H. Exotica!

15 years ago

One way to make sure you get the bulb you want, is to see it blooming...normally, I would not buy something in bloom especially a Hippi, but yesterday I made an exception.

I went to buy daffodil bulbs because this garden center sells the neat varieties individually. They didn't have quite the selection of years past, but while there I found this pefectly shaped beauty and had to have it! She has 4 beautiful blooms and another scape hiding among those blooms and also a third scape coming up from the middle. I HAD to have it. The only dilemma- it was potted at the garden center and priced at $22.99. Without the pot, the bulbs were $14.99. Now it looked great in the pot, but the pot was a regular 10 inch clay pot that looked like it had been used before. I talked with the sales girl and she said the majority of the bulbs had shot up scapes, thus they potted most of them and very recently. I told her I really wanted that bulb, but I wasn't prepared to spend an extra $8.00 for a used clay pot. She said she would check with her manager to see if they could take it out...of course the manager said no and I was fine with it. They had 5 or 6 Exoticas and probably about 15 or 20 more of mixed varieties(Papilio, Nymph, AB, Minerva) they had potted. After the manager came out to check for any loose, she relented and plucked that puppy right out of the pot for me. Yippie! It hadn't even started rooting so no harm and no foul I think.

Please see the photos of my newest child brought home anchored by daffodil bulbs in a plastic bag in bloom!

Look Who is trying to steal the show in my little "mini jungle"! Who really NEEDS to eat at the table anyway???

This this is so gorgeous to me, I can't stop taking photos of it. The leaves look like they have glitter dusted on them! Hope you all enjoy. I can't help it...I'm a proud daddy once more!

-Frank

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Comments (10)

threas
15 years ago
Frank,
Congratulations! She is a beauty! Enjoy!

Theresa
kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
15 years ago
Frank,
I received 2 huge Exoticas as replacements from the Netherland Bulb company. I have been thrilled with them. One is also sending up that 3rd scape.

Enjoy the fleeting beauty!
Kristi
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Hi WG, The pix are visible to me. I'm unfamiliar w/ H. Exotica, never heard of it before, so can't say, but it's a handsome leaf, if I saw some around, I'd buy it myself. The Hoyas 1, 2 & 3 all look to be Carnosa types (yes, some say the blooms smell like Chocolate, mine have never bloomed for me, so can't say for sure). The pot for Hoya 3 is too big, all Hoyas prefer to be potbound & in smallest possible pots (also helps avoid root rot). Also its soil looks very heavy & dense, like maybe it's from the backyard. I'd use some houseplant type soil & add abt 1/3 by volume of perlite (or pumice if you can get it). They'll want bright, indirect light (in nature they climb trees, up into the canopy). That very last pix, is a goner, might as well toss that, it will NOT recover (sorry).
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I don't know if Daphne is tetraploid but maybe...it have a BIG flower. This is other interesting cross in home: H. Papilio 2n x H. Daphne (4n).
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The fact that this put out 2 more blooms (total of 4) surprised me. I didn't even see the pending blooms when I first saw the blooms. Guess I was too focused on the open flowers. It's still going strong. 85-degree days haven't fazed it.
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I was thinking the same, Donna, but I haven't removed the pollen yet and maybe it's too late? I had this bulb in clay granules and almost all the roots rotted this winter. I repotted it some weeks ago but it didn't grow new roots since then. That's why I wasn't sure whether I want it to set seeds or not. I tried #1807s pollen on my Exotica x Exotica flower but it doesn't look very promising... Maybe I just give it a try. It could be a sign that she is as small as #1807 this year :-) Anja
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jodik_gw
15 years ago
Ir's very beautiful, Frank, thanks for sharing! You'll find that several of these bulbs have what appears to be glitter or fairy dust sprinkled on their petals! Some have a sparkly or smooth sheen that almost defies description... they are marvels of nature!

I see you've caught the bug! You're becoming addicted, as we all are! Nice little jungle start... wait until you reach the size of my jungle! LOL!
elizabeth_jb
15 years ago
Fantastic photos, Frank!

The daylily lovers call this 'Diamond Dust', and I think that it is quite appropriate to use the same terminology for those many hippeastrum that have this wonderful diamond dusting!

Thanks for the photos!
kitty747
15 years ago
Hi Frank,

Thanks so much for posting Exotica. You did a fantastic job of photographing her. She is a beauty, and I love how you told us the story as you were buying her. I ordered Exotica a while back from VE and, of course, got three bulbs. I stuffed them all in one large pot, but really only wanted two of them. Hope they're as beautiful as yours is.
larschar
15 years ago
She's a beauty, Frank. My Flamingo Star is blooming. I'll post a pic of it later. It is a LOT darker than I had expected. It's more the "Orange Sovereign" if you ask me. It isn't fully opened yet, so maybe it will make me change my mind. Grand Cru is pretty much open. Eh. Not a fan. Unless it starts shooting rays of sunshine or something it won't be redeemed. I think I'm going to have to go get an Exotica to make up for it ;-)
elizabeth_jb
15 years ago
To be honest, Grand Cru is not one that I would seek to order online. Don't get me wrong, Grand Cru is nice (as all amaryllis are), but there wasn't anything about it that excited me.

Exotica, on the other hand is FANTASTIC. Mine were supposed to be Exotic Star, but were not. I wasn't too disappointed until I found the Spanish moth caterpillar devouring them. Horrors! I don't know if any survived. It will be this spring before I take inventory to see if I still have an Exotica. If I don't, I would not hesitate to order another.

Again, FANTASTIC photos!

Ann
larschar
15 years ago
Yeah, Ann. I know what you mean. It really reminds me of a Red Lion so far. It's still "unfurling" so I can't give my full opinion. Hubby likes it and he was the one who bought it. He thought it was "manly." lol
frank27603
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks ya'll! I'm really enjoying this one, Theresa!

Kristi- You are so lucky! I would love to have a few of these! I am new to the third scape, but I love it!

Jodi- yes, the addiction has really manifested itself now! Now that the price of gas is $1.59 per gallon as opposed to $3.99, I can justify buying more bulbs for what I was spending at the pump...makes sense, right? I think we all justify our purchases in some way that makes sense to us! haha! I'm far from having a real "jungle" like yours, so for now it remains only "mini"...haha! I also have tons of other houseplants, so space is at a premium. Also like you, I manage to keep squeezing more in! HAHA!

Ann- This "Diamond Dust" is incredible and very hard to describe or capture with the camera. It is just amazing! I hate to hear that about your babies and hope they will make a full recovery for you!!

Kitty- I'm sure with 3 of these beauties, you are in for 3 times the treat! Do post photos for us when they are in full glory!

Larissa- I don't think that Gran Cru will shoot rays of sunshine any time soon, but if so...def let us know! hehe! I recommend getting an 'Exotica' to make up for any disappointment! So glad to hear your husband isn't a "hater" and is getting in on the fun! Tell him to be careful because the addiction is contagious! HAHA!

Happy Blooming all,
-Frank
jodik_gw
15 years ago
While Larry isn't exactly a lover of plants, he sure isn't a hater! He does enjoy the more unique looking flowers and plants I have... and he's always up for buying me bulbs or orchids, and hanging light fixtures for me! In fact, he chose a few of my orchids for me... and any time I want a bulb or tell him about a sale on bulbs, he always tells me to stop trying to justify it, and just order it if I want it! What a guy! :-)

H. Exotica!

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threas

kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)

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H. Exotica!

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