Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Giant Lobelia

I’ve discovered another plant to lust after…the Giant Lobelia, Tree Lobelia or Lobelia deckenii. Since this plant grows in the mountains of East Africa (according to a couple of websites specifically in the high altitudes of Uganda) I doubt that I will ever actually see it in person, but a girl can dream.The top picture comes from Wikipedia and someone selling seeds on Africa's Largest Online Marketplace. They say “Lobelia deckenii ssp bequaertii is an afro-alpine species from Uganda. This amazing, hardy perennial grows to 5m when in flower.”

The rest of the images are borrowed from Kirgistan's photostream on Flicker. Looks like he recently took a trip to Uganda.

Do you still want to see more photos of this amazing plant? (I know I did). Then check out the results of a Google image search.
I wish I would have discovered this plant before I went to listen to Burl Mostul of Rare Plant Research talk about his travels through South Africa. I wonder if he saw the Giant Lobelia? I wonder if he collected seeds from it? I wonder if tiny little seedlings of this very plant are currently growing in the Rare Plant Research greenhouses here in Oregon right this very minute?!! Like I said, a girl can dream...

14 comments:

  1. Which planet did you say these were from?

    I had the opportunity to attend a seminar in Jan. where one of the speakers took us through her plant expedition to S. Africa. It was time well spent, only now I want to go and most likely will never be able to.

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  2. There is a segment on these in "the private lives of plants" with David Attenborough,
    I believe it is in the last installation in the series what an amazing plant! never ceases to amaze me how totally unrelated plants assume the same forms under similar conditions.

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  3. Amazing! This is an unreal plant, but apparently completely real. I need to check out the David Attenborough series. Thank the gardening goddesses for netflicks!

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  4. Hi Loree~~ The quintessence of [my newly acquired knowledge of] fractals!

    From your title I assumed you'd be talking about Lobelia tupa, a casualty in my garden thanks to last year's late cold snap. Or was it the year before?

    Anyway, L. deckenii is new to me. Fabulous. I wonder if B. Mostul has a blog. Doesn't everyone blog these days? :) If he does and you find out he's got seedlings for sale, please let your devoted readers know.

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  5. How it Grows, isn't it!?

    Les, I had the same feeling during the seminar I went to. Amazing landscape!

    J.J., thank you! Now I am on the hunt for that series. My husband has seen some of it and agrees it's worth finding. I'm hoping maybe an inter-library loan since the Portland library doesn't have it and neither does Netflix.

    Jane, see above. Sometimes Netflix lets a girl down!

    Grace, funny you should mention Lobelia tupa! I had never heard of it until the YG&P Show seminars. Both Dan Hinkley and Sean Hogan talked about it. It's on my find list...or it least is was until you shared that the cold got it. I think I've had enough of that. I haven't found a RPR blog...but when I do find out about the seedlings I will definitely share, only after I've bought a couple though! Can't let the good stuff get away!

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  6. I love your blog. It sure was funny to read your first sentances. I garden alone and always have thinking that there is probably no one nearly as passionate as I am about gardening. I just bought 56 acres on a lake. Garden heaven now begins. I should probably blog about this. And would that make my blog the antithesis of your blog? Well, you are welcome anytime to my Facebook page, my name is Denise cooney! Glad you are gardening! Oh yeah, is the name for the Lobelia plant also Lupins? THat name is so familiar. tHat is how I landed on your page. The photo on www.bing.com made me want to research it and your blog was the number 2 result. Cool Eh! Thanks.

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    1. Thanks Denise (Dennis?)! You should definitely start a blog about your new garden project. To be able to look back and see the photos years from now will be such fun for you plus the best part will be all the connections you'll make in the garden blogging world!

      It's crazy all the people that photo on Bing sent to my blog yesterday...I hope some of you stick around!

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  7. I use Bing images. Still, its an amazing plant. I was on Bing and the image of today was it.

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    1. It is an amazing plant for sure! I've still never seen one "in real life"...

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  8. I want this plant. Will I be able to grow it? I live in the midwest.

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    1. Sorry to say I have no idea...but please let me know if you find it!

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  9. AnonymousJune 15, 2014

    i have some for sale, if anyone is interested!! write me at abi62 at libero.it
    Cheers,
    Andrew

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  10. It was really funny to read that this is another plant for you to lust after - I thought I was the only one who felt this way about the giant lobelia! I recently climbed Kilimanjaro where I encountered these gorgeous plants and instantly fell in love.

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