Last year the Glasshouse team conducted an experiment on a plant in the Tropical Zone. For a while, the Tabebuia or Pau d’Arco (a flowering tree native to tropical regions of South and Central America) was left to 'rest' which really meant it looked dead, but we were actually mimicking its natural behaviour (*see bottom of page for more details). Last week, as hoped, it came into flower.
Matthew Pottage, Supervisor of the section, said “We literally had one cluster of flowers, very pretty pale pink, and scented. However we never had a species name for this plant, so now we can identify it, and research it further. Some species like a dry and cool rest period. If this is one of them, we shall allow it to dry next year, and maybe wheel it into the Temperate Zone for a cooler break. Basically we are on the right lines, and I aim to flower it better next year.”
Well done so far, and we look forward to next year's blooms.
Meanwhile, Matthew is preparing for the butterfly invasion... more on that soon.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/whatson/gardens/wisley/butterflies-glasshouse.html
*In tropical climes, the tree flowers most prolifically after a rest period, during which the leaves fall, and the tree experiences a dry season. This initiates flowering on bare stems, after which the tree grows leaves again for the growing season, and moisture becomes available once again.
In an irrigated landscape setting, trees tend to flower in less profusion as they have not experienced this rest period, therefore we were simulating the tree's natural habitat, allowing this potted specimen a rest period, hoping to induce flowering.