Wow that shows good variety, I hope to have one as good as that soon.... I must ask though, whats the 4th plant in the 1st picture of the 1st post, I like the variegation on the leaves.
Wow, i didn't know you got variegated forms of the banana plant....is the one on the far right in the third picture in the first post also a banana? Cheers
Oh, jeez, I wasn't trying to answer your question. We posted on top of one another.... The Variegated plant in photo 1 looks like a variegated Ficus elastica, and I was asking Canadianplant after the cultivar of the banana shown in pics 2 and 3. HOWEVER. There are several different variegated banana cultivars, most notably the striking Hawaiian cultivar 'A'ea'a' - there are some great pics at the Bananas.org wiki. There are also other variegated bananas, including Musa sikkimensis 'Red Tiger', which is red-green bicolour on the dorsal and ventral leaf surfaces, and Musa Sumatrana x Gran Nain, which is red-greed variegated on the dorsal surface of the leaf, and solid red underneath.
it si a variegated ficus. I saved most of them from going into the garbage from the superstore and whatnot. Most of em had one leaf or were half dead. It is a dwarf cavendish. Shot out a pup a few weeks ago. I grew the phoenix canariensis, philodendron, and the beaucarnea from seed. Notice that my majesty palm isnt dead. Its almsot been a year. lol
Good to see how well you manage to keep such decent indoor plants. A lot of the indoor plants that are grown by you guys overseas amaze me. I can't get it right with indoor stuff unless it's a palm. Just about all indoors end up outdoors because of my poor caretaking at home. I guess it keeps things circulating:} I could just change my techniques but then there'd be no excuse to have to bring in another plant.
HA I didn't think it looked much like a banana! I'm going to have to keep an eye out for that...my friend has a 6ft rubber plant (non-variegated), which he grew from a baby - I was always very jealous! Thanks for those links Lorax - very illuminating, who'd have thought you could get stripy bananas!? I'm not altogether successful at indoor plants either but I think it's because I keep on picking the wrong type of plants, dracaenas and Cordylines really don't seem to appreciate my cold room....I keep on telling myself they'll be happier in summer. The only thing that seems to be doing well is my aloe....I've only watered it twice and its already grown to fill the surface of its pot:)
Jen - if you want a banana that won't mind a drafty window, check out Musa basjoo. Very attractive and cold-resistant.
honestly, i dont know what i do special. I give them my aquarium water everyfew weeks. Fert once a month, LOTS and LOTs of misting. I think the main secret is using merical grow water control soil. Its a big wonder to me that there doing so well. The humidity in my house is at 17%..... I reptot them once a year or so. Except my FIcus trees, who like being root bound to a point. The big thing, i guess is light. Even my "shade loving plants" are in a sse facing window. My rubber trees, my beucarnea and my croton, are all in a high ese facing window, and direct light.
Hmm I think you're right and that's why palms do so well for me. Because of house position (and the odd plant here and there) we get little light in the house. It's bright but not enough for most things. They either will stretch real quick or defoliate. Raphis and Ptychosperma palms are my best indoor friends. I've had some luck with a few other plants but not for long periods. I did have a rotation going once where I'd have plants indoors/outdoors and rotate them but I think I got lazy:}
if your on the northern or eastern part of australia, you definetly have no need ( almost some areas are different) to have house plants. This winter.... - 35 fer a week na half, celcius. ( with the widchill)
Yeah, I always wondered if light was a problem for me, my plants are (usually) in north facing windows, which are very bright but not very sunny but every time my cordy grows a leaf it comes through bright pink and stays that way and i don't think it would manage that if it was low on light. Must just be the cold and dry air so they should all be happier when it gets a bit warmer:)
