Day 11 - Flowers

[vilakins]

Today's naarmamo art is of the flowers I had a go at yesterday and gave up on. They're one of the few that bloom in our garden in winter, and there's just this one clump on a little potted tree on our deck.

Flowers



I have no idea what they are, but they're trumpet-shaped and have stamens with white-tipped black tops and red stems fading out to yellow. Any ideas? They're not day lilies; they've been blooming for weeks and that clumps been there for days, maybe two weeks.

My NaArMaMo 2009 Gallery is here.

Comments

[mab_browne]

Very pretty, and if I had a botanical clue, I'd certainly be able to identify them. However, I don't.

[vilakins]

Me neither. Someone thinks they're azaleas. I'll go with that.

[Edit] I've just been told it's a vireya, a type of tropical rhododendron. :-)

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

They look a bit like clematis crossed with morning glory but both are climbers. It could be a daylilly which comes in a thousand different forms but this is the closestI came to your flowers an a very quick google, http://www.plantlovers.com/east-usa/georgia/dixon/Tin_Man_07.JPG. If they are dead by tomorrow then that's what they are daylilies are not called day lillies because they open in day light, the flowers only last a day.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Nope. These flowers have been out for days; they last for ages. There were flowers on that tree a month ago.

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

Right and they are on a tree yes? I will have an other think.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Yep. I can take a picture tomorrow if you like.

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

A dwarf tree? I had a thought that it might be azalea http://www.mooseyscountrygarden.com/rhododendrons/azalea-shrub-deciduous.jpg
http://www.magnoliagardensnursery.com/productdescrip/pictures300/Azalea_Amaghasa300.jpg
They also come in a million different types of flower, theabove are just two of 272,000 a quick google on Google Images gave me.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Could be! It doesn't all bloom at once, but in isolated clumps like this one.

[trixieleitz]

Yes, I was thinking it looked a bit rhodo-y. I'm further from the equator than vilakins, and we have some out now.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

We've solved it: it's a vireya (tropical rhododendron)!

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

My guess was close then Azaleas and Rhododendron are in the same genus. It's good to know accurately what it is.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

I goggled and googled, and the closest I found was a pink clivia, but the number of petals was wrong as was the shape of the leaves & color of the stamens.

My best guess is that it's some sort of evergreen shrub. (I looked at allamander & oleander & couldn't think of anything else.)

It's a gorgeous piece of art, even though you can't put a name to the flowers.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It's not an evergreen, and it's not a clivia--I have those (see icon). I'll take a photo and everyone can see. :-P

Here's a tropical rhododendron that looks similar.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

http://www.sharonsplants.com/images/tropical%20rhododendron.jpg

Re: Here's a tropical rhododendron that looks similar.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It does! I think you've got it!

Re: Here's a tropical rhododendron that looks similar.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

Huzzah! So, now if you like the plant & want to get another you know what to ask for in a nursery. :^)

Re: Here's a tropical rhododendron that looks similar.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking I should feed the poor thing because it only has a few flowers. :-P

Re: Here's a tropical rhododendron that looks similar.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

How long has it been in the same pot? Maybe it needs a slightly bigger one. I found tips on that one site that said you should repot it gradually, and not give it a whole lot more room at any one time.

Re: Here's a tropical rhododendron that looks similar.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It probably does need a bigger pot. I should have a look at all of them in spring.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

or these Vireya (a type of rhododendron, also)
http://bamboo.org.nz/images/Tauranga05.jpg

[trixieleitz]

Hmm, rhodo's come in a variety of sizes, but they are evergreen as far as I know.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Maybe mine's a bit jaded. I only got a clump or two of flowers on it. :-P

[trixieleitz]

Looks like you've figured it out :) I don't know vireya, but rhododendrons and azaleas like their soil a bit acid - might need to get some acid fertiliser for it if you don't already have some. I wouldn't be surprised if there were even specialist rhododendron potting mixes in the garden centres :)

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

Perhaps a tropical rhododendron? There's a tremendous variation in form and color.

http://multifloraplants.com/page13.html

Scroll down to this one- it's a small image, but I THINK this might be it.

R. lochae x aurigeranum
Huge, deep pink funnel-shaped flowers are 2 to 3 inches (5-7.6 cm) in diameter and bent slightly downward in a circular truss of 8. Upright shrub of dark green, elliptical leaves. One of the best tropical Rhododendrons.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

They're not huge though. They're much the same size as the picture. I'll take a photo this afternoon.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

I had the wrong description, it should have been this one, for the image I meant.

R. 'Orange Maid'
Small, open branched shrub with shiny, dark green elliptical leaves and almost spherical trusses of 12 small, yellow funnel-shaped flowers with orange perimeters.

There's a catalogue full of vireyas (tropical rhododendron) in New Zealand.
http://www.vireyas.co.nz/catalogue.html

Third row down, third one over in the first gallery, there's a plant called 'pretty cotton' that looks quite like it.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It does look like those, esp the top and bottom image.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

I had a "desert rose" once, I mean Adenium. It looked quite similar, it was a succulent and when injured, it cried white tears...
But I love the picture no matter what the plant is:-)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It's not a succulent, but a small tree in a pot. I'll have to take a photo. :-)

[nautile26.livejournal.com]

At first I thought perhaps camellia sasanqua, but the flowers look somewhat trumpet like. I think they are vireya rhododendron.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vsny/364848361/

http://www.rnzih.org.nz/pages/Vireya_rhododendrons.htm

Beautiful drawing, by the way. :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

entropy_house thinks so too, and I'd say you're right! Yay, I now know what it is. :-D

Thank you!