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Suggestions on Unusual Plants to Grow?

So I bought a Burpee organic seed starting kit (the one with the expanding pellets, tray and seedling fertilizer in it) in an attempt to start some ficus religiosa seeds I bought. No luck with them yet, but I have 15 more of those little cup sitting around and ready to go.

I like weird plants. Obviously, since I'm on this forum :). And I figured what better place to ask!

Could anyone give me some suggestions on what to plant in the remainder of the cups? Indoor growing plants would be a plus- but fire away. So far the only species I've considered is the mimosa purdica. Easy to sprout/grow would be a plus. These bodhi tree seeds are kind of bumming me out:-(.

Thanks.
 
wouldnt use CPs with fert.. it'll kill them fort the most part
 
Some of the Eucalyptus and relatives are interesting and they grow fast from seed. Corymbia citriodora is a good one. Mimosa are fun too - just be sure to prune them aggressively if they get leggy. I had great success when I tried them but I didn't give them enough light and let them sprawl all over the place, then bugs got to them once they weakened.
~Joe
 
If you have a place safe from cats and kids who may try to eat it you could get some Datura seed (Devil's Trumpet / Jimson weed). These are awesome fast growing and heavily blooming herbaceous annual plants which grow into shrubs that are covered in flowers that are 6-8" upward pointing trumpets of white, purple or yellow who open at dusk and smell like fruitloops cereal and close up about 10 am. They need lots of sun and lots of water, infact I grew an emergent aquatic species of Datura a few years ago.

Joe, I'd love some eucalyptus are they an easy year round indoor grower as a houseplant?

---------- Post added at 03:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:04 AM ----------

God "bless" ebay, I've got an 18" potted E. cinerea coming! :D
 
Bah, you wasted your money swords. Eucalyptus are about the easiest things to grow from seed ever. In three years you can get a 20-foot tree from seed, no problem. Corymbia citriodora is what you want; trust me. They're spectacular. They have bright green fuzzy leaves that change shape as the tree ages, from spade- to strap-shaped. The leaves and bark smell strongly of citronella, as this species is used to produce citronella and other citrus oils for commercial use. They supposedly have some pest-repellent effects but mine had a little aphid problem last year before I accidentally left it out too long and killed it bringing it in for winter. You can use the leaves as incense, or a mulch additive for garden paths, or for tea. They also make a good exfoliant if you have dry skin. Because they put on lots of growth each year, you can prune them hard, almost all the way to the ground, and use the limbs for firewood - not just C. citriodora but most of the other species too. At houseplant-size that's not much, but remember that these guys will easily get taller than a house if you let them get comfy in a larger pot.
The big perk, though, is that Eucalyptus seed is a few bucks for hundreds - they're smaller than sandgrains often so they're sold by the milligram rather than count. Browse around until you find a seed vendor that you like and you'll have more than you know what to do with.
Also, consider finding species that can tolerate being outside part- or full-time - if you put them in the ground or a big container, they mature in a matter of years/months. It's pretty amazing. I have one nursery-raised tree that lives on my porch now, and I got it when it was about two feet tall and two years old. The lady told me that those were runts from their landscaping batch that they hadn't bothered to repot in time for the second season. Behind the bench of saplings was a large 3' x 3' x 3' planter with a tree of about thirty feet and multiple main stems growing more or less vertical; according to the folks at the nursery, it was a sibling to the two-foot plants, from the same germination batch. The only difference was that that one had been put into the big planter at the first transplant out of seedling pots. Before I had a chance to finish boggling over that, the proprietor got a cross look on her face and told me, "It really should be a lot bigger, but they just don't like being rootbound. It makes them grow straight and shrimpy like they're in the forest." LOL - some plants are just so disappointing!
~Joe
 
I'm pretty bad with seeds, that's the main reason I like Datura they sprout for me! I may try some blue gum tree seeds and see how I do but I wanted an already live plant as I may need gum foliage on hand by the end of summer so this way I've already got a head start.

And no I'm not getting a Koala! :D
 
cool thing about eucalyptus, or maybe not so cool depending on context...is when they catch on fire. while on fire, those lovely scented oils that we love about them so much begin to boil inside the tree trunk, till the tree "pops" open and the oil catches fire= instant napalm action...
 
ant plants like Dischidia are pretty unusual and cool
 
I'm pretty bad with seeds, that's the main reason I like Datura they sprout for me! I may try some blue gum tree seeds and see how I do but I wanted an already live plant as I may need gum foliage on hand by the end of summer so this way I've already got a head start.

