Ok now I know Vi has expressed a preference of the Skinneriana over the Figo. Any other thoughts from the rest of you - experience with either? Thoughts on container growing this baby or would they be hardy here in zone 7?
Michelia Skinneriana/Michelia Figo...talk to me.
I've only grown M. figo, but from what I've read M. skinneriana is very similar but is supposed to be hardy to zone 7 rather than 8 so it might be a safer bet for you in zone 7. Some sources list M. skinneriana as a subspecies of M. figo rather than a separate species...not sure which name is the currently accepted one but since they're so closely related I expect they'd probably smell similar.
The only thing I can say about either is that they don't play nice with many other fragrances or at least that is what my nose says. I do like it but some days it can really be a bit much.
Im sure you will like which ever one you can get your hands on!
Take Care!
Caren
Thank you, ecrane!
Caren - you mean NBJ x Banana isn't a good scent???? Hmmm, maybe I need to give additional thought to this.
I like the smell. But then again most fragrances don't carry as well and aren't as intense in my low humidity so maybe it's more overwhelming in other parts of the country (and I've never tried it combined with NBJ either)!
I have my NBJ next to my sweet almond verbena and day cestrum. The Banana shrub and SAV don't mix well. NBJ may be good as its most intense at night and the BS is heaviest on humid days. You should give it a try and let us know.
Caren
I can't say I've had anything bloom all together all mixed in so I can't comment on that part. I have Michelia Skinneriana and the Michelia Figo outside my sons room....they are both in pots and doing well except for some weird spots on their leaves, kind of like blackspots (I'll have to get that checked out) however they are both blooming and smell amazing in the late afternoon/dusk....I sat infront of the window yesterday to read and it was heaven....my daughter says it smells like Banana Laffy Taffy!
Truth be known I was "attempting" to be a smart but when I said the NBJ and the Michelia...LOL. Caren when you said it had a strong scent - I was thinking ok, what would be the grossest combination then....NBJ - whaaa laaa!!! LOL Oh well...me thinks I want one...maybe put it beside the chocolate vine...and something vanilla and what do you have????
A banana split - of course!!!
There you go! Now that sounds lovely!
I'm a little worried now Chantell....thankfully mine is in a pot for the time being till I find the "right" place for it (scentwise...LOL) Right now it's nestled between the rangoon creeper, winter jasmine, Milky way tree, 2 brugs, Sambac Jasmine, Karma Sutra Mint Tree and the Tropical Hydrangea....hmmm....I may have to do a bit of rearranging...LOL
Ohhh Samantha....I think I'd like to just rotate between some of ya'lls yards this spring/summer....
Yea! That would be a blast.A garden tour.
I have two different banana shrubs, and am totally confused about what they actually are.One is a "waxie leaf", with a taller more colom shape, while the dicidious is more like a branching shrub.OH, the wax leaf is evergreen.Not meaning to confuse you.
Mike
Mine looks like the one on the right. Im not too sure which mine is either.
Hay there missy Chantell! I see you made it to the tropical Co-op! ;o))))
Take Care!!
Mqiq77: The one on the left looks like Tea Olive (osmanthus) to me...could it be that? It is a very fragrant plant also.
I'm not sure how easy it is to distinguish M. skinneriana and M. figo visually--I think they're very similar so if it didn't come labeled as one or the other you may never know (unless you want to risk sticking it outside for the winter in zone 7--if it survives then it was probably M. skinneriana! LOL) Neither one is deciduous and neither is Osmanthus fragrans so I'm not sure what the deciduous one could be.
I'll take a leaf of mine tomorrow as I have both M. Skinneriana and M. Figo.....I think there may be blooms on both also. I'll take photos tomorrow.
M. skinneriana is probably still hard to find, I know that my usual sources had told me the crop failed last year.
Mike, I think I had told you that my Figo had seeds (but I lost them all when sis cleaned house!) M. skinneriana seems to bloom longer and has darker leaves, I believe, here's a pic of a bloom last October! Wish I could get msampler here.
