the blenderwith the seeds. Hit the button twice, very quickly. Doesn't make mush like one would expect but does the job really nicely.
Also soak overnight in water and peroxide. Works for her and then she shares the seed with me. Not a bad deal.
Christi
Hmmm, I MUST try that sometime, sounds like a good idea! Thanks Christi!
STeven
Wow, Christi. I never would have thought that would work. Thanks for mentioning it.
Karen
I haven't done it myself. She does and I see the results. Real quick on the pulse she says.
Start with cheap seeds for practice; right? LOL
Karen
This plant is such a beautiful weed here in FL.
My rule is that if it has a pretty flower, it's not weed. If it's growing wild so much the better, 'cause I don't have to tend it. LOL.
Karen
I wish my weeds looked like that!
Rub it in Dale, rub it in. :P My zone envy grows stronger! :)))
-Joe
Here is a photo that is off topic
LOL!
But it lovely. k. Zone envy goes both ways. :)
-Joe
Dale, I'll take your "weeds" anyday. However, there is an even trade, can you guys grow peonies or lily of the valley in your zone? :)
Oh god dale, I need those flowers!! LOL
Wow.
That's right rub it in! lol!
Guess what? My effort on coaxing this POB paid off, the flower begun to unfurl at sundown this evening. Woooohoooo!!!
Lily, That is Caesalpinia gilliesii. That is one tough plant. It is widely planted in the desert SW USA. Grows in Phoenix, the have hundreds planted along the freeway. I had good luck with it when I lived in Las Vegas. I do not miss the desert, I prefer the landscape here in the SE USA.
Liliy, that's incredible! Wow, how could you make such a little guy bloom so large and beautiful! Good job...it does look like it paid off!
Good job Lily! Thats amazing! Is he planted in the ground?
Thanks everyone for your compliments. The flowers maybe 'Common' in its native habitat. But ooooh it's so rare in my SE region. I'm very proud of it. :-)
SW, I wished I have them in a group. But if these baby will make seeds, watch out!!! lol.
Congrats on your new baby Lily!
Stunning.
Thanks Jocie, I'm one proud mamma--again. lol.
Dale, I love it here in our SE regions, however SW has its own charms an rugged beauty. I'm hoping I could travel more in the future to see different places, take in all the beauties the terrific US of A. has to offer the senses before I even think about see different things overseas. Dreams, dreams are good for the soul.
wait til you see my newest bonsai creation LL... muhahha.
Will post as soon as it's done.