Saturday, November 12, 2011
LIPSTICK PALM (Cyrtostachys renda) -
A medium sized clumping pinnate palm to about 6m tall. A spectacularly beautiful plant, with almost unbelievably vivid red crownshaft, and petioles. Native to lowland coastal swamps throughout south-east Asia. In the tropics or in a greenhouse its an easy plant to grow, provided it gets lots of water, and lots of sun.
AROID - Anthurium Cubense -LARGE BIRDNEST TYPE
upright large growing Birdnest type aroid Native to Sth America growing in deep leaf litter in dryish country, in bright filtered light. Fleshy large roots. A top landscape plant for under established trees, or for pot culture on patios or indoors. Extremely tough. Thrives on dynamic lifter.
Monday, November 7, 2011
LINKS
http://www.utopiapalmsandcycads.com/
http://www.tropicalflowerscairns.com.au/
http://www.tropicalplantsaustralia.com.au/
http://www.thetropicalflowerstore.com/
http://www.towenmounttropicals.com.au/
http://www.heliconiasocietypr.org/
http://www.terralutions.com/siamgardens/
http://www.tropicalflowerscairns.com.au/
http://www.tropicalplantsaustralia.com.au/
http://www.thetropicalflowerstore.com/
http://www.towenmounttropicals.com.au/
http://www.heliconiasocietypr.org/
http://www.terralutions.com/siamgardens/
Acalypha Raggedy Anne
Acalypha Raggedy Anne has very large foliage which is a fantastic red
colour. This plant is excellent for screening and really stands out in
your garden with it's autumn colours - a must have for winter colour in
your garden! When the light catches the foliage it's nearly on fire, one
of my favourites!
Acalypha Raggedy Anne is part of the Euphorbe family and is extremely
tough and drought hardy. They are excellent for Australian gardens,
although best in a frost free position. Excellent for screening due to
it's bushy growth habit, and looks wonderful in pots. Very easy to look
after!
Acalypha Raggedy Anne grows to around 3m tall but is easily trimmed or
pruned to shape. Pruning from early on when the plant is young
encourages branching and makes it even better for hedging or screening.
Supplied as:
Plants, 20-30cm tall. See photo inside description, on the left.
Common names:
Copper Leaf, Fijian Fire Plant, Fire Plant, Three-sided Mercury,
Beefsteak Plant
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Heliconia Claw 2
Heliconia Bihai Claw 2 is a medium growing (foliage to about 2 metres in full sun) crab claw with attractive orange red flower with green edge. Similar to Claw 1 major difference being Claw 2 flowers all year round where as Claw 1 only has a couple of flushes a year.
Alpinia Candy Ginger
Ginger plants range from your plants used for cooking such as galangal to your massive torch and beehive gingers which are grown mainly for their spectacular flowers. Most gingers have distinct foliage pattern where the leaves run all the way along the stems coming off at angles from each side of the stem.
Within the ginger family there are both Basal flowering plants where the flower grows out of the ground separate from the foliage stems (these include the torch gingers and some costus) and apical flowering plants where the flower appear at the end of the stem for example alpinias and some costus. They are great for landscaping and mix well with heliconias to create a different layers and plant structure within a landscape while maintaining that lush tropical feel.
Gingers enjoy tropical to sub tropical climates - growing very well all the way from Far North Queensland to the hinterlands around the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Brisbane. They will grow further South however flowering seasons tend to be shorter and you need to ensure the plants are well mulched during the cooler months to avoid frost affecting their root systems.
Alpinias are apical flowers where the usually vibrant flowers are located at the end of a stem which has lush green folage. Shell gingers are part of this family. What is often thought of as the flower is actually a bract that has smaller flowers coming out of it.
Alpinias flower well throughout the year and grow well in full sun to part shade. Typically the foliage will be taller and not as thick in the shade but sometimes during summer the flowers are more protected so can be more spectacular.
Candy has a flower very similar in shape to Jungle king but is a spectacular pink. The bract is condensed with a large number of "petals" tightly packed together. Getting up to 15-20 cm in length and round, the flowers are at the end of tall lush green stems. Great to create height in a garden, also work really well below a verandah or on a downward sloping bank where their height allows them to come up close.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Psittacorum Red/Gold Torch (Adrian)
Psittocorums are fast growing smaller heliconias that flower prolifically all year round. The plants are Rysome growers, producing a new flower stem from an existing stem. Once the stem has flowered it will not reflower. They will naturally fall over if left or even better why not cut them and put them in a vase!!
These plants are low maintenance and work well when you need to fill an area. If you are planting within your garden be aware that they will invade across a garden bed but when contained or used in an area where their edge can be mown they create a lovely display of colour and give you flowers all year round.
Psittacorum x Spathocircinata Red/Gold Torch is a larger variety of psittacorum with spectacular red and gold flowers. Can be planted in full sun or part shade. Will fill areas great for landscaping those hard to maintain areas.
