experience with ...............

[Genxor]

Anyone have experience with the following plants ? We purchased them and would like anyones experience with them .

Pua Keni Keni , Crinum Lily, Vireya and some Heliconias.

Thanks Greg

[leilaniguy]

Sounds like you picked up some choice plants. Puakenikini will need sun, so will the crinum, (spider lilly). The vireya,(rhododendron), seems to do well in half shade, even deep shade. The heliconias however, can get away and run wild, especially the smaller varieties, in shade or sun. Each little piece of root seems to sprout new plants.

[Hotzcatz]

Yeah, plant that heliconia in a planter or with some sort of barrier (like a paved road) to keep it contained. Once it gets loose, it goes everywhere and digging it out again is a huge chore. It is a nice plant and good to cover difficult areas, but definitely it can become invasive.

Heliconia are good for wet soggy shady areas and will also handle sun if they've got the water.

Pua keni keni will become a tree, so give it enough space to grow. The flowers smell really nice so somewhere upwind of your house is always a nice spot for a pua keni keni.

[missydog1]

yes, I grow and have grown them all, and amen to the prior comments.

What kind of heliconias? Small parrot's beak or the bigger kind? (all are invasive)

Smaller ones are really tough. Larger ones appreciate more water.

Spider lily you can hardly kill; it withstands total neglect and grows fast. Green leaves or purple?
Makes a nice architectural specimen and looks good in rows.

Puakenikeni is slow growing but eventually is supposed to get to be a tall tree. Love the fragrance. Related to gardenia, I think, as there's a gardenia/puakenikeni hybrid. Flowers are not showy, it's all about the divine scent.

Vireya's are fussy. They are actually epiphytes and they can't handle wet soil. Neither do they like to dry out. They don't like wind but they need air circulation. They like perfectly filtered light but the plant can handle sun as long as the roots don't bake. Keep it in a pot and move it around until you find a site this prima donna enjoys.

Lovely fragrance, beautiful blooms, uninspiring for most of the year when not blooming, which goes for rhodies in general.

[Genxor]

Thanks to all !!!

The heliconia's Kathy are what I consider the normal larger bloom and the skinny elongated bloom ( I guess the parrots beak ?)

The spider lily was one each of the purple leaf and green leaf. The gentleman said that the one that blooms white ( I forget which one) has a much grander / showier bloom ..

We already have torch ginger on the lot , which doesnt seem to spread quickly - but the heliconia will spread pretty quickly ?

[jerry]

There are many many varieties of Heliconia and their relatives (ginger, banana, etc.) Some are small some are huge (we have one that is 12" tall, another that is 20' tall). Some are invasive, some are almost impossible to keep alive. Some prefer full sun, some full shade. So...a lot depends on what you have.

I belive Vireya is an epiphite (as are orchids) which means they don't especially like soil. I grow mine in straight cinder with a topping of "dump mulch" under the Ohia trees. I have heard that you can grow them on trees but I have not tried. If you take the time to trim them they will be bushier. I don't bother and seem to get plenty of flowers at frequent intervals (more than once a year.)

If you leave the flowers on until they are fully open they will last longer than if you cut them sooner.

Jerry
Art and Orchids B&B
http://www.artandorchids.com

Edited by - Jerry on 05/10/2007 20:37:03

[leilaniguy]

There is a "hedge" of purple crinum at the the Shipman Office bldg. Keaau. There is a large, everbloooming mature Puakinikini tree at the edge of the parking lot in Leilani community park, and a huge (20'+) orange vireya in a backyard on Kahukai St. in Leilani, near Alapai St. I have found that pink and white vireya seem hardier, easier to grow, (for me) than yellows and reds. (this is in wet Leilani.) Heliconias are almost too easy, can be a nuisance. Your torch ginger may get away from you too.



Edited by - leilaniguy on 05/10/2007 20:57:17

Edited by - leilaniguy on 05/10/2007 21:03:26

[emorata]

there are so many beautiful vireyas and also aromatic, these also propogate very well in pure cinder and partial sun/shade.

there are too many heliconias to discuss, most of the smaller heliconias are invasive, but the there are some larger varieties that tend to be clumpers....there is a lady who sells strictly heliconias at the makuu market and she can answer your questions - she grows alot of the exotic varieties if your interested in trying some of the more unusual varieties.....you might ask to tour her garden - its in orchidland.


crinums are very easy to grow and become very large plants, the foliage is still nice once the blooms die off, i think they are relatively easy to propogate by division.
noel