For this week’s Six on Saturday, I have focused on a selection of ‘quirky’ plants. Yes, I am running a little close to the wire timewise as I decided to wait to include pictures of the glorious Epiphyllum Oxypetalum (Queen Of The Night) which only flowers in the dark. Each sweet-scented bloom only lasting one night.
1. Dracaena Draco (Dragon Tree)
I think we have been overwatering this plant hence why the leaves have turned yellow! I can’t remember seeing flowers and then berries on it before, so it must be reasonably happy.
*
2. Sago palm(Cycas revolta)
We planted this Sago Palm about thirteen years ago.
3. Epiphyllum Oxypetalum (Queen Of The Night)
I think it will flower tonight!
I have just taken another picture. I must set a timer to remind me to tak a look once it gets dark.
4. Pachypodium Saundersii (Kudu Lily)
I bought this on a whim because it was ‘Quirky’. It had no identification label so I had no idea what I was buying. I took fright when it lost ALL its leaves during the winter but come spring they sprouted again.
It has never flowered but according to Wiki
It is found naturally in Southern Africa, on the Lebombo Mountains and other areas in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Eswatini (Swaziland).
It is usually a small, shrubby bush, but can grow up to 1.5m tall. The plant is covered in paired, sharp thorns, and dark green shiny leaves, and it flowers annually producing masses of white flowers that have a pinkish/purplish tinge to them.
5. Pachypodium Lamerei (madagascar palm)
This is still my favourite plant.
She has grown SO big. She is over 4ft tall!
I still remember when I first got it and I named her Madge. she was so tiny!
Comparing the two pictures, I’ve just realised Madge has also lost some of the kink in her trunk!
6. Beaucarnea Recurvata (The Elephant’s Foot or Ponytail Palm)
I think our plant will take a lifetime to grow to this size!
I hope you have enjoyed my selection of quirky plants.
For more Six on Saturday gardeners check out Mr P’s gardening blog
Piglet in Portugal 
absolutely beautiful! i love the exotic plants. i thoroughly enjoyed the Queen of Night, thank you very much for sharing🤍
Follow @everythingtips for tips and recommendations if interested! It would mean a lot to me🥺🤍
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lovely collection of exotics! Madge looks awfully spiny though, I wouldn’t fancy having to repot her! We have the Cordyline australis (Cabbage Palm or Torbay Palm) here which has similar flowers/berries as your Dracaena Draco. And I recall a very tall cactus in South Africa that only flowered at night! A shame if you miss it!
LikeLike
An amazing Six, so exotic. Queen of the Night is quite something
LikeLike
to misquote Jerry Maguire, you had me at Dragon Tree! wow that is a great looking tree. very dramatic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, and I bought it by accident!
LikeLike
Dracaena draco is the weirdest! It does well in dry topical places, but gets too much water in most irrigated landscapes. Once it starts to rot, it is difficult to salvage.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, I am going to quit watering it. I often kill things with love.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love quirky, so when I saw a couple of plants that I know only as houseplants (living in New York State), I had to investigate further. The one sago palm I ever tried died from disease and I probably won’t try again. Your Queen of the Night flower was well worth waiting for.Thank you for taking us on your wait watch.
LikeLiked by 1 person
that’s a shame about your sago palm. Many of the plants I try to grow here fall victim to disease. IT seems an occupational hazard of gardening by the sea.
I am pleased you enjoyed the show. That’s it for this year I’m afraid as I missed the flowers the following night.
LikeLike
I did enjoy them, very much! What an amazing flower on Queen of the Night! Cactus do have the most amazing flowers. I was going to envy your pool, what with my temperatures being so hot (105 forecast on Tuesday, down from 107), but then I remembered that when it’s that hot it’s too hot to want to be in a pool! At least for me… Looks lovely though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Laughing, yes, I went to go in the pool this afternoon and it was 40C The problem is not just the temeprature but the UV which is VERY high at the moment.
LikeLike
Now that is an interesting selection of plants! Lovely photos of the Epiphyllum. especially of the open flower! And I think Madge is magnificent!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My friends tell me I am ‘quirky’ so these type of plants suit me well 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thoroughly enjoyed your quirkiness, and loving the Queen of Night. Presume there is a particular night moth that they bloom for?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not sure, Becky. Why a night moth?
LikeLike
Just because it comes out at night, seems an unusual thing to do unless there’s a particular insect that pollinates it
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good point. It is the Sphinx Moth.
LikeLike
Ahha! Amazing how plants and insects work together
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful exotic plants! My favourite is also the Madagascar palm and what has it grown since the first time you took a photo!
Did you sow the seeds of Dracaena draco years ago or did you buy it? I tried to sow seeds picked up in Canarias years ago and it didn’t work. I even bought a pocket of seeds in Malaga 2 years ago and it also failed … too bad
LikeLiked by 1 person
hi Fred, Madge has grown about 36 inches. I bought the Dracaena as a young plant about 7 years ago. So are the berries going to turn to seeds? If so do you want some?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know, I will google but why not if they aren’t sterile seeds ?!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Most enjoyable, PiP.
LikeLiked by 1 person
thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, thank you! You did a great job capturing the Queen of the Night’s beauty!
LikeLiked by 1 person
thank you, Dame Eleanor. Yes, she is stunning. such a shame the flower dies after one night.
LikeLike