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The blooms of my Mexican flame vine (Senecio confusus) are not full unfurling. The flowers seem large as I've seen them on the internet, except my flowers seem dwarf-like or "stunted", if that makes sense. It did take the buds 2 months to unfurl. Something was never right with the flowers...
A history: I bought the seeds of this plant more than a year ago. It grew fast, only to give me "dwarfy" flowers with short stubby petals. Maybe the sun isn't the strong in that part of the yard? It's puzzling to me.
And here's how they normally look like (notice the large petals):
They get morning sun for a few hours. It's winter here in Sydney and the sun is weak there at that part of my yard, especially in winter. I really hope that this is the reason. I was thinking that it was a cultivar with 'miniature' flowers of some sort and that would have disappointed me.
Are there cases where a weak sun will cause stunted or half open flowers? Interesting, either way.
Something's strange about them. They're in a sunny position now and it's spring. After 3 months, the flowers are still "half-baked". Does this plant in particular have a disease or something?
Maybe it's just a dud. Or maybe it's a mutation because of the wrong kind of soil. Maybe it feels like a displaced foreign stranger in a strange foreign land. Or maybe it's just different from what you were expecting. Frankly it doesn't look all that abnormal to me.
I was looking at pictures online of other Mexican Flame Vines and saw a few that looked like yours with the short stubby petals, there was even one huge plant that had masses of the colourful flower heads but they were all without any petals on them at all. None.
Ya win some, ya lose some. You'll probably never know why your flame vine looks the way it does.
PS - In case you never noticed, your rose plant has Black Spot developing on it. It would be advisable to remove those infected leaves and dispose of them and give the rose plant a fungicidal treatment.
Maybe it's just a dud. Or maybe it's a mutation because of the wrong kind of soil. Maybe it feels like a displaced foreign stranger in a strange foreign land. Or maybe it's just different from what you were expecting. Frankly it doesn't look all that abnormal to me..
I was looking at pictures online of other Mexican Flame Vines and saw a few that looked like yours with the short stubby petals, there was even one huge plant that had masses of the colourful flower heads but they were all without any petals on them at all. None.
Ya win some, ya lose some. You'll probably never know why your flame vine looks the way it does.
Could it be a cultivar? I was thinking that, but I don't know. I am an owner of many plants, and every flower that blooms in my yard doesn't look different from other flowers of the same species. Oh yeah, the second photo of the plant (the one next to the Rose bush) is actually another cutting - Which produces the same lackluster flowers. So what's the deal here?
Two different specimens here:
I thought it was a soil or sun problem, so I made a cutting and planted it in a more sunnier position - but to NO AVAIL - Still the same half baked flowers. That plant is native to Mexico. My one is in Sydney. I don't think the climates are that different. I've seen photos of the plant in Poland and Germany, and they all feature large petals. What do these countries features that my area doesn't?
P.S. As it grows older and more vigorous, is it possible that these larger 'normal' flowers can be produced?
Quote:
PS - In case you never noticed, your rose plant has Black Spot developing on it. It would be advisable to remove those infected leaves and dispose of them and give the rose plant a fungicidal treatment.
I've got rid of it. Too many thorns, not many leaves.
Could it be a cultivar? I was thinking that, but I don't know. I am an owner of many plants, and every flower that blooms in my yard doesn't look different from other flowers of the same species. Oh yeah, the second photo of the plant (the one next to the Rose bush) is actually another cutting - Which produces the same lackluster flowers. So what's the deal here?
I thought it was a soil or sun problem, so I made a cutting and planted it in a more sunnier position - but to NO AVAIL - Still the same half baked flowers. That plant is native to Mexico. My one is in Sydney. I don't think the climates are that different. I've seen photos of the plant in Poland and Germany, and they all feature large petals. What do these countries features that my area doesn't?
P.S. As it grows older and more vigorous, is it possible that these larger 'normal' flowers can be produced?
Something I can think of that is different about your area compared to the features of those other countries is that you are in the southern hemisphere and those plants in those other countries are growing and adapted to growing in the northern hemisphere that they originate from. It's in their DNA. The growing conditions are different and the plants you have may be confused because as far as they are concerned they are blooming at the wrong time of year from what their internal "clocks" are telling them they should be doing.
It may be possible that when yours are older and more vigorous, maybe they will have finally adjusted and adapted their clocks to the opposing seasons of your southern hemisphere light conditions and distance from sun, and the quality and quantity of the light that they get at summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. Take into consideration that when you have your southern hemisphere summer the earth is the farthest away from the sun in its annual orbit around the sun and the northern hemisphere is experiencing winter, and when the northern hemisphere has summer the earth is closest to the sun in its annual orbit and the southern hemisphere is having a winter in a place where it's still moderate and warm enough for many plants to be growing year round. The light quality and UV intensity is different in each case because of the distance from the sun.
Collect any seeds that you may get from your plants and plant those seeds next year to see if the flowers they produce are the same or different from the ones you have growing now. If you are taking clones (cuttings) from the Flame Vines you have growing right now the clones are going to behave and produce the same way as the plants you took the cuttings from. Because they are clones, they are part of the "mother" plant, they are not individuals sprung from new seeds. So expect your clone(s) to behave the same way as the mother plant you took it from.
Something I can think of that is different about your area compared to the features of those other countries is that you are in the southern hemisphere and those plants in those other countries are growing and adapted to growing in the northern hemisphere that they originate from. It's in their DNA. The growing conditions are different and the plants you have may be confused because as far as they are concerned they are blooming at the wrong time of year from what their internal "clocks" are telling them they should be doing.
It may be possible that when yours are older and more vigorous, maybe they will have finally adjusted and adapted their clocks to the opposing seasons of your southern hemisphere light conditions and distance from sun, and the quality and quantity of the light that they get at summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. Take into consideration that when you have your southern hemisphere summer the earth is the farthest away from the sun in its annual orbit around the sun and the northern hemisphere is experiencing winter, and when the northern hemisphere has summer the earth is closest to the sun in its annual orbit and the southern hemisphere is having a winter in a place where it's still moderate and warm enough for many plants to be growing year round. The light quality and UV intensity is different in each case because of the distance from the sun.
That may be possible, but then I have the northern hemisphere natives Pink Jasmine which blooms in late winter/early spring and Thanksgiving Cactus which blooms in winter and I could go on. They all bloom at the same time they do in the northern hemisphere (I mean in their respective seasons). Something just seems iffy about my Mexican Flame vine for sure.
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Collect any seeds that you may get from your plants and plant those seeds next year to see if the flowers they produce are the same or different from the ones you have growing now. If you are taking clones (cuttings) from the Flame Vines you have growing right now the clones are going to behave and produce the same way as the plants you took the cuttings from. Because they are clones, they are part of the "mother" plant, they are not individuals sprung from new seeds. So expect your clone(s) to behave the same way as the mother plant you took it from.
This is a great idea! Will definitely try it.
A little background info: I bought the seeds online from Germany. Three germinated and one became the more 'dominant' plant. All three seedlings produced these dull 'dwarf' flowers.
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