Strelitzia Juncea

[raimeiken]

anyone here grows this plant that can share me some seeds or possibly some plants? Can't find a local source for this plants. All I find here are the common BOP and the giant white variety.

[rprimbs]

I think that George Sparkman sells it -- www.cycads-n-palms.com

[Riddler]

My Juncea is in a pot at the moment I'm hoping as it matures it will achieve the proper leafless petioles.

I've found it a quite slower grower (here in Brisbane, Australia) relative to other Strelitzia.

[The Silent Seed]

Yes; that is a proper looking juncea at this size.

I do not know how long it actually takes for the spear leaves, but they do look like this at this size. I have a bunch of them myself.

[LJG]

My Juncea is in a pot at the moment I'm hoping as it matures it will achieve the proper leafless petioles.

I've found it a quite slower grower (here in Brisbane, Australia) relative to other Strelitzia.

I highly doubt it changes and I have never heard that they do. That looks to be a sold offset and not grown from seed. These things do not morph as they are separate species. Meaning you won't go from Reginae leaf form to a Juncea leaf form. You get what you see. Juncea can be found with small paddles however.

[Gonzer]

My paddle-less 15+year old growing happily along Sansevieria singularis.

[Riddler]

While i haven't seen it happen myself i have read about the leaves changing as the plant matures

www.sayers-strelitzia.com.au/juncea.html

http://www.yuccado.com/strelitzia-juncea.html

http://www.aroid.org/aroidl-archive/showthread.php?id=4304

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2448/)

Even though this was sold as juncea there is a chance it could be the intermediate form which your referring to

sometimes called parvifolia, fingers crossed it is a proper juncea

Edited June 8, 2015 by Riddler

[LJG]

While i haven't seen it happen myself i have read about the leaves changing as the plant matures

www.sayers-strelitzia.com.au/juncea.html

http://www.yuccado.com/strelitzia-juncea.html

http://www.aroid.org/aroidl-archive/showthread.php?id=4304

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2448/)

Even though this was sold as juncea there is a chance it could be the intermediate form which your referring to

sometimes called parvifolia, fingers crossed it is a proper juncea

Yes, when you grow from seed. But yours looks like it was a division they sold you off a mature plant. Post back down the road if it does change.

[Riddler]

I see what your saying now, it was bought a few years back but i separated this into 2 plants when i potted it up about 5 months ago after

saving it from certain death as my parents had it underneath a Golden Rain Tree in heavy clay soil at their place. I'll let you know how it grows.

[Phoenikakias]

My paddle-less 15+year old growing happily along Sansevieria singularis.

Very nice combination, Gonzer!!!!

[raimeiken]

My paddle-less 15+year old growing happily along Sansevieria singularis.

looks awesome! How many years before you saw your first bloom from it?

[Gonzer]

Blah blah, it was in the ground about 6 years before it bloomed. A few at first then each successive year gives us more.

[mike2748]

They like to get root bound before they bloom well

[cagary]

My Juncea is in a pot at the moment I'm hoping as it matures it will achieve the proper leafless petioles.

I've found it a quite slower grower (here in Brisbane, Australia) relative to other Strelitzia.

I highly doubt it changes and I have never heard that they do. That looks to be a sold offset and not grown from seed. These things do not morph as they are separate species. Meaning you won't go from Reginae leaf form to a Juncea leaf form. You get what you see. Juncea can be found with small paddles however.

I have grown "juncea" from South African seed and they always start out looking exactly like "regina". After a few years the leaves begin to get noticeably smaller and form on a longer and longer stem.

[The Silent Seed]

Yes; they do have spoon leaves even from seed - and they "change."

[LJG]

My Juncea is in a pot at the moment I'm hoping as it matures it will achieve the proper leafless petioles.

I've found it a quite slower grower (here in Brisbane, Australia) relative to other Strelitzia.

I highly doubt it changes and I have never heard that they do. That looks to be a sold offset and not grown from seed. These things do not morph as they are separate species. Meaning you won't go from Reginae leaf form to a Juncea leaf form. You get what you see. Juncea can be found with small paddles however.

I have grown "juncea" from South African seed and they always start out looking exactly like "regina". After a few years the leaves begin to get noticeably smaller and form on a longer and longer stem.

So you think his plant will change? I don't. Happy to be wrong though. As I stated this isn't a plant started from seed in my opinion. Looks to be an offset. I have never grown from seed but have grown a bunch of different juncea forms from offsets and what you see, is what you get. Time will tell if it changes I guess. Love to hear back if it does or doesn't.

[The Silent Seed]

I'll be interested in seeing what happens, too. I have only dealt with seed grown plants and know that those do change - since they obviously start life as spoon leafers. Interesting stuff!

[cagary]

I'll be interested in seeing what happens, too. I have only dealt with seed grown plants and know that those do change - since they obviously start life as spoon leafers. Interesting stuff!

Mine have never "started out as spoon leavers". For at least two years from seed, they look identical to "reginea". Then the spooning slowly begins. Planting them in the ground seems to speed up the process as well as living in a climate where one can do so.

[The Silent Seed]

I think we are using the term "spoon leaf" to mean different things.

Personally, I use the term 'spoon leaf' to describe a spike, with a small cup on top. (As opposed to boat shaped, read: reginae)

S. reginae have longer "boat shaped" leaves on top of the petioles - Maybe that is what caused some confusion.

So, to summarize; all Sterlitzias start out as "boat leaves" then.

