Exoniensis Escapade

I took the little path between my house and the condominium complex when I walked home from the grocery today. When I got to the fence that I share with them, I checked out the tops of my bamboo. But, something else caught my eye. Something pink and pendulous was hanging from the bamboo. It was Passiflora exoniensis!! More specifically, it was a withered bloom that I had missed, and when I checked the ground around it, I found one that had dropped!! So I had missed at least two of my first tacsonia blooms!

Well, I pried its wiry grip off of the bamboo and slung it back over the fence the other way toward my pergola. I came around the house, and situated it properly, so that when the next bloom comes to fruition, I'll be sure to see it. What a pity that I missed the others, but at least it's in full health even if it seems to want to run away from home. So, once again, I wait for my first tacsonia blossom.

Laced with Nightshades

I've been patiently waiting for P. trisecta to open (at night) for a few weeks since I returned from my extended time away from home. This morning when I inspected the largest bud to make sure that I didn't miss it, I found an tiny little carnivorous lacewing resting. I still haven't figured out why the plant smells of tomatoes when it's rustled -  a very strange trait.

Update: The bud dropped without ever opening, and I do not know why. I guess I'll wait again.

Race to Racemosa

I was running the first ever Ragnar Colorado, a 189 mile foot race from Breckenridge to Snowmass with my 11 teammates this weekend. Before I left, I noticed that I'd almost certainly miss the first bloom of Passiflora racemosa. Sure, enough, when I returned I found an obviously post-bloomed bud wilted on the ground. But, true to its name there were plenty of other buds on the raceme. So, my first day back I was rewarded with a new flower opening to the Southern sun.

I purchased this beauty from Logee's. It was listed as P. racemosa 'Pink', but in discussing this name with a fellow passi-lover, I've since determined that the name little more than a description and not a true registered name. So, now I go to the Passiflora society to determine this one's proper name! More to come!

The results are in, and not much to my surprise the consensus seems to be P. racemosa 'buzios', which isn't a hybrid of course. Instead it's a cultivar with pink flowers instead of red. Case closed, and bud dropped.

Skipping and Sipping

I've always liked these little butterflies. Only recently did I try to figure out what they are. They have distinct triangular wings that the fold when they land. They actually buzz around when the fly in their darting patterns. I think they're Pelopidas (aka Skipper) butterflies. This one is tonguing my 'Blue-eyed Susan'.

Fade to Black

Absent August

So, worked called me away from home for a little over three weeks. I rigged up the pots in Pergolatory so that they'd get their water. Still, I worried that the heat of August (though not the same heat as I was experiencing in the desert) would slaughter my plants; especially my tacsonia passiflora, which are heat sensitive. However, much to my delight, they were all thriving upon my return. In fact, my new trisecta was clambering over its own trellis and on to the adjacent trellises. The thing smelled of tomato plants when i pried it's tendrilled grip free, but despite that fact, it's a keeper. I also noticed that it had bloomed (at night) during my leave, so hopefully it has a few more buds in it for me to witness opening for the bats. Trisecta was so overgrown that I was concerned that it had choked out antioquensis, but it was in there and obviously seeing sunlight. 

Parritae was my largest concern during the heat of the summer. But, it too is doing well. It's not so overgrown to the extent of trisecta, but it and it's pot-mate 'Mission Dolores' are winding their way upwards without any signs of distress. I've heard rumors that parritae will suddenly drop dead for no apparent cause, but to date she is spiraling toward the sky.

Even my decolobas are doing well. Holosericea, 'Manta', and 'Sunburst' are all doing well. And 'Jennifer Grace', co-potted with the former two, is wanting to bloom soon. I'm excited to see that for the first time. Racemosa has a few pink buds on it, and x belotii (the replacement plant) is doing just fine. The only plant having a hard time appears to be nephrodes. She's in a corner with exoniensis and 'Warmlands', and I think the pests from the neighbors' yard have been sapping her strength. I'll have to talk to them and request that they do something about their infestation on their night blooming jasmine.

All the fruits are still maturing much to my surprise. They sure do take a long time to ripen, but I'm hoping the wait will be worth the taste. Time will tell!

Sunny and Smelly

P. 'Sunburst' opened for the first time this morning. I grabbed my camera promptly and snapped a few photos, not knowing what I would find when I returned from work. After that, I dipped my nose down to take a whiff of the notoriously "stinky" hybrid. Verdict? Yeah, it's not a sweet smell, but I don't mind it. I also somewhat enjoy the distant smell of skunks...so take that for what it's worth.