Rev Posted March 24, 2006 (edited) Ive been doing some work for a local organisation and we are looking for unusual plants to spice up the selection some are not uncommon in metropolitan parts of australia while others im not sure if they are in australia at all this is an opportunity to find local plants in parks and gardens and swap with me for other stuff. i can pay postage but the budget given to me is so small (Thanks johnny) that i can spend anymore than postage really but we already have some planst and can do any trades i need to. ill put a stocklist on my blog once its done Ive found a good looking place for carnivorous plants http://www.triffidpark.com.au/ now looking for the range of butterfly ginger lillies -Hedychium http://arboretum.sfasu.edu/gaylilies/hedychium/index.htm Wandjina is kind enough to send me some Albizzia Has anyone seen the Canna hybrid "african sunset" about? more to come... Edited March 24, 2006 by Rev Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apothecary Posted March 24, 2006 I could probably send you a few cuts of Perilla magilla if purple is your thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rev Posted March 24, 2006 (edited) thatd be sweet! so how does it ovewinter? round here the frost come in winter but its suprising what gets frosted back and comes back in spring or just gets away from it by canopy cover for example - bromeliads we maust have accumulated 2 dozen types in a few weeks from community donations and there are many more around here in spite of the frost theres also some really spectacular and unusual hibiscus - which ive been hyrbidising myself now as well. some photos of plants ive collected and propagated for them oldies but goodies Canna hybrid Hippeastrum Ipomoea carnea White crocus Hibiscus syriacus hybrid Cats whiskers Belamcanda sinensis Various bromeliads Spider lilly For the last few years ive concentrated on whats on the insides of plants but im regaining an appreciation of how they look on the outside and the stimulating visual environmnet they create Edited March 24, 2006 by Rev Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apothecary Posted March 24, 2006 I reckon it'd be fine. The things look like they'd root in a bucket of gravel and all that entails. It seems pretty hardy in all respects, except if you let it dry out too much it won't die, but it loses its other nice colours (white, green, different shades of purple) and basically only stays purple until you prune it back or something. It's a weird plant PM me your postage addy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted March 25, 2006 (edited) unusual plants, hey? i checked my local nursery today and they have a canna which looks very much like the african sunset, i will buy one next time around. other unusuals plants: kalanchoe spp, the one with the gigantic leaves. heliconia spp. doriantes excelsa (native!!) musa ensete. maybe more will come to mind later... Edited March 25, 2006 by planthelper Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rev Posted March 25, 2006 (edited) kalanchoe spp, the one with the gigantic leaves. got access to that one too that doryanthes excelsa looks great. anyone know where to get seed/small plants? or D palmerii? Musa ensete looks great - but how to get seeds or rhizomes? (remembering im doing this on the cheap or free) can seed be collected from public plantings anywhere in Bris? I just got a large head chockers with Strelitzia nicolae seeds also Has anyone propagated mandevillas before? any tips? Edited March 25, 2006 by Rev Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dodie Posted March 25, 2006 Sorry to hijack but does anyone what exactly this one is.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gecko Posted March 25, 2006 Musa ensette ( or Ensette ventricosum) normally from seed - I've not seen them sucker - Try Adelaide Bot. Gardens or Perth Zoo if you have a friend check for you. . Nth NSW and S.E.Qld a bit tricky with restrictions on cultivation of ornamental bananas and relatives.It doesn't seem too heavily policed although ten years ago I had some M.textilis destroyed by banana inpectors 'cause they couldn't I.D it. Mandevilla laxa -seeds or cuttings ; M.amabilis'Alice Du Pont'- cuttings ; Dipladenia cvs. Red riding hood etc. -semi hard cuttings all benefit from bottom heat under glass but not essential. IBA and NAA also help. Hey I remember seeing Ensette in flower last year at the entrance to Suffolk Park Caravan Park maybe there's fruit , I'll check next time I'm over that way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted March 25, 2006 Ensete ventricosa only propagates from seed. It is NOT a Musa. The cheapest I've seen a plant was few months old seedlings for about $20. Usually they are well over $50. My first plant cost me $200. Prices will come down though as there are more fruting generations. They grow for 7-12 years and then flower and fruit, followed by collapsing in a pile of rotting stinking compost. A large plant can be as big as 12m, but I have seen one flower in a large pot after 6 years and only 2m. The 12m plants could crush a roof when they collapse, so caution is advised when planting them. Gecko, if you saw a plant flower last year then it would be dead now. We've got a few plants for sale, ranging from 6 months to 4 years old and ranging from $20 to $120. We don't mind if we don't sell them, as the seed is worth a lot more and ensures a better distribution. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rev Posted March 26, 2006 I might have to get a cheapy or 2 off you then T as the $20 or a bit over mark is ok i like the idea of them as visual impact in a nursery. Like the sarracenia, like stage and elks, like batplant etc they would be strategically placed for ambience - but also for sale Its a cooperative arrangemnet. The organisation is charitable and has good community support i get a retainer but theres fringe benefits. The community has been quite forthcoming with botanical materials, i have donated bits of nearly everything in my garden too so the selection is getting quite good and space limited i do a lot of driving around off my own back but i also get the kickbacks of increasing my own collection in the process and through this so can you though not strictly ethnobotanical theres some funky plants out there to give a home to so if you are out and about keep youre eyes peeled because you can find opportunities in the most unexpected places because while you cant leave a bag of shopping unattended or worry of thieves the most valuable plants set seed or suckers only to rot on the ground or be crowded out people are botanically blind to opportunity ive found motherlodes several times and in some cases the benefits have been substantial so... keep looking and when u find something take advantage of it - and email me cos ill trade you for a portion to use here Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
