# Possible choices for blue flowers in vivs...



## Dendro Dave

Ok lately I've been on a plant research kick, looking for edible plants for the viv, iridescent plants for the viv, and also blue flowers which I don't think I've posted about yet. So I just thought I'd copy down the research I've done so far for others in case they are interested in trying some of these. I have not tried any of them yet and am not sure how suitable most would be. I tried to find stuff that was mostly true blue, and a few that had a bluish purple I liked and plants that stayed relatively small and sounded like they might...I stress MIGHT survive in a viv  I left 1 off the list I really want since it may be in limited supply, I hope to buy it soon and will add it to the list once I have...ya I know I'm a jerk 

I just copied and pasted this from a .txt file I made so it may have some personal notes on some stuff.
If anyone can comment on some of these that would be great. Here is the list so far...

Blue plants to try in viv..
Check annuals that are actually perinnial in native ranges.

Myosotis palustris
(syn. Myosotis scorpiodes)
“Water Forget-Me-Not” annies annuals

Plectranthus parviflorus

Alkanna tinctoria and other bugloss types

Delphinium grandiflorum 'Summer Cloud'

Tradescantia 'Sweet Kate'
Common Name: “Spiderwort”

Streptocarpus 'Crystal Ice'?

Rhynchoglossum notonianum

(Myrtle) Vinca minor

1.Anagallis monelli (Blue Pimpernel)

2 Scaevola aemula Blue Wonder (more of a purple sometimes)

3 Blue Daze, Hawaiian Blue Eyes 
Evolvulus glomeratus 'Blue Daze'

4 Day Flower, Widow's Tears, Blue Spiderwort 
Commelina coelestis

5 Blue Corydalis, Blue Fumitory 
Corydalis flexuosa 'China Blue'

6 Louisiana Blue Phlox, Woodland Phlox, Wild Sweet William, Wild Blue Phlox 
Phlox divaricata 'London Grove Blue

7 Blue Lungwort, Blue Cowslip Pulmonaria angustifolia 'Cedric Morris'

8 Creeping Veronica, Speedwell 
Veronica umbrosa 'Georgia Blue'

9 Synonym:Anagallis collina
10 Synonym:Anagallis linifolia


11 Blue Corydalis 
Corydalis flexuosa 'Blue Panda'

12 Dwarf Chinese Delphinium 
Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly'

13 Fuchsia 
Fuchsia 'Ballerina Blau'(not blue, but red and purple, very cool)

14 Foothill Penstemon, Chaparral Penstemon, Bunchleaf Penstemon 
Penstemon heterophyllus 'Blue Springs'

15 Gentiana Silken Skies

16 Calibrachoa, Million Bells 
Calibrachoa 'Superbells Blue'

17 Queen Orchid, Blue Lady Orchid, Spider Orchid 
Thelymitra crinita

18 Thelymitra macrophylla

19 Leadwort, Hardy Blue Plumbago 
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

20 Foothill Penstemon 
Penstemon heterophyllus 'True Blue'

21 Primula 
Primula 'Cobalt Blue'

22 Italian Bugloss, Italian Alkanet, Summer Forget-Me-Not 
Anchusa azurea 'Blue Heaven'

23 Lungwort, Bethlehem Sage, Jerusalem Sage 
Pulmonaria 'Blue Ensign'

24 Blue Eyed Mary, Navelwort 
Omphalodes cappadocica 'Starry Eyes'

25 Blue-Eyed-Mary, Creeping Forget-Me-Not 
Omphalodes verna

26 English Primrose 
Primula vulgaris 'Blue Sapphire' (might work)

27. Dragon's Head 
Dracocephalum argunense 'Fuji Blue'

28 Siam Tulip 
Curcuma alismatifolia 'Blue Moon'

29 Blue China Orchid 
Caladenia gemmata

30 Forget-Me-Not 
Myosotis sylvatica 'Wake Up Blue'

31 California Blue-eyed Grass, Dwarf Blue-eyed Grass 
Sisyrinchium bellum 'California Skies'

32 Weeping Blue Ginger, Blue Pendant 
Dichorisandra pendula (flordia grower!)

33 Delphinium likiangense


----------



## Dendro Dave

Here is another one I think I left off the list but have only found one supplier who grows it and was way more then I could afford. Andy's orchids didn't have it ;(

dendrobium delicatulum or Dendrobium parvulum (its called either)
And it should look like this... (careful, I found 1 or 2 listings under 1 or both of these names that weren't actually this blue flowering type)









I emailed a few of the major orchid suppliers including Andy trying to find this orchid. Only 1 said they grew it. JL orchids J&L Orchids ~ Home Page

Here is the email response I got from them...
"We do not have Den. delicatulum available right now. Occasionally we make divisions and they sell for $150. If you are interested, please let us know and we will make a division for you.
Thank you.
J&L"

Lil out of my price range but if anyone wants to take them up on this offer shoot em an email I guess...and hook me up with a cheap division later please 

If anyone else knows where to find this plant I'd love to hear about it. Other then Andy's, and JL I also emailed orchidsbyhausermann.com. If you know of any other dealers likely to have it or are just good orchid sources I wouldn't mind hearing about those. Thanks.