Vi, does your Skinneriana smell like "bubble yum"? I sure would like to have a cutting.Would that be possible?
Mike
I do not know why they call it(m. figo) a "shrub"! Mine has got to at least a 12 -15 ft tall TREE! Had I known it was going to get this dang big and the scent was going to be so overwhelming...I'd planted it next to my NFH. When it was small with just a few blooms,it was nice but now it's a monster covered every year with masses of sickly sweet Banana Bike candy scented blooms.While it's blooming I give it a wide berth.
bigred, have to agree with you there..........mine has overgrown like your's and it is ready to be pruned. This is one plant that thrives on total neglect for me, growing on the south side of the house in full sun. mqiq, I had sent you some cuttings several years ago, guess they didn't take?
Mine's in a pretty good bit of shade and still blooms and stinks up the yard. It's getting a serious pruning this year.
I'll get a picture when it's light enough outside.
I hear they are hard to start from cuttings and seeds. I keep forgetting to collect the seeds to experiment with.
Bugme, I'll have to wait until the blooms stop(they do stop?), before I can get cuttings.Also I will be better to plan a trip, and keep them fresh.Sorry the cuttings you sent got too hot in travel.
Mike
BTW, isn't the ones Vi has different from yours?The leaves look different. Mike
This message was edited Feb 14, 2009 6:54 PM
Mike, maybe I'll be able to make the next roundup and bring some cuttings for you then. Right now, I'm caring for my Mom and things are unsettled at this point. Hope your health is better.
That would be wonderful.Does any one know of when the roundup will be?Maybe its in the works.Mike
M. skinneriana is now ordered....yipeee! For those looking for it: http://www.almostedenplants.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=646 No need to thank you...happy to enable....ummm, I mean "help" LOL
Speaking of "overwhelming sents", I planted my gardinias much too close to where we have a lot of our activity.I'm getting too much gardinia, I feel that I have been eating the blooms.
Mike
I looked at both my leaves of M. Skinneriana and M. Figo and they looked exactly the same....same size leaf and color. I'm waiting on buds on both to see which one is more fragrant.
Ahhh Gardenia petals with a little sugar on top...yum! LOL
Samantha - I'll be interested to hear what your exp with their scent is.
Rec'd my order to include the skinneriana today...what a great root system on this guy....PLUS at least one bud....how excited am I?!?!?
Is this the one in 4" pot, and how much is shipping? Mike
Yes 4" pot...I purchased 4 items though - all 4" except one smaller one and shipping VA was, I believe, just over $13 - Almost Eden was exceptional in ALL areas to deal with. As I put in my rating about them - shipping was literally .60 above the actual shipping. They get an A+++ in my book. The skinneriana has its little trunk then V'd to two "branches" very happy with the size.
Good going gal! Make sure you put it in a sunny window (somewhere warm) to get all the scent you can from your bloom.
Ahhh thank you, Vi...I put it aside for today - I'm always hesitant to throw them directly into a window when they been in a box for a few days. Is that a old wive's tale?
Sadly the bloom will only last a day or three, don't miss it and don't bump it!
A day is just fine....I'm so excited I hope it actually opens for me..not expecting it to thought as so many abort after being stressed (shipping and such) - maybe scoot her gently toward the window tomorrow...
Here's from a search in www.efloras.org on M. skinneriana.
"One of the co-authors (Nooteboom) considers that Michelia skinneriana and M. crassipes probably represent the wild forms of M. (Magnolia) figo and would be better treated as varieties of that species."
As more and more plants are genetically tested, it's likely we'll see many more species of plants combined and separated into varieties.
Mercy...now THAT'S a site!!! Thank you Kevin!!
I have herd of a Purple Queen from Japan but have not found anyone here who has imported it. We have M. figo, M. skinneriana and Port Wine. All are set to bloom in just days and I will get pictures of blooms and plants in the next few days and post here. The skinneriana has been very vigorous for us and less compact. I rooted cuttings last year but lost most to poor care through the Winter.
Love to see pics of the blooms...esp since the one mine came with aborted...so sad...