What’s Your Name? Etc…
I’ve mentioned that I bought a night-blooming jasmine and another shrub before. Been looking all over the net trying to find the origin and care for the second one, with no success. The nursery guy said it was called Rutaya, and was new. It must be really new, to be so conspicuously absent from the Net.
I’m posting a couple pics, in the hope someone knows what it is and how to take care of it. All I know about it so far is that it’s supposed to be a good hummingbird plant!
This is the leaves and some blooms. The black stuff that looks like tar is part of the bloom. It’s a really cool-looking flower, and I’d really like to learn more about it.
This is a close-up of the bloom, which is my current desktop wallpaper.
Now on to the “Etc…” I hauled the transplanted basils and chamomile babies outside into the shade today, but I had to move them to the other side of the stairs. The sun is high enough now that it peeks into the back of the holding bed about 5pm or so. The chamomile seemed okay, but the basil didn’t seem to like it much at all. Fortunately, the other side of the stairs still has some shade. Once I moved them, the basil perked right back up again.
Built a small planting box, about 2′ long x 1′ wide, under my hose faucet today. I have some lemon balm babies, too, and that seems like the perfect place for them. They won’t get too invasive, because aside from some damp from the faucet, the rest of the area is full HOT sun and concrete clay. That ought to hold them in check!
Made about 20 gal of Al’s 5-1-1 mix today, to fill the lettuce window box and the lemon balm box.
Oh, and Annie’s Granny said she planted some nasturtium seeds outside in the ground at the same time she sowed some indoors. Like me, she hasn’t had much luck with the indoors seeds. I soaked a few overnight, and sowed them right in the container with the moonflower and other plants. We’ll see if they sprout any better.
That’s it for tonight, as I had to actually do some housecleaning today, and I still have alot of baby basils to transplant. Not to mention the rest of my ever-expanding Garden To-Do List…
HI!
Am very interested in your “rutaya” findings. I, too, bought one of these plants from Grimsell’s Nursery in Harlingen, Texas. I asked the fellow there what it’s culture was and he said bright light and keep moist. I think this “rutaya” name may come from Mexico?? There must be a picture of these distinctive flowers SOMEWHERE so that we may identify the species! I asked my Spanish-speaking friends, and they had not heard of it before so I am coming up with dead ends as well. Please let me know if you hear/see/know anything further. Thanks for your time. Kelley
Seriously? That’s where I bought mine, too. I think I’d already figured out the keep moist part, as it needs alot of watering. If I find anything else, I’ll post it. If you do, let me know! You live in the Harlingen area? Cool! We live out on Wilson Rd by Primera.
WOW! We live very near the corner of Bass Blvd and Wilson on Spangler Lane.
That is a really cool looking plant! I want one! Think you can bring a little one here when you fly up next month?
Love, Jen
It’s a shrub, Jen. I bought it in a gallon pot a couple weeks ago, don’t have any babies of it. Don’t know if it would live in CoSpr , as I don’t know anything about it yet. I imagine when I find out more, and if I don’t kill it, I can make a cutting when it gets a bit bigger and established.
It might die here. Esp. at my hands, so maybe its best if you don’t bring it here. You commented that it likes a lot of moisture, and even tho Colorado Springs is the Rockies, where I live is the rain shadow and semi-arid to arid. So not a lot of moisture…and with my unintential tendency to forget to water plants (more like I’m so busy I don’t have time to remember to wwater the poor things), it might be best to not set that pretty plant up for unintentional neglect.
Love Jen
Your plant is Ruttya fruticosa, Orange Dragon.
Jim
Oh, very cool! At least if I know it’s proper name I can figure out how to care for it. Thanks very much!
WOW! Fantastic. I bought a “rutaya” (now I know the correct name), from Grimsell’s also. I moved to Harlingen from Kansas less than a year ago (in time for my first hurricane), and am learning how different gardening is in a hot, dry, windy, area. I would appreciate any suggestions for flowering, drought resistant plants that can take full sun and attract hummingbirds and butterflies (we have red and orange huneysuckles, and milkweed already (from Grimsell’s) . Any organizations, clubs of like-minded gardening/birding people here? Thanks for any help.
Edie
I wish I knew if there were any gardening clubs or anything. I’m in Colorado Springs visiting my daughter and grandsons. should be home about June 6. She has no internet access so can only post when we go to library. I’ll get back to you once I get home. You might ask at Grimsells about garden clubs and the like.
I have this rutaya it is beautiful it’s blooming now I just love it rare
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Thanks, appreciate it.
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