Hibiscus Blooms

I love the Hibiscus in the greenhouses.  I've posted about them many times before but they are just so amazing.  This first variety has variegated white and green leaves.  What's interesting is that the flowers also show variegation.  From the front you can't see anything but from the back you can see some white colouration throughout the base of the petals.



There is a variety that produces a large stamen, but this one appears to be different.  This one has a normally sized stamen but is wrapped in an extra tight petal towards the centre.  The plant is is growing on is actually being trained as a bonsai but has been allowed to flower.



Finally we come to my favourite flower in the greenhouse.  There are at least three of these plants and every time they bloom I have to take pictures.  The colour is just amazing!  There is a mixture of yellow, orange red at the tips, white and pink.  The picture colour has not been modified and was taken while it was raining our with no artificial light.  It's almost unbelievable to me!  That's why I have to include ten million photos instead of just one...

Fuschia

Cymbidium hybrid (Orchid)

The buds will be entirely open in a few more days!

Paphiopedilum (Orchid)

I really like this orchid.  It has yet to flower but is getting really close.  Even just the foliage and buds look great!  I'll update as soon as it blooms.

Croton & Jade Plant Flowers

It seems everything is blooming in the greenhouses this time of year.  This includes a lot of the foliage plants that rarely bloom otherwise.  It's interesting to see the unique and often small flowers that these plants have.

Crotons have little white puffy flowers on long flimsy stems.  They don't seem to last very long, especially in the humidity of the greenhouse.  The flowers eventually produce seeds pods that look a little like daylily pods.



Crassula portulacea (Jade Plant) produces little flower heads with star shaped flowers.  They last several days and are simple but interesting nonetheless.

Exotic Bird of Paradise

Although our Bird of Paradise plants bloom regularly they usually only have one or two flowers at a time.  Lately the plants have had a minimum of around five flowers at a time.  I'm not a huge fan of the foliage itself, but the flowers really do have a unique and exotic look.  It took me a few minutes but I finally got what I think is a great angle for a picture.  My only complaint is the metal rod behind the flower in the front of the image.  Other than that I think it look great and might use it as a desktop wallpaper for a while.

Burrowing Toads

There are several toad throughout the greenhouses.  They seem to ignore absolutely every that goes on.  Water can be dripping on them and they'll just sit there like nothing is happening.  One time I accidentally sprayed one and it just sat there and didn't even blink.

These toads are also interesting in that they really like to burrow.  The floor of the greenhouses is not really toad friendly.  It's primarily gravel with a little bit soil holding it all together.  They seem to love it though!  Sometimes they're completely buried.  Other times they are just sitting in little pits.

 I'm scared that I'm going to end up stepping on one because they're so oblivious.  I noticed the one in the first picture when my foot was almost right next to it.  I'll just have to keep on the look out and hopefully they'll be alright.

UPDATE:  The toad below was still there today but just a little more buried.



In the picture below you can just see the back of the toad.  It still seems to have a bit of a tail which means it's at least a few months younger than the other one.

Schlumbergera Blooms

The last few years my Schlumbergera has really disappointed me.  Last year all of the flowers just fell off when they were still tiny buds.  I think it was a combination of not enough water and rotating the plant.  This year I've done neither and have been rewarded with many blooms.

My only complaint is that the flowers are only one one side.  This isn't even the side facing entirely towards the window.  Instead it's one of the sides facing towards the window frame.  I'm pretty sure I didn't move it but I don't know how else to explain it.  Jame has dubbed it 'Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde' because it's so clearly two faced.

I made sure to turn it before I took pictures so only the good side was visible.  The other side has literally no flowers.  Not so much as a tiny bud.

Yellow Hibiscus Buds

White Mandevilla

Very lovely shape to the petals.

Billbergia nutans Buds

I posted about this bromeliad a few days ago.  It was correctly identified by mr_subjunctive.  I've been trying to get a good picture of the true flowers opened, but keep missing them.  Fortunately there are several, all in different stages of bloom, so I've still got a chance.  I'm only going into work about once a week now because my school work has really picked up.  I'll keep trying and as soon as I get it I'll be sure to update!

UPDATE:  I finally managed to get a picture of the flowers open.  I took three but they all turned out incredibly grainy and looked aweful.  I decided they were too bad to post but will keep an eye on the plant.

Cordyline terminalis Flowers

I have never seen this plant flower before.  It's one of those plants that you don't even envision flowering because of the wonderful foliage.  They flowers are definitely nice but don't compare to the foliage.

I also uploaded an image of our Clivia.  I've started four seedlings from these plants and one appears to be an albino (two white leaves).  I really hope it continues to grow and doesn't just die off.  The growth rate is definitely slower than with the green leafed seedlings.



Clivia unripe pods

English Ivy

A few weeks ago I took dozens of cuttings from our various English Ivy plants.  They rooted very quickly in sharp sand with some rooting hormone and periodic misting.  These were planted in soil about a week ago and have been doing very well.

These plants are being grown to feed stick insects.  I find this interesting because when I looked up stick insects ivy was nowhere to be found in their preferred food list (although they do eat it).   The biology department will be creating a display window with live stick insects.  I'm not sure when it will be ready but judging from the ivy we have several months to go.

