Heys guys, I don't have much experience starting plants but I made an attempt so I would have something to share. I snipped and stuck in a pot 2 pieces of Giant Fantasy coleus and 2 pieces of Inky Fingers coleus, 1 blackberry waffles coleus. I dug up 3 small Kimberly ferns, 3 Portweeds. I attempted to separate a baby from my agave attenuata but I had no idea how to do it and I got barely any roots so I have no idea if it will make it. I have two pieces of epidendrum radicans (i think that is what you guys id'd it as) that I haven't potted because I can't figure out how to do it, but I have been watering them :-> I also have a bucket of bromeliads that I had dug up months ago when I had a tree removed in Stuart. I forgot all about them and they aren't in soil either but they appear to be fine. These are the bromeliads I have two of these NOID plants, might be succulents. These are the epi pieces I don't want any plants since I am moving but I really need a piece of the tree sunflower. Wannarunfaster, can you bring me a piece of the tree sunflower? Would you like anything that I am bringing?

Yes, the most likely would be Costus pictus since it is the most common with a C. malortieanus-like flower, and narrow, glabrous leaves. Mine are blooming now too, and about 3-4 ft tall. If the stems are patterned, and the leaves are wavy, that would clinch it. Here is a link that might be useful: Costus pictus on GingersRus

The cupped ligules is a characteristic of the form of Costus vinosus that is common in horticulture, but it is not necessarily a character that distinguishes the species. There might be forms of this species that do not have cupped ligules. The same is true of Costus productus, which has forms with cupped ligules (in horticulture they are called 'Emerald Chalice' and 'Maroon Chalice') and the more common form without cupped ligules (usually sold under the wrong name of Costus curvibracteatus). It is impossible to tell for certain without seeing flowers, but your plant looks very much like Costus laevis. In the third picture from the top, the young folige near the ground has the characteristic silvery sheen of Costus laevis along the midrib. I went to the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica this summer to study the Costus there, and this species was by far the most common, so I saw lots of it and can recognize it pretty well from the foliage. The coloration varies with maturity of the leaves and depending on the shade condition. Suggest you check and compare the photos of Costus laevis on my website against your plant. By the way, I have just finished updating my website with over a thousand new photos and have added a new search engine to search the images. Here is a link that might be useful: All About Gingers

Anna - clashing is good, no rules, no worries...lovely garden and pictures. I'll trade you an owl for an otter ;-) Izhar - I can't get over the contrast between the grass and the flowers. The only grass we can get to grow here with that bright green color is a temporary rye type grass during the winter. What kind of grass is that? Carol - I'm with you on the chartreuse and purple, I've got to get some of that ornamental sweet potato. Julie - nice photo clarification, I do the same with the "Auto Fix" feature on Photo Bucket about 90% of the time. Julie - great pictures, how I wish I had some of the native green anoles here. The dang Cuban ones have done them all in here unfortunately :-( I love your colors too ;-) Kara - I've got such small spaces to work with and really want to do what you're doing. I posted about a year ago about my interest in setting up a cottage garden.... Tom