I am joining the SOS crowd again this week with photos of the orchid in my Gumbo Limbo tree – tentatively identified as a Schomburgkia. Of course, the botanical powers that be decided to change the name to Laelia. I am not sure what it is. About five feet of purple bamboo-like stem with flowers at the end. Here goes:
It has been windy here for the past few days, so it made for difficult picture taking. Hoping to get better photos when the wind dies down tomorrow. This is a sun loving orchid from Central America, known for hosting ants and the old dried out stems become hollow and can be used as horns! Who knew? I can attest to ants living in the roots, but haven’t had it long enough to get a horn.
When the weather starts to warm the more tropical flowers start to appear:
Miss Alice Bougainvillea. Bougs supposedly flower when day and nighttime hours are even as they are native to equatorial regions. I am not so sure about that and keep watching.
Lady Di Heliconia (Heliconia psittacorum). These are an oddly short lived perennial in my garden. They are beautiful for a couple of years, spread, then get shorter and shorter. This one is about half the size of the original plants.
Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea) sometimes appears in white. This is a volunteer amongst the Mystic Spires Blue Salvia. These are known for their variable colors (red, orange, pink and white), this one has remained white in one area of my garden. It is separated by a fair distance from the colored Salvias, that may be why.
Last, but not least. It is difficult to get much more tropical than this. Miniature Ornamental Pineapple, fully grown. These can be juiced. I think they are too cute to squash and generally leave them on the plant until they dry. I keep meaning to spray some gold for Christmas decorations…
To see more Six on Saturday posts visit http://www.thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com.
Until next time, Happy Gardening!!
The Shrub Queen 
The orchid is gorgeous – not only the flower but the banded stem. I would love to be able to grow more epiphytic plants in the trees in my garden! A lovely selection. Congratulations on your ornamental pineapple.
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Superbly gorgeous. I love vicariously enjoying your gardening endeavors. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks, BLL. hope spring is showing up at your place.
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It’s finally here…a little chilly yet, but warm weather should arrive by the weekend.
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Yay.
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Love your white salvia!
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Thank you, Su.
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Your orchid has done really well. Luckily, the wind did not blow it off the tree. I bought white salvia for my white garden and it does well and has kept its color.
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Thanks, having gotten the orchid identified it seems to be native to the shoreline mangroves along the Yucatan – guessing it can put up with some wind! I am going to be interested to see how it progresses..do you know which white salvia?
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This ornamental pineapple looks very appetizing! Too bad we can only get the juice. Are you growing it in a pot or in the ground? In the shade or in the sun? I still have my Victoria pineapples here which are potted but I’m still hesitant to put them in the ground for the summer: maybe I should…?
Very nice choice of photos of tropical plants ( that orchid is amazing ! )with varieties unknown to me. Thanks for sharing
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The pineapple is cute, it is not very big! I have some full size ones in my back garden. This is in a pot about 7 hours sun and usually has four pups a year. I have some in shade and they only produce foliage. They are here and there in the garden. I would leave the pineapples in pots, drainage is key and if you have clay soil, they will not like that.
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The pineapple is exquisite and I would also hate to pick it. The orchid is absolutely amazing and puts to shame the tiny ones sold here in pots! What a remarkable stem. I hope you do get a horn one day. 😉 And I do love your salvia in all its colours, but the white is especially lovely.
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Thank you, Cathy. I shall be tooting my Orchid Horn one day!
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Salvia coccinea really is pretty in white. It is a nice clear white. (I thought that it might look mundane, like some salvias can look without bright color.) Because white is my favorite color, I get rather discriminating about it.
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I agree! a very clear white – have you seen the new cultivar similar to Mystic Spires? It is white and translucent like a light bulb. Nearly grey and weird.
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No, I do not get out much, and I avoid press releases. Most of the new introductions are what I see at work, when someone else procures them. I typically prefer the old classics.
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Me, too.
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That is one exuberant orchid! The horizontally striped stems remind me of something out of Dr. Suess. 🙂
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The whole thing looks like something out of Dr. Suess. And impossible to get a picture…
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I really do enjoy visiting your tropical patch each week. Wow, what an orchid.
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Thank you.
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Fabulous pictures and I would use the pineapple in a vase it is amazing.
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Thanks, Noelle.
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Your orchids are beautiful. The other plants too. Love it. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you.
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