Pleione 2007

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wow - that's quite a series Hans - I like that Surtsey a lot !
What you call Chunii might very well be Yunnanensis though - if it's a small flower (impossible to say from the picture) then I would go for Yunnanensis.

[Paul T]

Great pics.  THe Pleiones are so far off here it is really great to see them. 

[Joakim B]

Hans and Luc it has been a privilage to see all Your pics.
I have no pleones myself since they are not really hardy in Sweden but I might concider them in Portugal outdoors. I do not know if they can stand high summer temperatures. Does anyone know?
Kind regards
Joakim

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Hi Joakim !
Glad you liked the pix.
My experience is that Pleione suffer a lot when it becomes very hot in summer - we have (more and more) spells of quite hot weather (a couple of weeks per year of over 30°C - with max. around 36°C) but this is only Belgium...  By your standards this might only be reasonably warm 

From what I know, they don't appreciate temperatures over 30°C - a humid atmosphere can be helpful, but it remains a problem

You can find lots of information an the site I already mentioned earlier in the thread : http://www.pleione.info/

You can always have a try with some easy ones (PL. formosana ?) and see what happens.
Luc

[Joakim B]

Thanks for the info Luc
To me that have not been in a long hot Portuguese summer yet I think +35C is warm. I am used to Sweden with maximums (one every few years) slightly above 30 and then the country is only working in half speed. Normal good summer temps are 25C and I am in the south part of Sweden
I will be on the look out for pleones in Portugal and if I can not see anyone I think that is a sign that they are not easy here. So far I have not seen any. They might still be possible but not that easy. Things that grow well have a tendency to be popular and spread.
I am not sure if I dare to look at the link. I am almost hooked and I want to let it stay like that untill I know it is possible to grow them here.

Joakim

[Paul T]

Joakim,

I get to around 40'C most summers here, with plenty of 35'C each year (and often a solid week of them during Feb).  The Pleiones don't seem to have any probs at all with the heat, but they are grown somewhere that they get protected from afternoon sun (under a large deciduous Magnolia x soulangeana).  I seem to recall that the worst I've had is some browning of the tips on weeks of extreme heat, but that is all.  Certainly the most basic varieties sail through without a problem at all.  I am only recently doing more collecting again so I have to find out whether others have any problems.  We had plenty of heat this summer nad I haven't lost any of them to heat yet...... only ones I have lost are to the damn possums back when they were freshly planted.  3 varieties mysteriously disappeared one night! <sigh>  Everything else is growing fine at the moment, even those that were given to me as quite small bulbils from the top of a bulb (rather than the larger proper bulbs with roots etc). 

I hope that is some help.

[johanneshoeller]

If we have a cold (max. 30°C) and rainy summer here in Austria, I will propagate my collection (2x). Otherwise I will lose many plants like forrestii, yunnanensis, hookeriana, scopulorum,...). But maculata and other Pleiones do like higher temperatures, so they do grow better in Italy than in the Austrian Alps.

Hans

[johanneshoeller]

Some unknown Pleiones - maybe x barbarae and Vesuvius Phoenix
Hans

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Another beautiful series Hans !
I agree with you that they must all be x barbarae - and good ones too !  Vesuvius 'Phoenix' looks very good too !
I hope to post some of mine tonight or tomorrow - I'm pretty much nearing the end of the season though.
Luc

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Here's some of my last for this season :

1) Pleione asama
2) Pleione species (I think it is a pleionoides clone, but not absolutely sure - but I love it anyway)
3) Pleione yunnanensis - unbelievably strong flower - the flower to the right lasted for at least a month !

[johanneshoeller]

Some new Pleiones. Some Pleiones do not open the flowers. Too dry substrate?

Hans
Austria

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I have the same problem Hans - quite some buds have dried up without opening - I have watered them occasionally but I think it has simply been too hot - we've had 23-29 degrees here - and under glass a lot more - I don't think they like these conditions.

[johanneshoeller]

The last flowering Pleiones?

Hans

[johanneshoeller]

Some different Pleione hookeriana with very different bulbs (very small or tall). All have started to flower during heavy rain
Hans

[derekb]

Hans, 3 more lovely Pleiones I think the first is best.