Greenhouse Fruit

We have a small selection of fruit growing in the greenhouses.  The dwarf pomegranate isn't ripe yet, but the orange and lime are getting close.  We also have some young lemons started but they're at least a year away from producing any fruit.

I was inspired by Thomas over at A Growing Tradition.  He has this wonderful little Meyer Lemon Tree.  He has posted several times about it and even made marmalade out of his latest harvest!

Eucharis Blooms

In the last few days the Eucharis in the tropical room have burst into bloom.  A few weeks ago the canopy was trimmed and a lot more light can reach the lower plants.  I think this is the reason why they are all covered with dozens of flowers.  All the plants in the tropical room bloom on mass several times a year, sometimes for no apparent reason at all.

These are some of my favourite flowers in the greenhouse (hence the use in the banner at the top of the page).  I always thought Eucharis was simply a foliage plant.  However the blooms are all around lovely.  The outer portion of the flower is very simple.  The inner portion adds a little elegance.  This produces an overall very delicate and pleasing look.  My only complaint is that they face downward, but this invites you to take a closer look at the plant.

Sauromatum guttatum (Voodoo Lily)

The Voodoo Lily is one of the strangest plants we have in the greenhouses.  The pot appeared empty for months and then something began to sprout.  I assumed it was growing leaves but instead it produced this large flower.  They're suppose to smell really awful but I guess the scent isn't strong enough yet to be apparent.  After the flower dies a single, round segmented leaf will be produced.

The Voodoo Lily is a perennial and enjoys both heat and humidity.  It's recommended for zones 10-11.  The soil may be sandy/clayey loam and being slightly acidic is often helpful.  This is definitely a plant for people interested in oddities!  I've also added a picture of a Euphorbia that has produced some tiny 'leaves' on the growing tip.



Euphorbia grandicornis

Hibiscus with Large Stamens

We have many different Hibiscus hybrids and this on consistently produces flowers with large stamens.  It almost looks like a thick petal, wrapped up tightly in the centre.   I hope you enjoy it!

Papaya Leaf Infection

There are several Papaya plants in the lower greenhouse that are constantly blooming.  They have to be trimmed back every few months as the quickly reach the top glass.  They've produced fruit several times but nothing in the last few months.

The leaves have been intentionally infected with a pathogen.  This could be treated but the pest is being studied on campus.  It doesn't seem to be very harmful to the plant.  Leaf loss seems typical and growth rate is fast.  It does however leave interesting variegated leaves.

Thriving Epipremnum aureum

I'm not entirely sure if this plant is an Epipremnum aureum.  I do know that it is thriving!  It's grown all the way up the trunk of what was an old date palm tree.  It's now so heavy that the trunk of the old palm is being held up with a rope.  The leaves at the top are huge and many stems dangle down towards the ground.  This plant produces a really tropical feel and requires regular pruning.  The stems are so dense that you can barely see the old trunk!  By the way, the canopy was trimmed a few weeks ago.  That's why it looks so sparse.

Schlumbergera Budding!

Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel)

I walk by this little tree every day.  It is located just outside of the Spencer Engineering Building on the UWO Campus.  I had no idea it was a Witch Hazel until just a few days ago.  I was sitting in class and like I often do, got distracted and looked out the window.  I noticed this little plant covered with yellow flowers.  I immediately knew what it was and decided to get a picture as soon as I could.

I really like this plant.  It's one of the few that flowers this late in the season.  It's a little splash of colour in an otherwise greying landscape.  I'm glad I get to walk by it everyday and was really surprised that I hadn't noticed it earlier.

Tradescantia x andersoniana (Virginia Spiderwort)

There are about eight pots of this little plant in the upper greenhouses and I have been watching them for months.  The flower buds took forever to form and this is the first flower I've seen.  This plant is commonly called Virginia Spiderwort.  It is supposedly hardy from zone 3a to 9b but I have never seen it grown locally before.  I didn't even know the name until a few minutes before taking it's picture.  I'm not sure why it's staying in the greenhouse all winter but it may be for propagation reasons.

It does well in full sun or partial shade and requires moist but well drained soil.  It typically blooms in June but being in the greenhouse it probably blooms every six months or so.  I noticed that one of the tags shows a plant with white flowers and there are supposedly some available in purple as well.  The one that I managed to get a picture of is blue.  I quite like this plant and I'm excited to see the rest of the blooms open.  The feathery stamens give the flower a really delicate feel.

Charter for Compassion

This post doesn't have anything to do with plants but rather the Charter for Compassion.  This is the culmination of one person's TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference wish.  If you have any time I would really appreciate it if you could take a look at this link.  If you believe it to be important as I do, share it with everyone you can.

Sunrise

Blooming Thursday

Various flowers from around the greenhouses!

Impatiens hybrid



Schlumbergera



Passiflora Yellow (I think it looks great with the rusted chain in the background)

Double Twin Pinkish Red Hibiscus

The UWO Greenhouses have a large number of double Hibiscus.  This variety is different from the rest in that it looks like two double flowers were fused into one.  Every bloom has a set of two distinct stamens.  All the other varieties just have one located in the centre of the flower.  Like most of they hybrids it seems to be sterile but is easily propagated from cuttings.

UWO Campus

Just two photos of the UWO campus.

Beautiful Salmon Hibiscus (Jane Cowell)

These flowers just looked amazing.  The way the light filters through the petals is really beautiful.  They look like they're made out of tissue paper.