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purpleinopp

I think Maranta is going to bloom

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Comments (28)

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    This doesn't look like a leaf. What do you think?

  • tifflj
    11 years ago

    Interesting and exciting!!!

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks! I'm pretty geeked about it. Had one of these before which I promptly killed.

    Forgot to say above, if anyone comes along and tells me to just cut it off, I'm going to kindly but totally disagree and refuse. Ha! I always hate when people say that about any plant. Yes, I know I got it for the leaves, but this means it likes me! its' situation, and I can't wait to see what this thing looks like. A flower is a plants' crowning achievement and I always appreciate them, especially weird house plant ones.

  • rachelthepoet
    11 years ago

    The leaves are beautiful. This mystery stem is a bonus! Can't wait for updates as it transforms!

  • tifflj
    11 years ago

    Not even sure why someone would suggest something so silly. The flower is obviously part of the plants life cycle... So why remove it?

  • pirate_girl
    11 years ago

    Because Tiff, in some cases (especially for show standards in some plants), the plant is grown for the foliage & the blooms are considered minor, inconsequential or sometimes ugly. (Haworthias are regarded this way, many folks pluck off the messy, scraggly, bloom spike to re-focus growth on the foliage.)

    Largely folks advocate cutting off CERTAIN plants' blooms to re-focus the plant's energy on growing &/or foliage rather than blooms.

    I saw this done to some Ludisia (a terrestrial orchid) which (to my eye) had a lovely bloom spike (but to Orchid growers, it supposedly detracts).

    Sorry, Purple, don't know, should be interesting to see what develops, good luck w/ it!

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    11 years ago

    Another reason that some blooms of plants are removed is to allow specific flowers to benefit from the extra energy. The remaining flowers will be larger! Of course, it's Camellia blooming time in the south, so that's what I'm thinking about.

    Anyway, I'm thinking that your maranta is going to flower. Keep your Mr. Magoo glasses on....you might need them, lol.

  • jodik_gw
    11 years ago

    Very interesting! I don't think I've ever seen one of those in bloom!

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I've never seen a Maranta flower either, and couldn't find a thread about such to just add to. A google produced very few images, but enough to assume it will either be white or light purple, the only ones I saw.

    Rhizo, I always have my Mr. Magoo's on, bifocals that don't help a lot of the time. BUT now I have 3 options, the top lens, the bottom, and if I need a real good close-up, I just take them off. And scrip shades for outside though not bi's. If none of that's good enough, I take a macro picture and blow it up on the computer.

    I know all the supposed reasons for removing a flower, and don't buy into any of that hooey. The one about refocusing energy I find especially confusing except in the case of bulb-type plants, which I *think* most of which form/prepare the flowers long before they actually appear anyway. If climate or age dictates it's time to bloom, wouldn't removing the bloom confuse the plant, possibly cause it to spend extra energy trying to create another flower when its' original plan was for one? And what if they refuse to stop, like Coleus? Those DO seem confused when I remove the blooms.

    Tiff, I'm with you, if a plant wants to bloom, I want to watch. Even those stinky Gynura (purple passion/velvet plant) flowers. Whenever it's ready to grow more leaves in high gear is fine with me. After being (according to my kids) mean, strict Mom all day, it's nice to let the plants get away with whatever they want. Ha! I think someone suggested you should remove the balls from your palms... if memory is correct?

    I love all flowers, even the scraggly, stinky, messy, miniscule, and unrecognizable.

    When this thing looks diff, I'll take another pic.

  • Dr_Dan
    11 years ago

    I bought this one this past summer. It Bloomed shortly after. Not much to them but they are quite pretty.

  • Dr_Dan
    11 years ago

    View 2.
    I'm still not so sure what happened that the plant liked so much. Maybe it will do it again next year!

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Heythere, Dan, don't remember saying hi before, so hi & welcome to Gardenweb.

    What an awesome plant you have! No doubt it looks extremely happy. I think it's the same one as mine. Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful pics of it. That flower is so similar to a Tradescantia, IMO, the 3 petals and overall shape and size. I wonder when their normal blooming season is in their natural habitat?

    Best wishes for continued good results!

  • jodik_gw
    11 years ago

    I have a Ledebouria that's grown mostly for the mottled leaves, as the blooms are insignificant and nothing to write home about. Even so, I found it very exciting that it would bloom under my care! Its commonly referred to as "Silver Squill", and the flowers sort of resemble that of a squill. I wish I had a picture...

    Nice flowers on the Maranta, Dan!

  • birdsnblooms
    11 years ago

    Purple..sure looks like flower buds to me. Since you posted, has anything happened?

