Am nearing the end of my journey with the Dracula. Have 96 different species and a few hybrids. Contacted Gary Meyers at Hawk Hills for the remaining few and got this response. I'm blown away by the knowledge of Dr Meyer who may well know as much or more about Dracula than anyone in the US. Some of my requests are possible but I'll post his explanation for the others. adriana - doesn't exist. Taxonomic error of Luer. It's just a lotax and he drew another plant's leaf in the description. I have analyzed the type plants DNA in my studies and it is just lotax. x anicula (natural hybrid of cutiss-bufonis x walisii). Only one very ill plants exists in Colombia. No one in the US has this. antonii (No collection data) - will check on this. Bertha Gates (platycrater x bertha) - should ask Gerardus Stahl about this one. I think he made it. inexperata this has never left Costa Rica. The government wouldn't even let me have a DNA sample. It is probably platycrater. lehmanniana only one plant left as far as I can find in Europe, US, and South America. I tried to go to the site where it is from in Colombia this year and three people got kidnapped while I was there. So will be a while before this is available again. maduroi No plants reliably coming out of Panama. I got a few two years ago and they died. nigiritella (drawing only). Does not exist. I am friends with the original owner and she never found it in her collections after years of searching. pileus (photo by Gary Meyer). J & L is best chance for this. pubescence taxonomic mystery. I have gone to the reserve this is from several times and never see it there. Other scientists who go there always think they find it but it turns out to be something else when I see photos. I think this is a fluke and I think the type plant in EU is dead bc the pieces sent to the US have been wrong. rojasii it's a hybrid. I fought because I didn't want my name on this one and now I have the DNA to show it's fake. sijmii (photo by Eucuagenera) I have one plant but long way from being divideable. syndactyla does not exist in the us. I have tried to go to the site where it is from but it erupted into a battle. It does exist still at the site, just too violent to get there. My 'wish list' will undergo some major modification after reading this. He has some of the others I requested, I hope to get them next month in San Francisco. What a treat to hear from a true expert. Nick

Okay. Here's a pic of silly plants but they make me happy! Thanks to a quick trip to Home Depot over the weekend I've added sweet alyssum, marigolds (yes, marigolds in winter!) to go along with my violas and my Osmanthus fragans 'Fudingzhu' which has been blooming for months now. It doesn't look much like winter today. Laugh. It's sunny and in the forties. Tomorrow we're supposed to get snow and sleet so of course the marigolds will be kept inside. :) Mike, It's been too long for me to remember the intensity of scent from the chloranthus (though I do have buds on it as well as on my Chinese Perfume Plant). If I ever get blooms at the same time I'll try to compare them for you. :) -Robert

