Clerodendrum Ugandense

How beautiful

haven't seen this before - nice!!

Thanks Lauram. I'm sure it's easy for you to find there.
I had my friend send me seeds from the states because I couldn't find the plant here.

Thank you Drc...
I have two plants. The one in the garden is double in size and a few flower heads so far. The one in a pot is smaller but every branch has flowers!

these are lovely Alex, love the colour :-)

Thanks Sl. I have two plants, one in the garden and one in a pot. I bring the one in the pot in the house if it gets toooooo cold. Luckily the one in the garden did fine even with our unusual frost this past winter.

Blimey i'd have though the frost would have killed it, that's good then :-)

That's beautiful! Are you competing with Meanie? lol! :>)

Maybe I should get one...as it's a common shrub here...then I can compete, also! LOL! :>)

No....no competition this year.

Yes yes we know.....you have a lot of beautiful common plants there. ;o)))

Why no competition? lol.

I should say it very available at the nurseries. Sometimes I really don't know how common certain plants are until I start looking more closely at gardens.

For example: I didn't realize how common Solandra maxima was until I started looking closer at some the gardens in my neighborhood...there's a lot!

You know how much I love these Alex!

We could play with Delonix, but for every metre mine grows yours will have to grow two, and Delonix's four!!!!

Meanie:

On a serious note: I have seen C. ugandense grow 6ft/2m within one growing season. It can be extremely fast growing with fertilizer and water, in good soil.

That's pretty average around here!!!!

Mine grow fast here too. (the soil isn't the best, I forget to fertilize but I do water every other day).

We don't have to water them here!!!!

It sounds like you both have very good growing conditions. Alex, I think you have maybe a little better growing conditions, though. This plant loves heat...as it's native to tropical Africa.

It's been a little stuffed for heat here this year!

Well, let's hope you get some really hot late Summer and Autumn weather!

I personally need it!

Today was fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was swimming and a storm started to move in...the sky on one side went dark then thunder and lighting shooting into the sea .....it was amazing!!!

(the ligtning was a good distance away....I'm still breathing)

That's as cool as flying through a thunderstorm!

I can honestly say it was the best day this summer!!!

Ofcourse when the lighting was coming down two at a time I decided it was time to walk out of the sea.

Probably a good move!

I had to drag myself out.....kept looking back. ;o))))

That's incredible Alex! I love thunderstorms! How warm is the sea temp? I bet it's very warm.

The ocean temp here has finally warmed up to 72ºF/23ºC. I'm hoping it'll get warmer. Summer of 2009 was the last time San Diego's coastal waters got up to around 80ºF/27ºC. Overall, California's coastal waters stay pretty chilly. Although, I went to the beach two weeks in a row and the water temp felt warmer than 72ºF/23ºC. :>)

It was incredible!!!! The storm just moved on past us....not even a drop of rain!!!

The water felt cool when I first went in but after jumping the waves and then the lighting......it felt pretty warm!

I have no idea what the sea temps are! The temps vary according to the wind.....north wind....very chilly sea. No wind, really nice!!!!!!!!!!!! Usually warmest in August. I must admit, I don't like it when it feels like bath water.

It sounds like some of the storms we get here a couple times a year during the monsoon season.

I like warm sea water. I won't go into the water when it's cold or cool.

According to the world ocean temperature map. It appears to be pretty darn warm! It seems to be 80ºF/27ºC or warmer. That's my kind of water temp.