Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Pods

These funky seed pods are developing on my Hesperaloe bloom spikes. This is a new one for me, in the past the flowers have just shriveled and fell off, and then I would cut down the spike, after enjoying the flower (and hummingbird) show for months.
These pods are making things a little more interesting. I think I’ll keep them around for a while, let them dry and see what happens. Maybe I’ll even be able to get a few seeds to sprout and start a Hesperaloe farm!

There are also little pods forming on the expired blooms of my Rattlesnake Agave (Manfreda maculosa), shown below. I am woefully ignorant about this propagation from seed thing…does anyone have any experience with these, or Hesperaloes? Is it possible?
And while on the topic of interesting seeds I got brave the other night and visited the creepy house again, the one I posted about back in June with the remarkable collection of Dracunculus vulgaris (Dragon Lily) growing out-front. I could see the colorful seeds from the street and wanted to get close enough to get a photo of them.
I am going to have to keep an eye on these seed too, maybe when they are dry I will be able to work up the courage to return and take a few. If you never hear from me again then perhaps I was sucked in through the broken basement window and I am being held captive. Send help.

7 comments:

  1. All of nature seems to have conspired to make this a season of fecundity. I, too, have pods and fruits never seen before.
    Good luck with propagation experiments. And never fear: your loyal readers will send out search squads if you fail to show up here on a regular basis.

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  2. Good luck with the seed-collecting expedition. But be cautious - a friend in California had plants like that taking over her yard, wish I could remember the name - hers had dark green leaves with silver variegation, kind of a groundcover type thing.

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  3. DG
    I have a thing for pods. You'd best hide those Hesperaloes or I may sneak up in the night :D
    Alice

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  4. Hm, wonder if they are distressed and sending up white flags from all the heat and dryness? Or maybe it's just something they do in their "normal" zone, not usually in y/ours? No idea, hope you get some info though. I want to learn more about propagation - need to take a class or apprentice myself somewhere or something. Hey, the agave is planted, not elegantly, but planted. Thanks again!

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  5. DG~~ I don't remember if I told you but I'm so jealous of your hesperaloe. I love the color of the blossoms and now seed pods? What are you trying to do to me? :) For seed propagation I recommend good ole Google.

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  6. I've never had the patience for propagation, but I do own the Ken Druse book Making More Plants - the science, art, and joy of propagation. It has instructions for specific plants. I'll look in that and see if it offers any insight.

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  7. ricki, thank you! Will you be conducting any experiments?

    VW, I think you might be talking about an Arum italicum? That isn't what these are but I do have a couple of those. So far mine haven't spread, but I have heard stories. The seeds look identical (to my eye).

    BATGT, Oh gosh...if you do sneak up please ring the bell! Can't have you traveling that far w/o a proper garden tour and beverage on the patio!

    Karen, you might be on to something...maybe our heat helped them think it was time to reproduce, since they are naturally from a hotter climate. Maybe Pam from HOT Austin will weigh in on this! Yea! Glad you found a planter for the pup. Hope he treats you right!

    Grace, I do remember you mentioning your green tone...and I totally understand as one of my bloomers is 3 years old and this is the first time it has bloomed. I was also jealous every time I saw others blooming! Would you like a pod to try to propagate more? Email me if you do (spikyplants@gmail.com) and I'll send you one...or maybe some seeds, that would probably be easier.

    Megan, me neither! I don't know what has come over me this year. I'm even contemplating saving egg cartons to start seeds in. Yikes. Please do let me know if you find anything...it's interesting you have that book, not being into propagation!

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