Houseplants

[GordonT]

I couldn't find a pre-existing topic where this might fit, so I started a new one.

This is Medinilla magnifica, an epiphytic shrub from the Phillippines. Martin and I had been looking for one for quite some time, and had pretty much given up on finding it (other than by mail order for $60.00 plus shipping).

What a surprise, when I discovered it on the half- price shelf of a big box grocer, while away from home. So, now it graces our sunroom. I'll have to move it into a hanging basket in 2017, but now I simply wait for it to start into vegetative growth.... all it has done since arriving mid summer is to produce infloresences. Today marks the first open flower (right side of the close-up shot)





(edit by maggi to rotate photos )

[Rick R.]

I have seen them at Home Depot, and they are planted in pure peat.  The tag for the species says they like the "soil" quite dry.  What has been your experience?

[Hannelore]

The Flower is wonderful but I wouldn't dare to have it in my house. Yesterday the air humidity was at 35% and that makes cultivating these plants impossible. 
But my Hippeastrum aulicum is flowering:



There was a gardener who hat a pot full of the bulbs in a corner of his greenhouse. The plant came from his grandmother and nobody knew what it was. We found out that it was Hippeatrum aulicum robustus and in reward I got 4 bulbs. Three of them are going to flower this year. I try to fertilize with a brush in order to get seeds.

Best wishes
Hannelore

[GordonT]

Rick, The plants you saw must come from the same source greenhouse as ours. It is in pure peat, and came with the same instructions. I was concerned about the potting mix, but went with it anyhow. I just make sure it gets a chance to dry out between watering. I would imagine that a good mix used to grow Vireya Rhododendrons would work very well for Medinilla. I did give the plant a misting, especially as the individual flower buds were developing. It dropped quite a few buds, but there are still plenty. 

All I can say at the moment is So far, so Good!  We'll see how it fares through the next year.

[ashley]

I hope it's OK to resurrect this thread for a plant that doesn't fit elsewhere:

Billbergia euphemiae var. purpurea

[GordonT]

Nice plant , Ashley, does your Billbergia ever set seed for you? My sole bromeliad is Aechmea fasciata, and I'd be interested in adding a few more bromeliads to the sun room.

An update on Medinilla magnifica: it refused to send out any vegetative growth, just more flowers. I gave up on it when it came down with scale insect.

[ashley]

Thanks Gordon, and sorry to hear about your fine Medinilla.

The few billbergias I've grown so far have all been single clones and self-incompatible, but that doesn't stop me dabbing pollen about in hope
Last year I got seed from a Brazilian source and have young plants coming along.  Unfortunately it doesn't look as though they came under the right names.  At least it should be possible to cross-pollinate them in due course, whatever they are.

[Maggi Young]

I hope it's OK to resurrect this thread for a plant that doesn't fit elsewhere:

Billbergia euphemiae var. purpurea

 Better photos of this than I have seen elsewhere, Ashley!

[Roma]

My favourite streptocarpus
Streptocarpus polyanthos
I grew it from seed when I was working at the Cruickshank Botanic Garden in Aberdeen more than 15 years ago.  It has very thick leaves which makes it difficult to water without damage when the leaf covers the pot.  It always flowers early.  The pictures are from 19th February.