JimShy compiled the following information and accompanying list dealing with houseplants that are fragrant. Posted by: JimShy z7 Brooklyn, NY (My Page) on Thu, Jun 10, 04 at 12:26 Fragrant Houseplants: First, the FAQ inside the FAQ! 1. Fragrance is not a science what smells fantastic to one person smells awful to another, or has no smell at all. This is partly genetic, partly personal, and wholly olfactory (sorry, couldnt resist the Batman-style rhyme!), so there is simply no substitute for smelling the plant yourself. Dont take our word for it, or anyone elses, go with your own nose! 2. A lot of other factors go into the scent of a plant: whether its getting enough sun/fertilizer/water, the time of day, the age of the plant, etc. The exact same species can smell different from one individual plant to another. Some folks also think that moon phases, astrological alignments, sunspots, El Nino, Superthrive, eggshells, their grandmothers tea, and the interest rate on 30 year Treasury bonds also play a role. The point is, if something seems to work for you, keep at it! 3. This list is not exhaustive, and will be added to from time to time. 4. There are plenty of scented plants that are not normally considered houseplants, which obsessed, er, dedicated growers are nevertheless trying to grow indoors. This list is mainly those plants that are known to be fairly good growers in the home. I also left out most, if not all, flowering bulbs that are usually purchased in bloom and thrown out when done. Fragrant bulb FAQ, anyone? 5. Plants smell their best when they are grown their best; take the time to learn the right care for your plant, and how it grows best in your home. Ok, enough already, on to the list! Plants are listed by scientific name, followed by common name in parentheses. Key: es = evening scented (after dark) ns = night scented (only late at night) Acacia baileyana, dealbata, farnesina, longifolia Aglaia odorata (Chinese perfume plant) Allamanda cathartica, schotii (neriifolia) are mostly es Alpinia: many of these have ginger-scented leaves and rhizomes Araujia sericofera (Cruel plant) Aristolochia (Dutchmans Pipe): gigantea some other aristolochias are scented, but not in a good way! Begonias: some hybrids are lightly fragrant Honeysuckle, Jim Wyrtzen, Lenore Olivier, Tea Rose, at least two species, solananthera and venosa, are more strongly scented Bouvardia longflora (Fragrant bouvardia) Brugmansias (Angels trumpets): most are fragrant (es), except for sanguinea and some of its hybrids Brunfelsias: americana, jamaicensis and isola are es, others are day-scented Buddleja: most are scented, b. asiatica blooms in winter indoors Bursera: fagaroides, macrophylla, simaruba all have scented leaves and wood Callistemon citrinus (Bottlebrush): scented leaves Carissa macrocarpa Cassia didimobotrya: leaves smell like buttered popcorn! Cedronella canariensis (false Balm of Gilead) Cestrum: aurantiacum, nocturnum (night blooming jasmine), parqui (all es), and diurnum, which is day-scented Camellia: some sasanqua cultivars, sinensis, some hybrids very difficult indoors Citrus: all have scented flowers, often the leaves smell nice too try some in a Thai curry! Clerodendrum: bungeii, phillipinum, trichotomum (all get very big) Coffea arabica (coffee) Coleonema pulchra (Breath of Heaven): scented leaves Coronilla valentina Cryptocereus anthonyanus (rick-rack cactus) Datura (Angels trumpets): most species are fragrant (es) Dombeya: wallichii, hybrids Dracena fragrans (Corn Plant) Duranta erecta: some cultivars are fragrant Echinopsis: oxypetallum, other species and some hybrids (ns) Epiphyllum (Orchid cactus): anguliger (es), crenatum, oxypetallum (ns), a few hybrids Eucharis amazonica (Amazon lily) Gardenias: see the gardenia mini-FAQ Gelsemium sempervirens (Carolina jessamine) Genista canariensis (Scented Broom) Hedychium coronarium, gardnerii, some hybrids Heliotropum arborescens (heliotrope): cherry pie fragrance Herbs: many herbs are scented, of course, and many can be grown indoors see the Herb Forum for suggestions Hermannia verticillata (Honey Bells) Hibiscus arnottianus Hoyas: acuta, archiboldiana, australis, bella, carnosa, fungii, lacunosa, nummularioides (pubera), obovata, obscura, odorata, paziae, pubicalyx, serpens, shepherdii, tsangii, verticillata, and many more Illicium floridanum (Florida Anise Tree): scented leaves Ipomea alba (moonflower) Ixora barbata, fragrans Jasmines: almost all species are fragrant, except for mesnyi, nudiflorum, and rex. Lantana camara: scented leaves Magnolia coco: es Malpighia glabra and punicifolia (Barbados Cherry) Mandevilla laxa (Chilean jasmine) Michelia figo fuscata, skinneri (Banana shrub), yunnanensis Mitrostigmara auxillare (African gardenia) Murraya: exotica, paniculata both called (orange jasmine), koenigii (curry) Neomarcia gracilis (Walking iris) Nerium oleander Nyctanthes arbor-tristes: (es) Ochna serrulata Orchids: many, many orchids are fragrant; here are just a few that are particularly good houseplants: brassavola nodosa, some mini-cattleyas, cymbidium "Golden Elf, " dendrobium kingianum, Neostylis "Lou Sneery," oncidium "Sharry Baby" (smells like chocolate!) See the Orchid Forum for more suggestions Osmanthus fragrans (Sweet olive) Pachypodium lamerei, saundersii Pandanus odoratissimus (Screw Pine) Pandorea pandoreana Passiflora: many are fragrant, including alata, caerulea, helleri, phoenicia, trifasciata, and many hybrids. Pelargoniums (scented geraniums): all scented-leaf geraniums have guess what? scented leaves Pereskia aculeata (lemon vine): climbing, leaved cactus with lemon-scented flowers Pittosporum: eugenioides, tobirum (mock orange) Plectranthus: many species have scented leaves; some are very strongly scented (think kitchen cleaners) Plumeria: most varieties are scented Pogostemon hyeanus (patchouli): scented leaves Polianthes tuberosa (tuberose) Primula (Primrose): some modern hybrids are lightly scented Prostanthera Psidium (guava): most varieties have scented flowers and lightly scented leaves. Quisqualis indica (Rangoon creeper) Reseda odorata (mignonette): scented flowers Rhododendron: vireya species and hybrids; many are scented and can be grown indoors. Some smaller Maddeni-type cultivars might also fit indoors. Rondeletia leucophyllum (es), splendens (ns) Sanseveria: though not often seen, most snake plants have small, scented flowers Senecio: confusus (mexican flame vine), pendularis, Sinningia tubiflora Stapellia: flavopurpurea is the only species in this genus with a pleasant scent! Stephanotis floribunda (Madagascar jasmine) Strophanthus gratus Tabernaemontana: divericata, holstii (Butterfly gardenia) Tecoma stans Telosma cordata Tillandsia: yes, some air plants have scented flowers: crocata, duratii, straminea and some others see the Bromeliad Forum Trachelospermum: asiaticum, jasminoides (Confederate jasmine) Verbena: some cultivars are scented Vigna caracalla (Snail Vine) Viola odorata (Scented violet) Wrightia religiosa Zingiber: culinary ginger (zingiber officianale) and some other species have scented leaves and rhizomes

A sole pink TC bloom I've been waiting and waiting for this echeveria to bloom for a few weeks, apparently it's making a larger bloom stalk... Ohh alright... I'll be patient. ;-) Steve, wow! Nice work on those sweet potatoes! One of my favorite vegetables. I love its foliage too. Mike also, check this video out, ha I could do something like this but with a non toxic plant (because of the cats) lol (can skip along to 2:30 to see the foliage) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUp2-DqEfOE Mike, what a mesmerizing sunrise and the landscape, wow!!! Great pic love it. ❤ Mother jade so pretty too wearing her flowers. Shavedmonkey, those orchids are really beautiful! What is the scent? (if there is one) Dave, I adore your Orchid! Gorgeous! Nancy, I LOVE your plumeria, I am envious! KC, Ohh my, ohh my, that Jade!!!!!! ❤ -Nancy