Heliconia Carabea Richmond Red
Heliconia Carabea Richmond Red is a large growing (foliage to about 3 metres in full sun) crab claw with magnificent large blood red flower with gold edge. Richmond red flowers all year round with major flushes several times a year and is one of the most popular cut flowers on the market. Will grow from FNQ to Northern NSW. Can be planted in full sun or part shade. Clumping variety of heliconia. Great as a landscaping plant creating shade and screening.
Heliconia Bihai Yellow Dancer
Bihai Yellow Dancer are the lower growing crab claw with attractive yellow flower that have a purple speckle on the lower bracts. Flowers well during its flowering season and has at least 2 flushes a year. Will grow from FNQ to Northern NSW. Can be planted in full sun or part shade. Clumping variety of heliconia.
Candy stripe Torch Ginger
Candy stripe is an exciting dark pink edged baby pink flower at around 1 metre in height. Foliage is intense green in colour. Enjoys warmer climate - flowers well throughout the year having several flushes of flowers. Foliage height around 3m but can get up to 5m in more shaded positions
Friday, November 4, 2011
Costus speciosus 'Variegated' - Variegated Crepe Ginger
Costus speciosus 'Variegated' - Variegated Crepe Ginger. The variegated crepe ginger can grow up to 5' or 7' ( 1.50 m to 2.10 m ) , preferably in filtered sunlight. Spiral stems and variegated foliage are very useful when intending to add contrast to an arrangement as shown above. Flowers are white resembling crepe paper like Costus speciosus.
Cape York Lily – Curcuma australasica
remains underground and dormant springs to life! It starts with these large leaves that rise out og the ground and unfurl with striped ridges. It is then followed by the flowers that start as green stalks and open with the flourescent pink flowers.
Heliconia Eden Pink
One of the most striking of heliconias available. Very bright vibrant pink with an almost furry texture to the flower. Large upright bracts that last up to 14 days cut and 4 weeks on the plant. Flowers can reach up to 500mm long when left on the plant. One of the most popular and long lasting cut flower varieties.
Bird of Paradise
Strelitzia reginae is a monocotyledonous flowering plant indigenous to South Africa. Common names include Strelitzia, Crane Flower or Bird of Paradise, though these names are also collectively applied to other species in the genus Strelitzia.
The plant grows to 2 m (6.6 ft) tall, with large, strong leaves 25–70 cm (9.8–28 in) long and 10–30 cm (3.9–12 in) broad, produced on petioles up to 1 m (39 in) long. The leaves are evergreen and arranged in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
PONYTAIL PALM (Beaucarnea recurvata)
Beaucarnea recurvata, known as the Ponytail Palm, is a palm-like succulent that is native to Mexico.
The plant grows with a greatly expanded base and a single trunk with a rosette of long, straplike leaves that arch and droop. With age, the trunk eventually develops a few branches. Ponytail can get up to 8 metres) tall and the base up to 3.5 metres across, but houseplants generally remain less than 1.8-2.4 metres tall.
The leaves are thin and flat, up to 1.8 metres long and only 2.5cm wide. They are clustered in dense tufts at the ends of the branches and arch upward, then droop downward. The plant looks a little like a palm, and a little like a big onion sitting on the ground with a single stalk growing up and sporting a parasol of drooping, straplike leaves.
Flowers are produced only on large specimens. They are creamy white and inconspicuous individually but borne in large showy upright clusters that extend above the leaves.
Prefers full sun and is drought tolerant. Mature plants can tolerate temperatures down to -7ºC. Makes a great container or pot plant.
strawberries and cream heliconia plant (H.psittacorum)
A brightly coloured red and yellow heliconia with an upright flower spike held high above the leaves. Great for the tropical look and to bring instant colour and height to your garden.
Common names for the genus include lobster-claw and false bird-of-paradise, the latter from their close similarity to the bird-of-paradise flowers. Heliconia flowers are mostly hidden by the large, colourful specialised leaves called bracts. Thriving in full sun to semi-shade, the bracts may be produced most of the year but more particularly in the warmest months. Individual inflorescences last for many weeks, even when cut, making them an important cut flower for the floral trade. Heliconias are related to bananas, cannas and gingers and traditionally have been included in the Banana Family.
Acanthus Mollis , Bears Breeches
these are a fantastic architechtural plants and also put up there fantastic flower spikes, they are frost and drought hardy but do better with a drink now and then, they do best when planted in a woodland aspect with filtered sunlight
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Alocasia x amazonica 'Polly' African Mask Elephant's Ear
Beautiful, rare and exotic all describe this spectacular houseplant. The very tropical and exquisite African Mask has bright white veins protruding from a glossy dark greenish black background arrow shaped leaves. This breath taking tropical perennial plant grows large thick leaves which can reach over a foot in length. They are dramatic as ornamental houseplants and thrive in light shade to full shade conditions in or outdoor. This exotic plant should be kept well watered when growing. Prefers moist but not wet soil and humidity as high as possible. The Alocasia x amazonica Polly makes for a outstanding exotic house plant that is able to thrive in most if not all household conditions.
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