[The Silent Seed]

Silly me….. boat shaped ? That's ridiculous. HULL SHAPED is more like it Seriously - we all know what we are referring to here.

A spike, versus a non-spike: A rose by any other name.

Edited June 16, 2015 by santoury

[Hillizard]

Finally enjoying a flower this spring on a big bush of S. juncea I replanted a year or so ago. The plant's taken a long time to adjust from being rootbound in a pot for a decade to being in the ground. Leaf tips are changing from spoon to spike too.  And also I've attached a picture of the Strelitzia 'Mandela's Gold' in bloom today for the second year, but bought years ago as a tiny seedling. Patience is sometimes rewarded.

[Geoff]

Strelitzia juncae in Huntington, dwarf form in LA Arboretum... and lastly my own plant in too little light (and only flowered once)

[Neil C]

Saw these for sale at the weekend and it reminded me of this thread. Certainly had much smaller leaves than the regular kind.

 

Regards Neil

[Hillizard]

14 hours ago, Geoff said:

Strelitzia juncae in Huntington, dwarf form in LA Arboretum... and lastly my own plant in too little light (and only flowered once)

Geoff: Great pictures, esp. the dwarf cultivar! Thanks for sharing those.

A few years ago I ordered seeds of S. reginae 'Mandela's Gold' X S. juncea [ http://www.silverhillseeds.co.za/byEntireAZ.asp ]. I planted them and nothing happened after 6 months. I figured I should have done a smoke treatment to hasten germination. Anyway, I was surprised to see one seed sprout after I had tossed the container aside the year before. It's now growing steadily but it'll several years before I know the results of that cross. Would be nice to have a  yellow-flowered juncea-like plant.

[raimeiken]

On 4/30/2018, 11:03:13, Hillizard said:

Geoff: Great pictures, esp. the dwarf cultivar! Thanks for sharing those.

A few years ago I ordered seeds of S. reginae 'Mandela's Gold' X S. juncea [ http://www.silverhillseeds.co.za/byEntireAZ.asp ]. I planted them and nothing happened after 6 months. I figured I should have done a smoke treatment to hasten germination. Anyway, I was surprised to see one seed sprout after I had tossed the container aside the year before. It's now growing steadily but it'll several years before I know the results of that cross. Would be nice to have a  yellow-flowered juncea-like plant.

this nursery is South Africa sells that hybrid. They look awesome!

 

 

anyone have any regular S. Juncea to spare? I'm still looking for this plant after all these years lol PM me please!  

Kensnursery.com in Florida had it available this past winter but couldn't ship until spring. But by spring time they ran out. I should've bought them in winter and just waited for them to ship UGH! They said they won't have them available again until late summer or fall.

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, raimeiken said:

I'm still looking for this plant after all these years lol PM me please!  

I was up at George Sparkman's in Fallbrook, CA and he had some a month ago.  I believe he sold a bunch, so don't know if he still has any, but worth a check.

http://cycads-n-palms.com/

You can also find him under the sellers guide on this website.

[raimeiken]

Just came back from vacation in central California (Santa Barbara area) looked at several nurseries that San Marcos growers supply plants and found none. So disappointing. We even passed by San Marcos growers' but they're strictly Wholesale only. We checked out a couple other wholesale growers  (Seaview nursery, West Covina Wholesale nursery),and did find some but were in 15-20gal size pots only. We couldn't fit them in our rental car.  I did find the "Gold crest" variety at an Armstrong nursery, 5gal for $54 yikes! it was tempting.

[Hillizard]

The leaf/stems on my Strelitzia juncea are now over 6ft tall. Never expected them to be this long. Plenty of blooms this year too, more than this picture indicates.

 

[Hillizard]

On 4/30/2018 at 11:03 AM, Hillizard said:

Geoff: Great pictures, esp. the dwarf cultivar! Thanks for sharing those.

A few years ago I ordered seeds of S. reginae 'Mandela's Gold' X S. juncea [ http://www.silverhillseeds.co.za/byEntireAZ.asp ]. I planted them and nothing happened after 6 months. I figured I should have done a smoke treatment to hasten germination. Anyway, I was surprised to see one seed sprout after I had tossed the container aside the year before. It's now growing steadily but it'll several years before I know the results of that cross. Would be nice to have a  yellow-flowered juncea-like plant.

 

See image below after 6 years...

[Hillizard]

It takes a planter's patience: Took about 6 years from seed to bloom. Wasn't sure about the flower color of this hybrid. The handwritten note on the seed packet I got from Silverhill Seeds and Books: "Sterlitzia juncea x reginae yellow".  So happy to see it was yellow! Color is a bit washed out on this overcast, rainy day with my camera settings. It is a vibrant yellow IRL. In the background is the 'Mandela's Gold' yellow cultivar of S. reginae.

Some tragic background: "Respected botanists Rod Saunders, 74, and Rachel, 63, were ambushed as they searched for rare seeds in a remote nature reserve in South Africa." (circa 2018)
https://www.news.com.au/world/africa/british-couple-eaten-by-crocodiles-after-being-brutally-murdered-and-thrown-in-river-by-ruthless-gang/news-story/a1571018112ce213be92f062f4629b0a