The release of rare plants including ones great to bonsai started last week. Also, please see the spring release adenium plants: some new and some old favorites. AdeniumRose company added dwarf pomegranate, pineapple guava agave and other rare plants.
The jumbo adeniums started to bloom last month. The jumbo desert roses are added to the Adeniumrose site as they bloom to give you images of the flower type. Please note we usually only received jumbo size adeniums once a year. They are 8..10yr old adenium plants so only a limited number are ready each year. Dwarf arabicums adenium plants are new this year (released early March).
Exotic Rare Plants Why Are They Rare?
Expect to see the rare plant rainbow eucalyptus, dwarf flamboyant, fat Baobab plants grown from seed (started 3yrs ago) and others. AdeniumRose expanding inventory of rare plants including exotic looking ones will continue based upon client requests continues.
We are constantly asked for seeds and cuttings. Most rare plants are rare due to the scarcity of seeds, poor germination rate of the seeds (0% to 25%) and difficulty getting them past seedling stage or rooted cutting. Otherwise they would not be rare.
Some rare plants are propagated by culture which is a very slow process. Culture growing means taking a thin tissue slice (microscopic in many cases) of the rare plant, putting it in a growing substrate. The grower waits until the rare plant is large enough to be placed in a growing 1″ liner. These are not fast growing plants so it takes months from culture to 1″ liner. Once it’s in a liner (usually 72 plants in a liner tray), it’s another several months until the liners are ready for growers (nurseries who grow not just sell). The rare plants are transplanted into larger 2″ to 3″ pots and given another couple months before offered to the plant collectors. This process takes several months to years until the plants are larger enough to have a good survival rate for collectors.
Seed growing rare plants
Adeniumrose Company grows rare plants from seeds that are not commercial available. We do not grow from culture. This year we started to grow christia vespertilionis from seeds purchased in Germany and dwarf flamboyant (rare plant self collected seeds with permission). The Dwarf flamboyant germination rate is about 25% and the christia vespertilionis 17%. We tried a USA source (twice) for the christia vespertilionis but 100% germination failure.
The christia vespertilionis is a very slow grower so do not expect any for several months if at all this year! Plus the seeds are very rare so we will only have a few (less than 20 plants). Presently, they are about 1″ tall (4 months since seed planted).
The dwarf flamboyant plant is a faster grower that gives us the ability to offer them later this year. The image is not one we have grow but from a mature plant. In the ground, it grows to a bushy 5 to 7 feet. It flowers year round in our area.
As a Bonsai, it will develop a thick single or multi trunk with many branches. You will not see this in most, if any, bonsai shops. Its a rare plant with low seed germination rate. However, we have a source (two full size trees) which we have exclusive rights to all the seeds pods. The flowers are awesome!
Have a great first week of spring!