Hey Brad,
Sorry about your Hoya. Some Hoyas are fussier than others, especially in winter. Ya know?

Have a pic?

I hope your Philo gets enough light beside an east window, so Good Luck, Brad. Toni

Hey Toni,

Yes, I know what you mean :(. All of my other plants are doing just fine.

I will try and get a picture posted soon! It's just a little thing but it looks healthy. I have not named it yet, but I will give it one in time :).

Brad AKA Moonwolf

This has always been one of my fav plants to have around. I hope you enjoy yours as much and good luck!

One thing about philo's that's good to know is that they perform guttation. So it's not a plant you want to hang over wood furniture, or anywhere else where an occasional drop of "water" would cause a problem.

A birdcage sounds like a very cute way to grow this plant. It will soon be wrapping itself up around the wires, and hanging down. Great idea! I would encourage you to not rely on the saucer, though, and find a place (outside or over a sink or shower) where you can put a hook to water it so it can get thoroughly drenched and drip dry. Outside, you would want it to be in the shade. It's more of a challenge than necessary to try to keep a plant healthy when it never gets "flushed out." Until it gets big enough to be difficult to remove, you can just take the pot to the sink or shower to water it enough for the water to run out of the drain hole. When it stops dripping, you can put it back in the cage, check in an hour or so and empty the saucer if it has filled with water.

Brad, do you name all your plants? How about Phil? lol.
What size is the bird cage? Is it made for a plant/s or one a bird lived?

Purple, funny, my Philos don't perform guttation, but my Calatheas and variegated Ginger do.

Wrong Purple. When Brads Philo gets too big, all he has to do is buy a larger cage..lol.

I keep two Vanilla Bean Orchids in a stand-up bird cage. "made for plants.' Once every wk or every other week orchids are brought to the sink for a shower, otherwise, the saucer is large enough water won't drip.

Purple, not sure if dripping is what you mean. Toni

Toni, some of my plants are named, but not all lol. Phil's not a bad name ;).

Purple, thanks for the tip!

Here is what the birdcage looks like. This was taken when I put my (now deceased) Black Dragon Hoya into it.
{{gwi:78555}}

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad, I like.

Bar spacing is perfect. They're not so close bars obstruct light.. looks well-made too.

Know what would look nice? Have you ever seen plastic birds w/prongs that chirp when soil needs watering? Prongs are inserted in soil. I have a Blue Bird and Cardinal.

I bought birds on sale, 2 @ 5.00,'for looks; but, turns out birds chirp when soil is dry. They really work and accurate. Birds take batteries, so once battery dies, it can be replaced. Sadly, they take round batteries, types we don't have lying around like AA or AAA.

Toni

Congrats Brad On your Philo. I love Philos :D Sorry about Your Hoya, I have tried my hand at hoyas and never could seem to get the care right for them. But Philos and sans and Pothos I can get them growing really well :D

Kaleanna

Toni, thank you! I have never heard of those bird water monitors! They sound really neat! Glad you like the cage. I saw it and thought it was perfect for a plant, so I got it.

Kaleanna, thank you! I have several types of Hoyas, and they're all doing quite well. My Hoya carnosa is my most sentimental houseplant of all.

I will be going to Lowe's and HD tomorrow to check out their plants. I'm not looking for anything in particular but I would be thrilled to find a Hoya (that I don't already have) or a Lipstick Plant :).

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad, birds are so cute. They're normally 9.99, a little too much for the amount of plants I have, lol, also, I can imagine several birds chirping the same time, trying to locate which plant/s need water. lol.

For 10.00, they should improve sound according to type of bird.

Anyway, the chirping bird would look great in your cage.

Oh oh, Home Depot and Lowes..lol. Do you shop online? Toni

Lol I would have the same problem, Toni. I do not shop online, I do mail orders from certain nurseries for plants (Gardino's, Almost Eden, etc.) and I never have been disappointed. I'll be ordering from California Carnivores soon. Carnivores were some of the first plants I ever grew and I miss them.

Anyways, I do have some good news: I got a Lipstick Plant! :) Now for a name......LOL

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Gardinos and Almost Eden always send beautiful, healthy large plants. I also like Accents for Home and Gardens. And then there's Ebay..lol

Carnivores. I know nothing about Carns, except some are expensive. I got an email yesterday from Black Jungle. It was basically an ad for rare Carns.

Brad, why are they 199.99??? lol. Why so expensive? And are they long living?
In the past I bought Venus Flytraps but they always died. I'm sure the VFT is nothing compared to 199.99 types..But why? What do they do? LOL.

I can't believe you found a Lipstick!!! lol..Coincidence or wishful thinking? You'll have to enlighten me how it's done. lol.

Seriously, you said you wanted a Lipstick...go shopping and voila, you go home w/a new Lipstick Plant.

Anyway, which store had them? HD or Lowes?

