Does anyone have a source for this beautiful native plant? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
hibiscus martianus
Hi, Marie!
I had to go see a plant that you would want, and that is certainly a beautiful hibiscus. Have you tried to contact the people that shared the pictures in PF? They might either tell you a source, or, if they have one, they might wanna trade or share. I would only assume that being a hibiscus, could root a cutting easily.
I'm looking thru a couple of sites that might have it, I'll get back if I have good news.
Hugs,
Alexandra
Hi Alexandra. Thanks for your help!!! I have contacted a couple of nurseries but no luck yet!! I am no good at cuttings so I have to find the actual plant.
Hugs,
Marie
have you seen this link?
http://www.plantanswers.com/native_plants2.htm
It takes you to this nursery in San Antonio: http://www.milbergernursery.com/tree_lot.htm#
I've got maybe good news for you my old friend Marie! =)
I have seed of it as Hibiscus cardiophyllus (a supposed synonym for it in the PlantFiles) but it is from summer 2006. I got it from a good friend of mine in Austin with directions for about 2-3 different germinating tricks he has used with it. I have a large number of seeds of different native plants I like to mess around with for fun and as a diversion from all these bulbs. I have it because I wanted to grow it but just haven't gotten around to it yet. But I am playing around with stuff right now because I can't start bulbs until October. I don't know if you like to mess with starting from seed?
You are welcome to half of the seeds I have--which looks to be about 25-50 as half. That's enough to play around with and sow heavy. I find age of seed doesn't really matter as much as was it good quality to begin with. I've had good luck with lots of older seed folks swore would not work without doing anything special--I feel its methods more than anything else.
I've already shipped that other to you today so its a bit late for including the seeds that--but I can get a bubble mailer out to you tomorrow if you like. I would be more than happy to give you half of the seeds I have. If you want a plant--I'll start some later this week for fun (depending on how this construction drama unfolds) and if I have any luck, send you some plants out there but it would probably be Oct before they would be big enough to ship.
So in other words--I have seeds you can have now or I'll try to get some plants going for fun and stress relief this week and give those to you (I would like to have some too). But if you really want one for sure, keep looking and you might end up with a lot. But I imagine some of your friends out on the SW forum might like some plants too if you end up with a bunch.
let me know
=)
Deb you have d-mail!!
we don't have to take this off-line, its a gift if you want it.
Thank you my friend!!
you want me to send you about 25 then and start the other half for you? That sounds cool and gives me about 75 to play with--that way I can try half of them now and half in the fall when its not so hot and see which way works best. I'll get them off tomorrow; I have a local package to deliver about 2-3 miles from here to save someone shipping and the post office is right on the way.
Which book are you referring to and I'll google book it and see what she has to say about them...can you give me the name? I know you said Mary Irish...
=)
I'm getting these ready now--which address, Tempe or Tolleson? so I can do the label on-line and just drop it in the box tomorrow. I have the details--town is enough. =)
Sorry I was off having cake and ice cream with my birthday boy.
The book is Perennials for the SouthWest
plants that florish in arid gardens. Tempe address is fine :o)
can you send some ice cream out this way? that's sounds like a cool break while I'm working.....I might have to run down to the in and out and get some =)
thanks for the book name and they will be in the mail tomorrow--be looking for a bubble and a box
I didn't have time to include directions and needed this to be ready to go when I wake up tomorrow--I will dmail or email them to the desert....email address to morrow night
I have two small plants that I grew from seed, the plants are three years old and only a foot tall. I have them in pots because it gets too cold here for the, so I bring them in for the winter.
They are extremely slow growing and I just got my first bloom a week ago, it was really beautiful.
I got the seeds from a generous DG member from Austin. The seeds are very hard, I soaked them overnight before planting, and only got a few to germinate, and all but two of the seedlings died.
Maybe this will help the two of you, I don't remember what time of year I started them, so I can't help with that part.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/hibiscusmartian.htm
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=HIMA6
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/80842
Josephine.
one method is to nick the seeds or file the seeds a bit prior to soaking them (I use the small baby fingernail clippers or an emory board); that speeds it up--I'll send you directions Marie
there are a couple of more bizarre methods but I don't use them--will send you directions for those too
=)
What are you winter temps there frostweed?
Normally in the thirties range, but we can get as low as the teens, and I just don't want to chance loosing them, I worked too hard for them to lose them that way.
I forgot to say that it is also called Heartleaf Hibiscus because of the shape of the leaves, and the seed is also heart shape, you can see that when you soak them.
Josephine.
Have you tried soaking them in a hydrogen peroxide/water solution either overnight or until they germinate? I did this with some daylily seeds last year and it worked wonderfully!
I'm familiar with that method--but I don't find it any more beneficial than water. Hydrogen peroxide is H2O2 and it will turn to water within and hour or two being exposed to the atmosphere. I have a degree in this sort of thing
Isn't that interesting! I never knew that.
warmer water works well with lots of things too--and I use bottled water (deionized/vapor distilled/reverse osmosis--the good stuff--usually the icelandic or vitamin water I'm drinking at the time) not tap or cheaper methods of bottled water. Not really sure if that helps but I just pour out some of what I'm drinking at the time--lol
I used the clippers to nick a bunch of those corkscrew vines (the latin eludes me right now) seeds were 6 yrs old and never been refrigerated or anything the other night and poured some vitamin water in there (think it was the apple-something flavor). Those things were trying to grow in the styrofoam cup when I got up the next day. amazed me. stuck them in regular growing medium and outside--they are going like a house on fitre--not sure what I'm going to do with all of them.
