Picture Of The Week (POW) Information & Submissions

Hal

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IMG_1274.JPG
IMG_1286.JPG
Conophytum pellucidum.JPG

The lovely red one is Swainsona formosa and the little white and yellow one is Conophytum pellucidum.
 
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Carol Dee

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Hal , the red one is Really Interesting. The small one looks like TINY daisies. Fascinating flora. :)
 
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Hal

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Tell me more about Swainsona formosa. What a strange flower! Is it potted? In the ground? Love it!
Swainsona formosa is the know as the Sturt's Desert Pea or just Desert Pea.
It grows in mostly desert areas of Australia with seasonal rainfall. Basically the seeds sit in the soil dormant and when the rains come they all pop up and take advantage of the water growing very fast and flowering like no tomorrow! You quite literally get carpets of flowers.
Usually an annual but can be a short lived perennial.

I'm on the east coast of Australia and it is hard to grow here because it prefers dry air and I'm in a humid area with no distinct rainfall pattern.
They like good drainage and plenty of moisture at the roots, as in don't let them dry out. They are heavy feeders and as they don't get access to symbiotic bacteria in pots they need a high nitrogen feed as they cannot fix their own nitrogen.

Hal , the red one is Really Interesting. The small one looks like TINY daisies. Fascinating flora. :)

I've also got one that is pink with a yellow throat which I like just a little more :)
 
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