A name..I always considered Lipsticks female, for obvious reasons, however you might not choose a handle in terms of sex.

It's funny. When I adopted my pets, I chose a name instantaneously. A name popped in my head..if it fit, the pet was Christianed.

What's a good name for a Lipstick Plant? Will you post a picture? Do you know which species?
I would like A. Rasta..Ever see one? Flowers grow off what looks like braided stalks. Beautiful.

When you get a chance, please post your new Lipstick. Toni

PS. If you have any Carn plants now, will you post them, too?

Toni, the world of CP's is rather facinating but the sad truth is many of their natural habitats are being destroyed and there are those who will actually go and collect them from the wild, which is illegal. Barry Rice, a well-known CP grower and researcher/enthusiast, has his own website and is full of information about the plants, how to cultivate them, and many more. He is very humorous, which makes it all more fun :).

Here, as promised: a picture of my new Lipstick Plant. {{gwi:78556}}

The tag says it's a variety called Caroline (leave it to EA lol).I was thinking of a female name for it, but it has to be just right. A funny story for you all. I have a list of names all figured out in my head for when I someday have a Siberian Husky (a female) and I have so many names on the list! Plants and pets go hand in hand, in my opinion. We feed them, clean up after them and love them just the same.

I have heard of A. rasta. Reminds me of Hoya compacta lol.

Don't you all worry, I will post pictures when I do get my new carnivores :). I have decided on an Sarracenia (American Pitcher Plant) and a Dionaea (Venus Flytrap). The Venus Flytrap I'm eyeing is a newer hybrid called "B52" in which the traps are larger (about two inches long) than the species or other hybrids. The Pitcher Plant is a species called S. leucophylla. The tops of the pitchers look like stained glass, which make them all the more attractive to their insect prey.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad, what a beautiful Lipstick! It's so big..I imagined pot size 4", not 8, 10" or whatever.

Are leaves fuzzy.

Don't laugh, there is a Gesneriad, Lipstick Plant, Caroline, but leaves look a tad different than yours. Narrower.
I found Caroline on a website, but it's in German, lol.
You might find info on Wiki.

It's disgusting how people poach endangered or even non-endangered species.
There were similiar problems in western states w/Cactus and a certin Yucca variety. Can you imagine?
Some people are out to destroy our beautiful world anyway, do you think they give a hoot about plants? Nope.

The name Berry Rice sounds familiar even though I've never read books/articles on CP's. Thanks, I'll have to check his site. How sad though.

God, you and I think a lot alike in certain ways. I too have a name for a female dog if something 'awful' were to happen to my little Shih Poo, Coco. No special breed in mind, but I'd know her if I saw her. Strange. Also, she'd come from a shelter, needing someone to love and be loved.

Sibs are gorgeous breeds..those crystal blue eyes.

Brad, do you have pets now?

The Pitcher Plant that looks like stained glass sounds like a real beauty.
Will you feed them (supplying insects) or do they capture prey on their own? Exciting!!!

B52 sounds like an airplane, lol.

I have a box filled, and then some, plants to repot today. Most of my succulents are very rootbound.

I also plan on sowing Begonia luxurian and Bottle Palm seeds, 'if there's time,' and I get off the puter, lol.'

It's so dark today, after 8 days of direct sun and 80+ degree temps.

How's your Philo coming along? Do you plan on getting others? Oh, Brad, Philos are so addicting. lol.

Thank you, Toni! Two of our friends over on the Hoya forum helped me ID it and they believe it's a cultivar called Mira. The leaves are fuzzy and remind me of Hoya fungii's leaf texture :).

It is heartbreaking that there are people who don't appreciate the beauty of nature and who want to do harm to it. Many beautiful plants and animals are becoming endangered, the Monarch butterfly for example. Populations of it are dangerously low. CP's are another example.

I'll provide a link the White Trumpet Pitcher Plant. It's on Barry's website. Pitcher plants also develop very interesting flowers. I can't think of a CP that doesn't have gorgeous flowers. LOL B52 does sound like the name of an airplane. It's fun to feed the Venus Flytraps and Sundews (Drosera). Pitcher Plants do a pretty good job of catching their own prey. An insect will be attracted to the nectar on the pitcher, and will venture into the inside of the pitcher only to fall into collected rainwater and digestive enzymes.

I do not have any pets to speak of. Do plants count? LOL I guess you could call the butterflies that visit my garden my pets since they feed off of the plants I grow. Someday I'll have a Husky :).

No more plans to get another Philo, but who knows, I could fall in love with one next time I go to one of the box stores or a greenhouse/nursery.

Good luck repotting your plants! The ones you sent me are doing beautifully!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Here is a link that might be useful: White Trumpet Pitcher Plant

Brad, the first paragraph, 'Barry's site,' under Conservation is too sad.
Our world is falling apart. Man is destroying nature.
Plants were around forever, w/o the help of man..they thrived beautifully.

