Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Clerodendrums Wallichi - The Bridal Veil

Clerodendrum Wallichi (The Bridal Veil) is a shrub that can reach up to 7 ft in height.  It has narrow shiny leaves of up to 5 to 6 inches long. Blooming is year round in the tropics. It can easily be propagated from semi-hardwood cuttings.

 
The white flowers cascade down in pendulous panicles.


Delicate buds about to pop anytime.




The young panicle with developing green buds.


The mature panicle with fully developed terminal blooms. 



The petals flare out from a narrow tube. Stamens and style protrude out. 


 My domestic helper keeps the plants in great shape with routine watering, pruning, fertilizing and checking out for pests.


A panicle seen against a background of Bougainvilleas.

The sprawling flowers of B. Mrs Eva.


16 comments:

  1. It looks delightful! I can see how it was given its name.

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    1. I concur with you. Pristine white, curved filaments and delicate petals.

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  2. Replies
    1. I have the plant as a standard, so the panicles are displayed for best effect.

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  3. Never seen before. Classical and beautiful.

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    1. Its quite common actually. Once you have an established plant, its easy to get suckers which can be cultivated into strong specimens.

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  4. What beautiful delicate flowers.

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    1. They are indeed. Like many other eccentric gardeners I have a weakness for cascading flowers.

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  5. Your bouganvillea is awesome! I moved my bridal veil a couple of weeks ago and it is sitll not a happy plant. I should have started some hardwood cuttings instead of moving the entire plant.

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    1. The merit goes to the plant entirely. Once they are mature, practically nothing needs to be done other than pruning.

      As insurance, I always do some cuttings before attempting a move. Having said that, occasionally I just move my plants on a whim and fancy. I took a risk with my Tristellateia australasiae (Maiden's jealousy) vine. It sulked for 2 months before sprouting new shoots.

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  6. I've always watched that plant in garden shows here, it is lovely but i havent bought even one yet!

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    1. In our garden shows such as Putrjaya's flora fest, there is a tendency to feature orchids, bougainvilleas and fruit trees, never ever clerodendrums. I think there is more diversity in yours!

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  7. Lovely! I see it's resemblance to it's hardier relatives which we grow.

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    1. I've seen photos of the relatives. They are stunning particularly the C bungei, though it seems to be aggressively invasive.

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  8. What a lovely white flowers! You has a beautiful porch!

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    1. Thank you Malar. Credit must go to the two-decades-old Bougainvillea Mrs Eva which seems to be perpetually adorn in blooms.

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