Some Desert Eye Candy

[desertgal]

Hi....I see all of the beautiful plants that are grown all around the country.
After a summer of temperatures reaching as high as 120 I looked around our little town to see what was still blooming. A favorite of mine is the Mexican
Bird of Paradise red and orange version (Caesalpinia mexicana). It is an evergreen shrub that enjoys full sun and has bright flowers, with orange and red centers that grow out of long, thin stalks. The leaves are ferny-looking and the plant gets quite large unless cut back often. Another beautiful plant is Pampas Grass. The botanical name for pampas grass is Cortaderia. It is a giant evergreen grass. It is a fast grower, and when it flowers there will be long stalks with plumes that rise up from the plant. Pampas grass is not picky about its soil, and can take full desert sun. They also can grow very tall and the plumes are gorgeous in a tall vase. The last one I chose to share is a type of bougainvillea. The botanical name for bougainvillea is Nyctaginaceae. These are evergreen desert woody vines that flower several times throughout the year. This particular one is quite different from the ones I am used to seeing. They bloom all year long but will be really beautiful as it gets colder.

[Diane]

Great pictures. I've always been fond of the Mexican Bird of Paradise, never grown it because it takes so much space.

Thanks for the pictures.

[Mehera]

Outstanding. I have always admired Pampas grass, but the other two are new to me. The Mexican Bird of Paradise is really a show stopper. Having a snow day here, so the flowers are all the more inviting.

[ABro]

They are all very pretty landscape plants! Flowers and all.

[KC C]

Mehera, are you really having snow? How awful is that is true? I'm a firm believer in the truth that snow only belongs on Christmas cards and TV programs.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Nice! I like the Cortaderia. Some of the really nicely landscaped yards around here have that. I think it looks really elegant when it is not to crowded.

Cheers!
BD

[Molly Taco]

I really like the Mexican Bird of Paradise, I wonder if it would grow in our area of Fl?
Cin

[Anglo]

I have never gone out of my to get an up-close look at a Mexican Bird of Paradise flower. So thanks for bringing it up close - that's neat!

[desertgal]

Cin

I conducted a Yahoo search on your question. Here is some information that may help you.

Forum Question
"I'm planting a Mexican bird of paradise in Northeast Florida. Is it's native soil more alkaline than mine? How should I ammend the soil before planting?"

Forum Answer
I wouldn't worry about the soil too much unless your soil is too acidic (<6.0). As long as your soil drains well, it should thrive. Another thing I would worry about is if the temperatures drops much below 20 degrees.
If you do need to amend the soil, add some lime to the mix before planting. You could also add wood ashes after you plant to maintain the alkalinity of the soil."

I also found a post where they were growing them in Zone 8a. We have them growing all over our supermarket parking lot so I am going to look for some seed pods. If I can collect them, I will share.

Katie

[Tmai]

Beautiful flowers and nice pics, Katie! My husband and I collected some Mexican Bird of Paradise seeds when we were in the Keys two years ago. Up until July of this year I had kept the plants in pots that were too small and did not water them near enough. This past July I repotted three 12" plants together into a 14 x 14 pot. This is how they look now after two months of having room to grow and adequate water. Over 5' tall, still in the pot, and just about to bloom! Finally!

Cin, they will do great in your area. Here they will die back to the ground and regrow year after year. I will winter this one in the pot in the garage and may plant next year or may keep them in the pot; haven't decided. They do grow very fast and get huge. If you plant seeds in the spring you should have a big plant with blooms in the summer.

Katie, I've never see that variety of bouganvilla; it's gorgeous! It looks like a cross between boganvilla and crepe myrtle. The flowers look like shooting fireworks out of the bush!


Just realized I need to wash the house! LOL!