Anyway, on a brighter note, your WTP is gorgoues. I didn't know CP's flowered.
It'd take a lot of research before starting a serious CP collection.

When you have time, check Black Jungle Terrarium Supply.

Brad, when I was a kid, my father got hold of an Encyclopedia.
There were three pictures in this book I used to study for hours on end.

One was an eagle carrying a man.

I doubt there is a bird large enough to carry an adult man. Possibly a small child/animal, but a man???

The next were two man-eating plants, lol.

One was a cactus holding a man, lol. The man looked quite pained.
The second pic was a drawing of a plant that I now recall looked like a Carnivore. It's large pitcher-like mouth opened, about to devour a man's head. lol.

Wish I had this book; it sounds more like Ripley's Believe It or Not.

Man-eating birds and plants, lol.

I meant to say, B52 sounds like a bomber jet plane, lol.

Okay, I'll count Butterflys as pets, lol.
I notice a vast butterfly decrease here, too. They like my Butterfly Bush, but year after year the number drops.
I love Monarchs, sp?, but there's a black and yellow butterfly that's absolutely beautiful. This variety is a little smaller than a Monarch.

Hope you get your husky wish.

Don't think I mentioned this, but two weeks ago, I had to put our 12-yr-old English Mastiff down. We miss him terribly. Mastiff's life span is 7-9 yrs, 9 being very old. So, imagine 12-yrs. In fact, he just had his 12th birthay, Jan 31st.

We have a smaller dog, Coco, a Shih Poo. He's so lonely, he misses Sam terribly.
I have to decide whether or not to adopt another canine.
Although I love large dogs, I'd want another small, under 20lb'er, that doesn't shed.

I've been picking up cat fur, dog fur and bird feathers over 20-yrs..I need a break. lol.

Let's hope we both get our wish, Toni

Toni, you learn something new each day! LOL

I can't wait until I get my plants :). I've missed growing them. The only CP that you should not let flower when in cultivation is the Venus Flytrap. It weakens the plant. For other CPs in cultivation, enjoy the blooms.

Those pictures sound pretty interesting. Who knows if they were real or just for fun, but interesting either way lol. The second carnivorous plant picture you described reminds me of Little Shop Of Horrors (one of my favorite musicals).

Not sure about your butterfly ID. If it was larger than a Monarch, I would say it was a Swallowtail (another favorite of mine). Your best bet would be over at the Butterfly Gardening forum. I just planted a Butterfly Bush last year ($6 from Wal-Mart) and they do love it. I gave it a trim, but I won't prune back until at least next month.

Sorry to hear about your English Mastiff, Sam. You have a big decision on your hands right now, but you'll know when the time is right. I won't be getting a Husky for a long time, but one can always dream :).

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Hi Brad,

You're so right. Reading suggestions on GW is a big help, and one can learn a lot from people who grow really rare plants, like CP's.

Think I mentioned, I didn't know CP/Venus Flytraps bloomed.
Our local conservatory keeps CP's in a large aquarium, but last time I visited CP's weren't flowering..They are interesting to watch though.

Brad, I WISH I had that book.
LOL, you're right...Little Shop of Horrors..One day that movie was on Cable. An old version..B-Grade, badly made movie. lol.
I can't recall much about the movie, except a guy own a store, maybe a plant store, and got hold of a plant that ate people..lol..Too funny.

Swallowtail sounds right. Wings are black edged, yellow centers. So far, haven't seen a ST this year.

Oh, you'll love your Butterfly Bush..What color flowers?
I had white over 10-years, '17-yr Cicada's killed it,' and still have a dark purple BB in the back yard.
BB attracts Butterflys, bees and a little insect called Moth-Hummingbird. The first time I saw this insect I thought it was a Hummer...boy, was I excited.
I started a thread here on GW, and found it wasn't a hummer, but a moth-hummer..Don't know if they're related or not..
Its wings flutter exactly like a Hummingbird. They're tiny, maybe 1-2" tall.

Of all BB color flowers, I think white is most fragrant and attracts a larger number of insects.
Mine were bought at HD, too. lol. As babies.

So, you prune now? Doesn't pruning halt flowers?

Big decision is an understatement. Coco, 'little dog' is very lonely w/o his big brother. On the other hand, he's very selfish, lol. He has quite a few stuffed animals, which we call his babies. Coco never liked sharing. Even w/Sam. lol
So, if I get another dog, I fear Coco will think he/she is his baby, and won't want me to touch the new little guy/gal. Training might be impossible.
Sam gets credit for house training Coco. Coco watched Sam go out back..When Coco grew a little, I took Coco out back. He was so tiny, I feared he'd find a way outside the fence. Even though I took Coco out, he was only doing what Sam did, if that makes sense. lol. Then, Sam and Coco went outside together, under my supervision. Coco weight about 5 lbs, Sam was 172. I worried Sam would step on Coco.
Too protective??? lol

Did you get a chance to browse Black Jungle? Toni