Flowers 2020

[Bonsaidoorguy]

I bought this a couple years ago as a small start marked "azalea" and planted it up. Actually one of my first trees. Kinda bittersweet as it's the last of my azaleas to bloom.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Harunobu
I received my 'Wakaebisu' from Teleperion Farm. They are a reputable vendor. They used to offer azalea imported as whips from Japan. So I have no reason to doubt the label.

It does have a dark throat. Lighting was just about sunset for the photo. All colors slightly off due to sunset. When I get home I'll take a side photo.

 

[Harunobu]

The leaves do look like 'Wakaebius'. Sounds like it is misbehaving then.

@Bonsaidoorguy, seven petals on a flower, that's mostly seen on newer cultivar. I don't recognize it, though.

 

[shinmai]

Kojo-no-tsuki I purchased last fall.

 

[EricMack]

@Mike Westervelt - love the flower on your Stewartia.
@atlarsenal - it would be nice if the internet could send fragrance too, there is nothing like the perfume of gardenias

This is my azalea 'Waka Ebisu' or some write 'Wakaebisu' - the flowers seem huge this year. I should not have hit it with my "Blueberry Special", it reacted like it was on steroids. Just joking, but it did blow the flowers up a bit. I had almost lost this one back in 2016-2017, really damaged the root system with bad potting media choices. Finally it is responding like it is healthy again. I think later this summer I'll throw some wire on it, maybe even "throw a style" on it.

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'Wakaebisu' is supposed to be hose in hose type double flowers. This year I have no hose in hose flowers, they are all singles. Perhaps the extra energy that would have gone into the doubles, is what inflated the size of the singles. In other words, not quite enough energy to make doubles, just bigger singles.
@leo

Leo-in-n-e-illinois the flowers look pretty different from my Wakaebisu (thread in Flowers). Yours are singles, and have no spots. Are the older leaves hairy? Many of my darker leaves look like they need shaved...

 

[atlarsenal]

@Leo in N E Illinois can you smell it now?

 

[Cadillactaste]

Beginning of blooms on prickly pear.
Can't wait for the full show.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

My favorite rose, Peace!

best,
DSD sends

 

[atlarsenal]

Amaryllis & calla lilies

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

My misbehaving 'Wakaebisu'
was going to cut off the flowers today, decided enjoy them a few more days.
It is definitely not behaving like a typical 'Wakaebisu', though I do remember getting double, or hose in hose for some flowers at some point back when I first got it. Have not seen a hose-in-hose flower on this one in 4 or more years. I do like the variations in flower color. Subtle between the light and medium pink. The darker pink is really nice. There is definitely a small amount of dark speckling in the throat of the flowers, just hard to see in my photos.

 

[EricMack]

My misbehaving 'Wakaebisu'
was going to cut off the flowers today, decided enjoy them a few more days.
It is definitely not behaving like a typical 'Wakaebisu', though I do remember getting double, or hose in hose for some flowers at some point back when I first got it. Have not seen a hose-in-hose flower on this one in 4 or more years. I do like the variations in flower color. Subtle between the light and medium pink. The darker pink is really nice. There is definitely a small amount of dark speckling in the throat of the flowers, just hard to see in my photos.

Definitely not Wakaebisu... pretty, though.
After a close look at your pics, I'm certain its a "Leo's Mystery"

 

[Harunobu]

What about the theory your 'Wakaebisu' actually died and you don't have it anymore and you confused it with this one? (Don't want to accuse you of anything, though ) Whatever it is, I like it this way more than traditional 'Wakaebisu'.

Usually, a mutation happens to just one branch, and can change things like how the flower looks and whether it is hose in hose. But it doesn't happen to the entire plant.

 

[Paradox]

Couple of my Azaleas putting on a show

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

What about the theory your 'Wakaebisu' actually died and you don't have it anymore and you confused it with this one? (Don't want to accuse you of anything, though ) Whatever it is, I like it this way more than traditional 'Wakaebisu'.

Usually, a mutation happens to just one branch, and can change things like how the flower looks and whether it is hose in hose. But it doesn't happen to the entire plant.

Nope, not possible in this case. I am religious about keeping labels in my pots, to keep my trees correctly identified. This is a hold over from exhibiting orchids in national shows. Loose the label, loose the provenance, and the $1000 orchid becomes a $20 orchid. This has disciplined me to keep trees labelled. Did Teleperion Farms get the identity confused? I don't know. Teleperion is a premier company in USA bonsai circles, all the west coast pros speak highly of their products and the care they take with their trees. Did the supplier they obtained the azalea from mislabel the plant? Could be. I believe I got my 'Wakaebisu' about the same time @Brian Van Fleet got his 'Shiro Ebisu' from Teleperion. Brian, what do you think?

 

[Harunobu]

Well, if the same plant was hose in hose in the past and you don't misremember and it is and was labeled all this time, we cannot really say it's not a 'Wakaebisu' on the basis that it is not hose in hose. We will have to wait until it goes back to it's normal behavior and observe how it looks then.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Nope, not possible in this case. I am religious about keeping labels in my pots, to keep my trees correctly identified. This is a hold over from exhibiting orchids in national shows. Loose the label, loose the provenance, and the $1000 orchid becomes a $20 orchid. This has disciplined me to keep trees labelled. Did Teleperion Farms get the identity confused? I don't know. Teleperion is a premier company in USA bonsai circles, all the west coast pros speak highly of their products and the care they take with their trees. Did the supplier they obtained the azalea from mislabel the plant? Could be. I believe I got my 'Wakaebisu' about the same time @Brian Van Fleet got his 'Shiro Ebisu' from Teleperion. Brian, what do you think?

Sorry, I haven’t bought an Azalea at Telperion; only a JBP. However, @garywood spends a lot of time there and may know. I would sooner believe Chris and Lisa received something mislabeled than to have lost the identity at the farm. Cool flowers, whatever it is.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

The only native Pacific Columbine (seed collected in the mountains) I’ve been able to grow in the past 10 years finally rewarded our efforts to get it to soar!
Enjoy!
DSD sends

 

[JoeR]

@namnhi
That Neofinettia is fabulous. Well done. Kudos. That is a decades old specimen. Nice.

Below is American fringe tree, Chionanthus virginiana. Still in a nursery pot, picked it up in 2016. Not happy with how coarse growth is. Big leaves, long internodes. Flowers are spectacular, should probably find a spot to put in the ground and use it as landscape plant. At best it will be like a Magnolia bonsai, big leaves, only display for the week it's in bloom.

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Is this a cultivar? The ones growing wild near my house have the same flowers but larger, more obovate leaves

Obligatory pictures:

 

[Clicio]

This is called "Manacá da Serra", a coastal rain tree native of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Three flower colors at the same time: white when young, pink when mature and purple when dying.
Never mind the ugly one with the glasses on.

 

[Clicio]

My Prunus Mume this morning.