Happy Halloween!

[helixturnhelix]

As much as I love hibiscus, but I haven't had any blooms as of late and I have mentioned before that I also grow other types of plants.  I have a small carnivorous plant collection and an ever growing orchid population.  Im sure many people on the forum love other plants in addition to hibiscus (I saw some african violets in your houseplant hibiscus pictures Charlie, I know I am not alone here), and I had such a cool bloom today on one of my orchids that I wanted to share it with all of you!

This is my Bulbophyllum lasiochilum, its a mini orchid, but look at how interesting the blooms are.  I remember our discussion on hibiscus pollinators how it is an enigma as to who pollinates them, but looking at such a complicated flower structure like the one here makes one think about how close the pollinator must have evolved with the flower.  It is my understanding that B. lasiochilum associates with one species of fly and often that this association is so close between flower and pollinator that if one was to go extinct, so would the other.  Often flowers like this mimic other insects and trick their pollinator into pollination by mimicking the opposite sex or attracting them with pheromones!  The association between pollinator and flower is facinating and I think this is a strong representation of how specialized this association can be.

Plus, what better for Halloween than creepy unusual flower like this

Happy Halloween! 

-Chris
 

[Charlie]

Chris, that's some flower - looks like a fly in the first photo. I bet Seattle will be a good place for your orchids.

We grow quite a few plants besides hibiscus. Cindy had a house full of foliage plants before she moved to CA from WA state. CA won't allow plants in from out of state so she had to leave them behind. Worked out well because it made room for the hundred or so hibiscus we now grow indoors. Sad though for her since she had grown some of the ones left behind for many years before moving here but she has already started some new foliage pots using the SD Zoo as inspiration for what can be grown well here.

Outside we grow some roses, gingers, bougainvillea, palms, geraniums, and of course many hibiscus.

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

The high humidity has really had an effect on all the plants I brought from Colorado, the most notable difference has been the amount of new growth that started almost immediately after they got here.  What is nice about growing Cattelya orchids with the hibiscus, it most varieties I have are winter bloomers, so when the hibiscus are slowing down the orchids put on a show.  Since this is a western window, its gets hot sun for several hours and not much will grow there besides hibiscus and succulents, but in the space behind the hibiscus (too shaded for more hibiscus) is great for lower light plants.   

One noticeable difference with the high humidity with hibiscus is no huge attacks by spider mites, which was almost instantaneous as soon as I brought them indoors in Colorado.  Also leaf size on Strawberry Cream is really something, its starting to look like a philodendron with new leaves being 5 or so inches across!  This probably also due to the lower light levels in addition to higher humidity, but anything that adds interest to the plant when not in bloom I am all for!  That is what is so cool about the new leaf types you are developing, they look really cool even when not in bloom.   

The San Diego Zoo has such a cool plant collection in addition to the animal collection.  They also open their greenhouses to the public semi annually and its pretty interesting to see what botanical gems they have growing there.   

[Charlie]

Very interesting, Chris. Now if the hibiscus will bloom in summer you may just be in plant heaven.

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

Haha now if I can get the plants to bloom in the winter, then i will definitively be in plant heaven!  I am playing with adding chelated magnesium in addition to HVH fertilizer to see if that will maximize the efficiency of the chlorophyll in the plants, so that they will need less light to bloom.  We will see if this works, if it does then maybe you could create a low light fertilizer that helps hibiscus bloom in bright indirect light! 

I have some buds now on a few CV, so I really wish that I still had my pollen collection in the freezer, oh well time to start some new ones.   It also looks like I might have some seeds from some Robin hood self crosses I did coming up, do you think you can handle some seeds Charlie?