----------



## Adven2er

Lindneria grandiflora is a bog plant that may do well in a viv.


----------



## MeiKVR6

Add Tillandsia tenuifolia 'blue flower' to your list!  Looks amazing when it flowers... Which isn't often!  A ton of other Tillandsias flower blue, too.


----------



## Dendro Dave

Adven2er said:


> Lindneria grandiflora is a bog plant that may do well in a viv.


 Thanks for the suggestion. Hmmm I couldn't find hardly any pics under that name on google but I found another name for it "Ilysanthes grandiflora" that had better results. Most of the pics looked a little to purple for my tastes to meet the blue requirement, but still a nice looking flower that would be pretty in a viv.











MeiKVR6 said:


> Add Tillandsia tenuifolia 'blue flower' to your list!  Looks amazing when it flowers... Which isn't often!  A ton of other Tillandsias flower blue, too.


Ya I kinda ignored tillandsia since most of them we use in vivs are so small and with them and broms you only get 1 or a few flowers (sometimes u get alot on a spike) and often you only get them rarely. Plus I've killed a lot of tillandsia with lack of air flow, and/or over watering  But I'm finally giving in and adding fans to new vivs and will retrofit most old ones probably so maybe I'll have more luck. 

Thanks for the suggestions guys and please anyone else feel free to add to the list.


----------



## Agreen

wow, the dendrobium delicatulum is absolutely stunning. Hope I can find/afford one someday.


----------



## Dendro Dave

Snagged this one from another thread...

African Violet (Saintpaulia ionantha cultivar) One of the more truely blue violets I've seen. saintpaulinia ionantha appears to be the species name and not the specific cultivar i saw in the other thread http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/56379-id-plant-please.html ...African Violet - 'Mary Craig' looks to have a nice blue though. I found a post on another forum that listed a few bluish ones also.. "Rodeo Country", "Ness' Crinkle Blue", and "Huron" Can check out https://www.violetbarn.com/index.htm for other fairly blue ones....though their camera seems to kinda suck at capturing some colors accurately so its hard to tell how truly blue some of them are.


----------



## terrariumman

Dendro Dave said:


> Snagged this one from another thread...
> 
> African Violet (Saintpaulia ionantha cultivar) One of the more truely blue violets I've seen. saintpaulinia ionantha appears to be the species name and not the specific cultivar i saw in the other thread http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/56379-id-plant-please.html ...African Violet - 'Mary Craig' looks to have a nice blue though. I found a post on another forum that listed a few bluish ones also.. "Rodeo Country", "Ness' Crinkle Blue", and "Huron" Can check out https://www.violetbarn.com/index.htm for other fairly blue ones....though their camera seems to kinda suck at capturing some colors accurately so its hard to tell how truly blue some of them are.


Here are a few pictures.


----------



## stemcellular

The broms that I have in my Escudo viv.


----------



## Dendro Dave

Just a small update on some plants I've found that may work and I don't think have been listed yet...

Geissorhiza splendidissima

Tweedia caerulea

Myosotis palustris
(syn. Myosotis scorpiodes)
“Water Forget-Me-Not”

Penstemon rydbergii
“Rydberg’s Penstemon”


----------



## Dendro Dave

Ipheion peregrinans 'Rolf Fiedler' (Rolf Fiedler Starflower) Sun to Light ShadeZone: 7-10, 5" tall Origin: Uruguay

This one sounds pretty decent but even though it is from S. america and some similar species are in Brazil it probably needs good drainage from what I read.










And another...

Pulmonaria 'Trevi Fountain' (Kinda iffy given the zones but is hardy up to zone 9b according to Dave's garden.com and is said to withstand heat and humidity well)


----------



## Dendro Dave

Here is a nice resource for possible blue flowers...

"In 2004 members of the Pacific Bulb Society list nominated their favorite bulbs by color, usually ones they were able to grow successfully. The information from their posts is summarized below with links to pictures from our wiki (when they are available) of these plants."

It contains 3 links to blue colored flowers in alphabetical order. I don't know how many if any would work in a vivarium but here is the link for anyone interested...