    Dan, pretty flowers on your Maranta. Toni

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    It opened! Tiny but pretty. I didn't expect it so soon. This is the weirdest, most asymmetrical flower I've ever seen. The 3 petals are totally different from each other.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Doh! Lost the pic in edit.

  • Dr_Dan
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the welcome! Forgive my manners, I've been a lurker on here for some time, first time posting.
    Nice flower purple!Maybe you'll wind up with a big push of blooms from it!
    The Marantas and their cousins (Calthea & Stromanthe)are some of my favorite plants- There's just something about moving plants I guess, lol

  • meyermike_1micha
    11 years ago

    You know Purple, you did it to me again!+

    Now I feel I will be getting yet another plant like this one and grow it as well as you. It's beautiful as all your other plants are!

    Thank you for sharing this exciting moment with us. I have never seen this type of plant bloom before.
    Please be sure to let us see what it looks like?
    And if it has a fragrance to it that is nice, well then, one like that will be in the mail shipped overnight to my house.

    Mike:-)

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Mike, thanks! I did sniff it, no scent that I could detect. I think you might have scrolled through here too quick, pic of bloom yesterday.

  • meyermike_1micha
    11 years ago

    Well, my computer at work would not let me see the pics..lol

    I see it now..Not bad:-)

    Mike

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks! I've been sick and not doing my usual things the past couple days, but I think that flower only lasted a day. Maybe that's why they are not seen more often? I think you really have to be "on it" to see them.

  • plantomaniac08
    11 years ago

    Wow, that's one pretty flower! Thanks for sharing Purple. :)

    Planto

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks!

    That flower was at the very tip. It looks like there was another flower which has turned brown (in front of the stem, hard to distinguish from this angle) and the newest one at the left, which I can't tell if it is opening or closing.

    If the whole stalk is finished within a week of noticing it's not a curled leaf, there may be more Maranta blooms out there than people realize, on plants that go a week or more without close inspection...

    Just now:

  • birdsnblooms
    11 years ago

    Purple, I'm surprised how 'purple' your flower is. Every so often, when my Maranta decides to bloom, they're more pink.. BTW, my Maranta looks terrible this year.

    Also, your flower, 'pic above the last,' looks sparkly. Silver sparkles. Did you happen to sprinkle cookie sparkles on the flower? ")

    Very pretty..I like.

    Your photo brings back a memory. One day a few summers ago, my Purple Heart was placed on the kitchen counter. It had a few blooms, but one larger flower caught my attention. Normally, I disregard small blooms, but for some reason, that one, pink/purple flower made me realize, despite size, a flower, held a large amount of beauty.
    I can't explain my feelings, but there was something magical about that bloom.

    Snapping a group of flowers is beautiful, of course, but a close-up of a single bloom is striking.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Erf, for some reason your post escaped my attention originally, Toni, sorry! The flower does look glittery, like Tradescantia zebrina leaves. I didn't do anything but take a pic of it.

    You're so right about tiny flowers! I love all of the ones that grow in our lawn. I sometimes wonder what people think if they see me squatting down, trying to get a good look. Some of them are much smaller than a pencil eraser but so cute if you notice them.

    Just noticed 2 new bloom stalks on this plant yesterday (circled in red.) It was pretty sad looking a couple months ago when I repotted it, lost about 2 leaves per stalk (of which there seems to be about 5.) Glad to see it's settling comfortably into its' new digs.

    Who else has Maranta flower pics? A nice, big plant? (How many decades does that take?!) Would love to see 'em!

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    That was a bud stalk. This time, the flowers aren't pink/purple at all. Interesting, maybe related to PH like Hydrangea flowers. Ot it's possible the individual stalks are indeed separate plants, with these blooms coming from a different plant in the clump that just has slightly differently colored flowers. What do you think?

  • birdsnblooms
    10 years ago

    Purple, congrats, over-wintering your Maranta without scraggly foliage.
    Winter and Marantas don't mix.

    Wow, your newest bloom looks entirely different from, not only your old flower, but other Maranta bloom photos, too.

    Looks like a double flower. I love it!

    Don't know if pH has anything to do with it. Check your Maranta. Is there a second plant? If so, it's 'probably' the reason flowers differ. If not, it's a miracle.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Toni, thanks. There have been plenty of ratty leaves, I just cut them off. The cataphylls don't want to let go though, and that drives me nuts. I hate dead debris on plants.

    There's about 5 main stalks, I didn't untangle it enough to tell if they are somehow connected when I repotted because the roots weren't in a solid ball. Could be different plants. There's a total of 3 bloom stalks from this recent flush of blooms although the first one seems to be finished already.

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