And no I'm not getting a Koala! :D

why not? I think ya should! :jester:
 
  • #10
If you like a challenge with humidity try S. dulcificum, the miracle fruit plant. Look it up and you'll see it fits "unusual" extraordinarily well. I have a larger plant and a few seedlings and as long as you keep the seedlings in high humidity for a while you can then wean them to an easier to attain humidity. And when you get fruit, that's totally worth it.
 
  • #11
Aroids! Big and stinky ones are awesome, but plenty of others that look weird.
 
  • #12
cool thing about eucalyptus, or maybe not so cool depending on context...is when they catch on fire. while on fire, those lovely scented oils that we love about them so much begin to boil inside the tree trunk, till the tree "pops" open and the oil catches fire= instant napalm action...



pyro? lol
 
  • #13
Some unusual(as in cool) plants, you can get from flytrapshop.com ;)
 
  • #14
Great suggestions, guys. Keep 'em coming.

I'll probably definetly do the mimosa plants. I just don't want 15 of them. 10 seeds should suit me fine- 2 per cup and I can give some plants away. That leaves 10 more cups to fill...

Anyone ever try banana trees? Those miniature ones are fascinating to me. They even produce tiny banans you can eat.

Also a possibility is a "telegraph plant", another plant capable of movement. I think it might trip me out to see my plant moving around in the windowsill though :-)).

How about any suggestions on succulents? "Living stones" look pretty cool. Don't know how they do from seed though.

I would also be into anything that could be a good bonsai plant. I'm growing two black pines in the same dish right now and they're doing great. I've been thinking bald cypress look pretty cool and would make a unique bonsai. They would also like the same types of waterlogged conditions as my CP's.
 
  • #16
Thanks to rattler for introducing me to a new plant. Pretty cool- I'll look into them.

And Larry- I know what you're thinking... Voodoo Lily! I don't think my girlfriend would appreciate a huge flower in the middle of the apartment that stinks enough to knock a buzzard off a $%#* wagon.:nono:

Just kidding :)
 
  • #17
Lithops is the common "living stone" you're thinking of, my fave living stones are the Pseudolithos which don't look anything like a rock but more like a chunk of scaly green or brown reptile flesh growing out of a pot of grit. I don't have too many succulents anymore just Pseudolithos, Dorstenias, a couple Euphorbias and some thornless cacti.

I only did Lithops from seed once when one of my blooms ended up getting pollinated. I got germination (on Shultz aquatic plant soil = clay grit) but when I went to expose them to ambient humidity I made too big of a leap on opening the ziplock and fried 'em.

If you want a link to the most comprehensive succulent seed source in the US send me a PM.
 
  • #18
Great suggestions, guys. Keep 'em coming.

I'll probably definetly do the mimosa plants. I just don't want 15 of them. 10 seeds should suit me fine- 2 per cup and I can give some plants away. That leaves 10 more cups to fill...

Anyone ever try banana trees? Those miniature ones are fascinating to me. They even produce tiny banans you can eat.

Also a possibility is a "telegraph plant", another plant capable of movement. I think it might trip me out to see my plant moving around in the windowsill though :-)).

How about any suggestions on succulents? "Living stones" look pretty cool. Don't know how they do from seed though.

I would also be into anything that could be a good bonsai plant. I'm growing two black pines in the same dish right now and they're doing great. I've been thinking bald cypress look pretty cool and would make a unique bonsai. They would also like the same types of waterlogged conditions as my CP's.

All living things should be addressed by their Latin names.

~ Timmy
 
  • #19
I have a number of little pines and cedars that have popped up in my outdoor pots. They do seem to enjoy the boggish conditions, and they've been quite easy and durable. I used to pull them out because I thought they were little weeds or something, but now that I know what to look for I let them grow whenever I see them coming up on the edge of pots where they won't disturb the main specimen. They seem to take on a bonsai look all on their own just from being grown in shallow, waterlogged conditions.
~Joe
 
  • #20
Anyone ever try banana trees? Those miniature ones are fascinating to me. They even produce tiny banans you can eat.

I tried and rot/melted a mini banana plant a couple of years ago. They love water, but need to drain and you should NEVER let them stand in water. Honestly, take regular potting soil, mix in extra perlite, and just pour water through the mix like you would an orchid/nepenthes just to be on the safe side. It was a very cute plant (think I got it off Amazon.com) and grew pretty quickly until it turned brown and mushy....

All living things should be addressed by their Latin names.

~ Timmy

That's a statement of preference, not fact.
 
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