Pacific Bulb Society | Favorite Bulbs


----------



## james67

Utricularia graminifolia

just received a small portion and im excited to see how it turns out....

james


----------



## Dendro Dave

Just got some too. 

I've recently placed a couple of utricularia orders. 

I've gotten...

Utricularia sandersonii
Utricularia calycifida 
Utricularia graminifolia 
Utricularia nephrophylla (think I killed it, had very few leaves and I think they got smashed in transplanting...may surive not sure)	
Utricularia quelchii (I think this was misidentified given the way she was growing it. It was in a small vial of water, no soil...growing like an aquatic. But quelchii is an Epiphytic Bladderwort so that doesn't seem right to me, but it was alive and a utricularia so I got it just in case it was correct or something else cool)
utricularia biloba moolooaba 1 (think its is still alive and starting to spread)
utricularia lateriflora frodshams pass, tasmania (might have killed this one already ;(

These should be arriving soon...
UTRICULARIA MINUTISSIMA (white flower) - 20 SEEDS	
UTRICULARIA QUELCHII ( Ilu Tepui, Venezuela) - 15 SEEDS

Along with graminifolia, Utricularia biloba is supposed to be blue sometimes.









There is a "blue" version of Sandersonii also, but I think it is very very light...basically white with a slight blue/purple tint thats hardly noticeable. I think one of the orders I got is that type of sandersonii. 

Hopefully I'll have better luck with the most recent utricularia I got, some of them were much bigger then the standard 1 square inch cube I've gotten from other vendors. To date I've killed every utricularia I've owned...except for some of the newest batch. Well see though 

To get back on topic other then Graminifolia, biloba and possibly a version of sandersonii there is another blue utricularia available....Utricularia babui {Thailand} 


















The yellow one is U. Jackii

Utricularia bisquamata is supposedly sometimes bluish also but almost every pic with a few exceptions shows it as more purple.

Best Carnivorous Plants Store has a really nice selection of Utricularia including most of the very desirable ones I've seen. 

Unfortunately while they have a low minimum order for live plants other then seeds you may need to pay a little extra for cites permit ( 30 euros) and their ordering process is a little complicated, you fill out everything online but then they want you to fax them or some thing also. I almost ordered but got to that part and was like "screw it, I probably shouldn't be spending this money anyways" 

The do have Graminfolia, babui, and biloba though, a long with lots of other cool ones, even a couple red ones like Utricularia campbelliana and quelchii...the price for campbelliana is almost 224 euros though....way over my price range. Quelchii is a little steep too but hopefully my seeds will take and I won't have to worry about it.


----------



## Dendro Dave

I don't know if it would be possible to grow either of these in the viv but I had to share them for their sheer awesomeness...

Ixia viridiflora









Lachenalia viridiflora









Of the 2 Lachenalia viridiflora stays smaller and from what I've read is possibly easier to grow. Both may survive a viv if planted in a high/well drained spot where you can control the amount of water they get. Meaning less water in summer if bulbs go dormant in the viv. Also they probably need good airflow in humid conditions. So a fan may be called for.

I got some lachenalia seeds and I am attempting them as houseplants. If they germinate I'll try transplanting one to a suitable spot in on of my vivs. I'll be getting the Ixia soon also to try.

Now on to some more stunning plants with similar colors....

Puya berteroniana "Blue Puya"









Puya alpestris "Sapphire Tower"









I'm not sure the 2 pictured are actually different species...as appearantly the difference is mainly in size and hue of the flower color....so they could have been misidentified. Way to big for most vivs....maybe not a large green house though.

Last but not least....

Strongylodon macrobotrys "Jade vine"










The Plant growing at the base is Ecbolium viride, also a nice color.

If I every do a really large vert I may try to train and prune some Jade vine to fit 

Here is another pic of ecbolium viride...









This may be viv suitable as it stays fairly small (one source said 18x18 inches) and is a tropical. I think it is worth a shot 
It may also be called Crossandra infundibuliformis 'Shamrock', which I believe is another species but many of the pics look identical, so I'm not sure if it is misidentified or just similar.


----------



## james67

try here 

Carnivorous Plants for Sale | Carnivorous Plant Nursery

james


----------



## Dendro Dave

james67 said:


> try here
> 
> Carnivorous Plants for Sale | Carnivorous Plant Nursery
> 
> james


I found them, and added them to my plant source thread awhile back but haven't actually ordered from them yet. I got my first ones from Blackjungle a couple years ago, killed them all quickly. I got my first recent batch from...
http://www.exoticplantsplus.com/orderform.htm he also has a page with more listed you can inquire about but aren't on the order form here http://www.exoticplantsplus.com/orderformdescriptions.htm

The 2nd recent batch I got came from Ebay  ..and actually for the most part they were the nicest/largest plant portions I've gotten from any vendor. I also got the 2 seed packets I ordered from ebay, which seems the easiest way to order seeds from over seas where many of the coolest Utricularia are sold ;( I think I'll go make an Utricularia thread with some of the most impressive species to get people interested...we should have as many options as the EU GRRRR


----------



## Dendro Dave

Think I found a really nice, easy, likely to survive Perennial blue flowered plant for the viv here...one of the better options I've found so far. It is a type of oxalis which is a common vivarium plant.

