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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Speaking of Strange Plants...

While I love common and dependable plants I'm also smitten with unusual ones.  Do you remember these lyrics?  "Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."  It applies well to plants as well.  Anyway, here are a few of the strange plants living in my greenhouse.  In some cases, the plants aren't that strange but they're doing strange things.

New to me this year were three members of the Sulcorebutia clan.  Here's S. rauschii


Sulcorebutia rauschii f. violacidermis.  Oh that purple color...

Sulcorebutia heinzii


Astrophytum asterias

Euphorbia suzannae sort of sat around doing nothing for a year or two but this year decided to put out some side growth.

Since this Lophoceres schottii came home with me from the Portland Garden Bloggers' Fling in 2014, it's slowly grown taller.  This year, it got a little plant food in the spring and what I thought might be a flower bud appeared.  It's not a flower bud.  Very unusual for this particular plant to put out a side shoot.

This little pup was listed as Agave 'Joe Hoak' mediopicta.  I think it must be Agave desmettiana mediopicta.  Although in looking at pictures on the interweb, 'Joe Hoak' makes bulbils that look just like this.  Time will tell.

I'm pleased as punch that Begonia sizemoreae with it's huge, textured, hairy leaves is happy in the greenhouse and is even blooming this year.  Seems this one  likes to dry out between waterings.

Here's a puzzler.  Both of the following plants were labeled Pachypodium but one has really long leaves

while the other has short foliage.   Different varieties or just variation in the same kind of plant? 

One last strange plant that I thought was dead this winter but must have just been dormant  is Euphorbia decaryi spirosticha.

Lots more strangeness to share but that'll do for this post.  Any strangers lurking in your collection?

21 comments:

  1. I'm happy to see your Lophoceres schottii is branching too, mine has 3! I'm wondering if it isn't because it's not getting enough sun? (mine, not yours).

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  2. I have a few oddities too, that it's sometimes hard to tell if they are alive or growing. They do get imperceptibly bigger, very slowly.

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  3. Those Sulcorebutia are adorable! Looks like you have two species of Pachypodium. The longer-leaved one is probably P. geayi and the shorter-leaved one probably P. lamerei.

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  4. After seeing your collection, I'm not sure I have anything that stacks up on the oddness chart. I'm a little in love with those Sulcorebutias.

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    1. Aren't they cute? Got them from a seller in California through Ebay.

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  5. After seeing all of your unusual plants I can't say I have anything to compare. I do have a plant that everyone comments on, Rick rack cactus. I have had it for years and it has never bloomed. I keep it around because it is so easy to grow and it does look a bit unusual.

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    1. That's a great plant. Mine's never bloomed either.

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  6. There are two times of the year when I wish my Pachypodium lamerei was that small, and one of them is fast approaching. Your Lophoceres schottii and Loree's and mine must be all linked somehow -- the arm on mine is in almost exactly the same place! (and I just noticed another one lower down just starting to push out)

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    1. Isn't that strange. One seldom sees images on the interweb of them doing that.

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  7. Those first three are rather striking and great colors, but kind of creepy to me. :-)

    Those giant begonia leaves are amazing. What color are the blooms?

    Enjoy your strange plants ~ FlowerLady

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    1. The begonia has small single pink flowers like a lot of the rex begonias.

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  8. Some of these look like they should reside in tide pools.

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    1. Isn't it fun how nature repeats forms in a variety of habitats?

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  9. Woo hoo! What did you change that lets me comment?

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    1. Didn't do anything but I'm glad that you are able to comment again!

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  10. That third plant is the coolest, and maybe the creepiest of all. It looks like it is ready to erupt and open all it's claw rimmed mouths.

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  11. Interesting post! It's fun to see strange plants.

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  12. Could it be that the Euphorbia is just extremely nervous?

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.