Mystery Late Bloomer?

This has just started blooming! Any ideas what it is anyone?

 

A Chrysanthemum?

 

yes glad you spelt it

Spruce

 

Yep, certainly a Chrysanth`. Someone should tell it December starts tomorrow.:D:D

 

ahh haa - shows what a novice i am! cheers all

what do I do with it? a perennial isn't it?

 

It is a perennial, but if you are leaving it in the ground it will need protecting from frosts and snow.

 

Chrysanthemums are Christmas flowers here ... as well as the perennial shrubs Poinsettia ... mine is colouring now at 3+ meters and will do so till February when I cut it back to one meter ...

 

Triffid may I ask which part of the country are you in?

 

Tis a Chrysanth methinks.

 

Hi Dai, I am in Southern Portugal in Algarve, 20 minutes from the sea and 20 minutes from the mountains.

The Poinsettia is called Flor de Natal da rua here (flower of Christmas of the road) .. it is not a hybrid. It is virtually impossible to buy one now, they are passed as cuttings amongst friends. This is like the Begonia argentea-guttata (Angel Wing, Trout Begonia) which I have had here outside in the shade for 10 years and I keep it at about 2 meters ... I had it's parent in the UK for 20 years and it got to 4 meters so I took it to the atrium where I worked and left it but took a cutting. My original was called Tiny Tim and my current one is called Walter (Trout).

 

Lovely to see your Poinsettias again Victoria.

I love learning things on this forum. I learn from you that Poinsettias are perennial and can grow to 9 or 10 feet, so I overwintered some and planted them out in the border over the summer hoping for a tall plant - no luck.

Then I learn that the ones we buy at Christmas are not the species like yours, but specially bred hybrids that are short and dumpy.

Its the same thing with Salvia splendens - the red bedding Salvias that we see so often. They have been specially bred to be short. But in Brazil, where they come from, the species can grow up to 9 feet.

 

north yorkshire

 

Should I buy them a little North face jacket?

:WINK1:

 

:o Apologies Triffid and Dai. When Dai said Triffid, I thought he was talking about my tree Poinsettia which is more than a triffid. I should know better that Dai knows where I am ... :DOH: I shall try not to speak out of turn again ...


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I did wonder Vicky.:D:D No need for apologies.:thumb: