New Succulent Additions

While I was at Rainbow Gardens for the sole purpose of identifying my Jewel of Opar, I couldn't resist a walk through the succulents.

First I found something that I've only seen once and that was at East Austin Succulents and also not for sale.  It's a Kalanchoe tomentosa, but not the usual Panda plant, Chocolate Soldier or even Golden Girl.  No, it's the giant leafed, super fuzzy one!!!  It's so fuzzy that it's actually kind of scratchy when it rubs against your skin, and it's leaves are huge compared to the other varieties that I have.

Now to find the pink tinged one that I've only seen online. 

They also had a few of the Kalanchoe 'Fang' variety.  My large one froze last winter, and the puppies decided to pluck the babies that I was growing up a few days earlier.  Of course I needed another one.

This next one is new to me.  It looks like it might be a Kalanchoe variety, but I'm not sure what.  I just really like the color, it reminds me of Kermit the Frog.  I'm thinking Kalanchoe because it looks a little like my Flapjack variety, but maybe not. 

The weather man keeps promising that we're past the triple digit heat, so maybe, just maybe these won't get fried!  It's funny how quickly they respond to the reprieve from the heat.  My Flapjack's have been stunted all summer...they're all nicely red around the edges, but wouldn't grow.  Just in the week that it's not been so hot, I can see where they've already started growing again.  Friday and then again today, we were blessed with some much needed rain.  I'm expecting nice changes as a result of this treat in the coming weeks also.

Jewels of Opar...Mystery Solved

She has a name!  She is a Talinum 'Jewels of Opar'...isn't that a pretty name!  Thanks to Karen at Life is What You Make It for the common sense suggestion of going to a local nursery to ask and to Amy at Go Away I'm Gardening for giving me the name and confirming that the guy I talked to at Rainbow Gardens is a genius! 

I've read a little bit about it today, and it used to be classified it the Portulacacaea family.  I can confirm with their consensus that it is a drought lover!  This has been a horribly trying summer with I think 53 days of triple digit heat with no rain to speak of, and this one has looked fabulous all summer.  My bougainvilleas and hibiscus didn't ever come close to looking as happy and content as this one.  I also read here on Dave's Garden that it can be a bit invasive by a few unappreciative people.  Evidently with all it's lovely wands of blooms and then seed pods, the seeds get scattered and end up all over the place.  This is the first year that mine's been so big since I had her in a tiny pot before, so I haven't experienced this.  Considering my fondness of the various Kalanchoes that do this very thing, I doubt it will bother me much.  That will just be more plantlets for me to pluck up and share with friends.  I warn them when I give them plants like this so there should be no hard feelings if they take over! 

Regardless, I adore mine!! 



Mystery Plant

About a year ago, I picked up a really cute little plant from the guy that does plant sells at his house.  I kept it in a small pot and it was doing good, but wasn't really getting too big.  Earlier this summer, I moved it to a larger pot and it's taken off like crazy!  He called it a Fireworks Plant, but I have yet to find anything similar by that name online.  The last time I went by, he told me he couldn't find the name, so that's just what he called it.  I'm going to take it by a nursery, but thought I'd see if any of you know what it is. 

I can see where he got the firework's name, that's really what they remind you of.  The flower stalks shoot up with little offshoots and the blooms are little balls until they open up to 3 petal pink blooms.

Of course, the puppies kept moving the plant and so it was challanging to get a shot that wasn't blurry!  Here's a close up too of the leaves.

When the blooms are done, the seed pod remains and it's about the size of a pinhead.  I also stuck a piece that a puppy who will remain unmentioned ripped off in some water and it's rooting quite nicely.  The only thing irritating me right now is that I have no clue what it is. 

Anyone have any idea?