Philippine Firecracker
By Stan510
13 Nov, 2014
3 likes
I've been told this is too tender to make it through a SF bay area winter. I hope that's proven wrong because it has beautiful winter bloom in mild winter areas like Florida.
When I first got it around May-June,it went into total shock-something they do I learned when moved- defoliating. And no matter how warm or how sunny the days are- they refuse to flush for well over a month a single leaf. That,I'm told is what they do even in Florida. So,you have to stick with these plants,have faith.
And hope for a rainy, mild winter!
Comments on this photo
I should have ordered C.speciosa..it blooms in summer like they all should.
So far- its perfect. But even with all the rain 66f has been the coldest day. Now that rains are making breaks in between- THATS when it gets cold at night and day.
Even Papaya and Delonix are green. I really wish I had tried them last year. I might have gotten Maridol through a winter that was 66f and sunny.
20 Nov, 2014
Do you mean Clerodendrum x speciosum? I have C. x speciosum and it's in full bloom now (it's a winter-bloomer). This one would be pretty tender in Hayward, also.
That's terrific that your D. regia and C. papaya 'Maradol' are still doing well. I've never been able to grew either of these plants in the Bay Area successfully.
21 Nov, 2014
That's the one. Sometimes it location,location,location with tropical's here- much more then soucal. And then some are just too tropical, period.
You have a photo of that Clerodendrum ,Andy?
21 Nov, 2014
That's correct, location is key.
I just posted some photos of my C. x speciosum. I need to post another pic because it's in full bloom right now. It looks beautiful; however, I need to find a place on a trellis for it.
22 Nov, 2014
This plant is very widely sold here in San Diego. Even though mine has never bloomed it's a pretty plant. It is very tender to the slightest cold, though. In Hayward most likely all the leaves will fall off during winter. It should develop new leaves in spring, though.
20 Nov, 2014