I just purchased some seeds from Amazon of the Pink MBOP.
Has anyone one in this area had any luck growing this color of MBOP. If so, is it frost sensitive?
I would appreciate any information you have on this plant.
Thanks, Sharon
Pink Mexican Bird of Paradise (MBOP)
A few years ago I bought a pink MOBP, it grew ok, not as good as the normal colored one. It did not like the cold and died during the winter. I got another one, as I thought they were so beautiful and when it got cold put it under the patio, next to our jacuzzi, which gave off a little warmth, and covered it. It still died. I didn't buy any more.
So yes, they are very cold sensitive, protect them, maybe put lights on them, when it is cold.
Good luck!
Susie
Susie, I have a 3 gar garage and 1/3 of i is for my zone pushing plants. So the PMOBP will just have to join the tropical hibiscus, Delonix and such in the garage.
I had not seen any here so I assumed they were a problem. It will be fun to try. I have a protected area in the courtyard that would probably be a good place for in the summer. Thanks for your answer.
I got my seeds yesterday. I am going to plant some in my holding garden area tomorrow. They should come up quick with this heat and get a good start before they will need to move into the garage area in pots.
I will post some photos as they progress or not.
Sharon
I killed 12 RMBOP before quiting...well, I didn't really quit, but moved into a high-rise apartment bldg....but I have just started on our gardener to plant some of them on our grounds~!. Jo
We have red MBOP and orange and yellow MBOP growing all over the greenbelt. They are in full bloom right now.
I heard someone talk about the ink one last year and decided to look it up. I guess I need to see where it actually grows.
Jo, I cannot believe you are in a highrise apartment. But I do know why. Every time I spend more than 2 hours in the garden, I tell myself I am getting to old for this.
Sharon....you will never get too old for gardening...especially in your lovely set up. Jo
Well Jo, every yer this garden get bigger. I was actually talking to myself the other day in the garden, while gardening, telling myself I was getting to old for all this every thing has to look great sickness I have.
We are running out of water at Lake Mead. That is what will probably stop my gardening.
Sharon, you will just have to move to the dry side, like me! Lots of gorgeous succulents and cacti out there, many with lovely lovely blooms. I went from super tropical (4 ponds) and green green green, to 1.25 acres of desert. We are on our own well, so I want to be aware of our water useage, creating a different challenge, let me tell you. While I do miss the ponds and the tropicals, not having to do all that work makes me enjoy the property so much more! I love the challenge of finding the vast numbers of different and beautiful 'desert survivors' to add to our property.
Susie, I agree. But instead of doing that, I will sell this home that is way to big for 2 people, 4700 sq. ft. and move into a mid rise condo. Then I could garden a few pots on my patio/balcony.
DH, says no way, but he does none of the up-keep inside or out. Parkinson keeps him doing much.
I will keep you in mind for advise if I turn toward that. I have converted several pots in the courtyard to succulents and they are doing beautiful. I have tried some in another area in the front where it is dry and the succulents do not like that area either.
We had our 3 year old grandson for about 4 hours this morning. Boy can they wear you out. The poor schnauzers are so use to quiet, they were really glad to see him and all of his movements go.
Thanks for your help. Sharon
Well two years later, here are my Pink Mexican Bird of Paradise seedlings. I do not know if I will live long enough for them to gro into bushes. There are 4 in the pot. I will separate them before they spend the winter in the garage.
My plumerias are blooming beautifully this year. They spend the winter in the garage.
And 3 year old grandson is now 5 and starts Kindergarten in September.
First photo is PMBOP. Second is grandson. He lives in Spokane, WA, Third and forth are plumeria blooms.
So good to see you here again, Sharon! Many congrats to you: sprouting pink mexican bird of paradise, growing up a grandson, and blooming plumeria! Good looking kiddo! My nephew lives in Spokane and we always love to visit! (although they've had a bad run on heat lately!)
I've been surprised to see how quickly the bird of paradise grow once they're up past the seedling stage, but my only experience is with the yellow variety - guess we'll see how yours go! I do have plumeria envy with your plants! I've only gotten one bloom ever and it was white and I really couldn't detect a fragrance. Yours are absolutely lovely! What do you use for fertilizer and what schedule?
Crista, I use Gro More 20-20-20 fertilizer ad super thrive. My plumeria are on irrigation and I have the fertilizer infuser hooked up to the irrigation so they get fertilizer everyday, diluted, along with irrigation. I plant in miracle grow potting mix mixed with perlite and some Happy Jack soil. They get watered but are planted in a very good draining soil so the roots do not stay wet. All of my plumeria are planted in pots and spend the winter in the garage in a corner, totally neglected. Neglected because that is what they like. I has taken 5 years to get blooms. Started blooming when I increased fertilizing. Thy get morning sun, no afternoon.
The pink MBOP is another one of my zone pushers. But those plants are two years old but they are finally starting to grow.
When I went to Spokane, I could not believe how much water they had flowing down through town.
Sharon,
I tried the pink ones too but though they germinated from the seeds I was not able to make them grow. I love them but I do not think I will try again. Good luck with yours.
Love the plumeria and congratulations on your grandson starting kindergarten.
I have several plumerias but not muck luck with their blooms. They do once in a while and it is my fault since I forget to fertilize them.
Alrighty! Shoulda known - fertilizer! My plumies are in pots, too. Had them in the ground for a couple of seasons, but it was hard to keep them insulated well enough with the freezes we had those few freaky winters. Pulled them up and put them in pots and it's much easier, but may have set them back as far as blooming. Good to know that I'm not the only one with plumeria that don't bloom much, Rodica. Thought I was the only one since I see so many blooming plants posted on different forums!
Crista,
I keep them in pots too for the same reason. It gets very cold here at winter even though for a week or so , but it does not take much to burn the tips or kill them all together.
I just found out due to the destruction of the screen under which they been sitting for years, that they can take a lot more sun that I thought. I am hoping that they will bloom too with a lot more light than before,
Mine are in filtered sun from the filtered shade of a very large Mesquite tree. One by the driveway only gt about 2 hours a day direct sun. And it has bloomed two years in a row. I think it is fertilizing that gets them to bloom. I use 20-20-20 grow more and some superthrive. About half strength. Every few weeks. Once I started using 20-20-20 gro more they started blooming. And they get watered by automatic irrigation daily but are planted in very porous potting mix I mix myself. I use cactus potting mix, perlite and miracle grow potting mix. I just toss it all in my big cement wheel barrel and stop when it feels right. I had them over 5 years before they started blooming and they were all started from cuttings my sister brought on various trips from the Ventura county fair.
But I love the look of them even when they did not bloom.