Purple Passion PlantVisiting the Hardware store across the street from where I get groceries a week ago I noticed the large purple passion plant in their window. I commented at the time how beautiful it was. It gets full afternoon sun and is a gorgeous shade of fuzzy purple in the bright light. Another plant of about the same size sits on their counter out of the sun, like a drab copy.
(Note to self - once it settles in, move back to sunny window)
This store is also a postal substation, where I take most of my fabric postcards to be hand canceled & mailed. The lady behind the counter knows me and always takes the time to admire the cards before sending them on their way. I asked her yesterday while there getting bird seed if she sells any of the plants. She took one out of the jar all rooted, wrapped it in a couple of paper towels and handed it to me for free :)
I'm very tickled, although it got a little wilted while grocery shopping. I hope it's recovering, as of this morning it's looking a little better. A quick search with the google to see how to care for it (since I've killed this one before) and I found this from a Canadian Greenhouse grower that made me laugh.
It seems he did a google search of his own when asked by a customer if he had heard of the plant. Apparently the blossoms of 50 or 60 plants in full volume are a little stinky according to his findings.
He concluded," I don't think I will be growing this anytime soon!"
I left him a comment...
Shame on you for judging a plant by it's google! ;)
1 comment:
Ha! That Canadian was quoting Mr. S from PTASP--at least, the last two bits are his. My little Gynura aurantiaca, whom I bought a few months ago, is quite happy in my window with just six hours of sunlight a day. I have named him Barton. He doesn't have such jagged-edged leaves; his are smoother. And I rooted two cuttings off of him already.
The flowers do smell, yes, but you have to have to be right up on them to catch a whiff, and it's not all that bad. I wouldn't want to live with a dozen or two plants flowering all at once, but one plant? It's fine.
The first week or two after planting rooted cuttings, however, I have found that G. aurantiaca look a bit limp until they settle. Then you have to keep them very well watered. When I miss too many days, they go limp and the (at least) two lowest leaves are lost. My big guy, Barton, is missing half of his leaves. I learned my lesson, and the younger cuttings are more lush.
Post a Comment