I've been playing around with a lot of things lately I can get up and going in the heat for fall. Its way to hot outside for my usual methods so I've just playing around.
put a lot of stuff in aluminum loaf pans, moist germ mix, big zipper-type gallon bags and put in the fridge for a while--now I haven't got in room for anything in there for much else--lol--don't know how that will work, I usually start them in the fall...but I'm going to have way to many other things to start then...
Hey Debbie is that the corkscrew vine with fragrance? If so I have 2-3 of those seeds and I am going to try that too!!
Howdy Miss Marie! Can you let me know when those seeds get there my friend? That's one of the only things I haven't sent delivery confirmation in a long time...
they are these:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1884/
they went right out in the full blazing sun straight from the cup of water--can't beat that for this time of year--I'll take you a pick tomorrow if I'm not being driven crazy by the fence people. they've dropped off the supplies, and its obvious they aren't giving anyone new posts. so a male "friend" and I are gonna drop that whole back fence in the morning (its all held up by 2 x 4's anyway--will take 5 minutes--I have no posts, that's the problem) and he's gonna have to set the posts with quick dry concrete before they make it to my house (I'm in the middle of the block). talk about your cluster "mess-up" ;)
poor Chris, he was driving back from a gun show in Shreveport and gets yet another frantic call from this woman with her fence "issues"--but now I gotta go and do his show books for him so will talk at you tomorrow night (if I have any sanity left by then)
ain't life grand my friend?
=)
Marie--I love it when the universe unfolds as it should. I just went down the street and talked to the fence guys and they were really super nice. They said, oh yes ma'am we know you were the one that needed the posts too. I offered to drop the back fence for them and they said they would be happy to do that part for me too. about a million lbs of stress relieved from my shoulders and I'm getting 85' feet of wood privacy fence for free (and everyone else is too, of course). they said it would be a couple of days before they got to the middle of the street--that's cool. I've been waiting since Feb. They are doing quality work too-I watched them for a while working up the street.
life can be so good sometimes!
=)
Debbie I am so glad they are taking care of it for you!! I know this fence thing has been a thorn in your side!! What a great way to start off Monday!!! Mine started with my 4 year old not wanting to cooperate!!
4 year olds are good at that--and by the time they reach 19 they have perfected the art =)
thank you for your happy wishes my friend!--still don't know the time frame, went to the bank and they are still on the first house--but outstanding quality work they are doing, I can wait and be patient at this point--I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, as long as work is progressing they will get here when they can
That light at teh end of the tunnel always makes me smile!!
Yes youa re correct on the 4 year old. Just ask my 22 year old who does the same thing but in a different way!!
Hello ladies, I thought you might like to see the first flower on my Hibiscus martianus,
I think it is gorgeous,
And one a little closer,
Hey, Josephine, it's beautiful, it looks somehow like a single rose, or some kind of Camellia! Really beautiful! Thank you!
Thank you Alexandra, you are right it looks like a single rose, but the petals are thick and it seems to glow.
Loving it and I am green with envy!! It is beautiful!!
OK Miss Marie--this took me a little while, I'm heavily multi-tasking this morning
Since you now have your seeds this is what I'm going to do--this is on my afternoon list--lol
which as you will know from the thread, I'm highly motivated to complete today.
There are a number of bizarre methods like using various acids on these--I'm just going to use the same methods I use on Boomeria's and Tropaeolum's. It works good with them which I can attest to since I'm not starving.....
I'm going to use the kitchen tool in the picture below--the grater end I think its called. Its pretty useless in the kitchen except for cinnamon sticks and ginger anyway. where the arrow is. I'm going to gently grate them a bit--basically just to get thru the outer coat and then soak them 2 days in bottled water in a cup. I'm going to check them after 24 hours (change the water too) and remove them if any are germinating--otherwise they all come out at 48 hours. Then I'm going to put them in about 2" of pre-moistened good quality seed germinating mix in an aluminum disposable loaf pan with holes in the bottom (any shape of these aluminum pans will work--I just have loaf pans). I'm doing this not to unnecessary waste or use more seed germinating mix than I have too since I'm going to need it for some commercial perennials I'm doing in the fall. Then I'm going to slip the pan into a gallon zipper baggie (the thinner kind with the actual zipper--not freezer baggies) and set in the north window (it gets good light this time of year but no sun). Doing this in the house since its so hot outside now.
Don't get me wrong, I never cover any bulb seedlings or perennial seedlings and seldom use pans when I do them at the correct time of year--which is the fall. I'm just using this method since its the middle of the summer. I've even got other stuff in the fridge like this--really making my house guests wonder.
If I haven't made myself very clear--which is a distinct possibility, I'm doing about 10 things at once here--just ask me what I'm not making clear. lost my pic for a minute there--forgot how I tagged it--lol
Debbie
=)
Tahnk you me dear friend! I think I get it. No aluminum pans at my hosue but I am sure I can find something. I will try a couple tonight also!!
those cheap plastic sandwich sized or bigger containers will work fine too--just get hubby to poke some holes in it with ice pick or screwdriver or something