Parochetus communis "Blue Oxalis"

















Here are couple of sources for info and for actualy buying it 

Info...
http://www.plantcare.com/encyclopedia/blue-shamrock-pea-1759.aspx
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/114105/
http://www.gardening.eu/plants/Perennial-Plants/Parochetus-communis/2374/

Buying...
http://www.logees.com/prodinfo.asp?number=R1468-2
http://www.accentsforhomeandgarden.com/catalog_i10344590.html?catId=294576

Money is a lil tight, but this is to good to pass up and might be perfect for a spot in my new hex build so I think I'm going to order one tonight.


----------



## Groundhog

Both Pulmonaria and bugloss need dormancy periods.

Now, I'm still waiting for:

"Edible, iridescent plants with blue flowers for a viv?"


----------



## vivbulider

not flowers but Some neos have blue leafs


----------



## ggazonas

be careful with plants like delphinium, spiderwort, lungwort, phlox, and other perenials, most don't like humid wet feet and they also need dormancy periods.

however I like were you are going with this....I'll keep tuned to see what works, I may want to try some as well


----------



## Dendro Dave

Just a small/quick update. After more research and trying a few things this is where I'm at...

Blue flower top choices...

Tried first 3...
Parochetus communis 








(Seems to like cool temps, often leaves appear then melt within a few days, then are quickly replaced. I'm guessing to much heat and/or light but is surviving in viv. Probably do better for people that keep their homes/vivs cooler. I killed a lot of it off dividing it so many times though. 

Cleisocentron merrillianum








(Blue orchid, Had it about a month or so. Seems fine, no growth, but nothing bad going on either)

Commelina erecta (I think)








(found it in my yard so tried it, seems to be doing well, seeding and spreading may be a problem eventually)


Haven't tried these yet...(but these seem like they MIGHT be some of the more likely to work viv canidates)

Evolvulus glomeratus 'Blue Daze' (really need to try this one)










PULMONARIA Trevi Fountain (Blue and/or purple)









Corydalis curviflora var. rosthornii Blue Heron









Corydalis flexuosa (several cultivars and hybrids)











CERATOSTIGMA Plumbaginoides









Arenaria balearica Corsican Sandwort (Ok not blue but a cool white ground cover I'm throwing in just for the hell of it)









isotoma fluviatilis 'blue star' creeper (similar to above plant but actual light blue ground cover)









Ophiopogon japonicus dwarf mondo grass with blue fruit semi aquatic. (commonly sold aquarium plant, actually semi aquatic/marginal and has blue metallic berries)









Water Forget-Me-Not Myosotis scorpioides (only hardy up to zone 8 but likes moist soil so may be worth a shot since our vivs don't actually get as hot as it does in higher zones)









FESTUCA Cinerea Elijah's Blue (small blue clumping ornamental grass hardy to zone 10b, so might work. Cool and unusual for the viv so worth a shot IMO)









Ok so those are some of the top choices based on a combination of looks and how likely they are to work and probably the ones I'm most likely to try next.


----------



## earthfrog

I'm thinking the oxalis likes lower humidity---I've seen a white-flowered version growing in the shade on a porch in the Texas summer, so I don't think it's the heat. Might also be the bright light. 

Also, the "Blue Daze" plant likes air on its roots too---I got a yellow plant that I believe is in a similar family and it did not take well to being overwatered---had it in part sun outside.


----------



## earthfrog

stemcellular said:


> The broms that I have in my Escudo viv.


Those are Neo. Mo' Peppa Please


----------



## johnc

_Neoregelia_ "Dartagnon" has a blue flower. It's blooming in a planter for me right now in my frog room and I'm waiting on pups from it because it's an awesome, water-holding small brom. A bunch of the Neos have blue flowers - I believe Ampulacea red has blue flower too - mine bloomed a bunch a few months ago and it looked a lot like Stem's _Neoregelia_.


----------



## Dendro Dave

earthfrog said:


> I'm thinking the oxalis likes lower humidity---I've seen a white-flowered version growing in the shade on a porch in the Texas summer, so I don't think it's the heat. Might also be the bright light.
> 
> Also, the "Blue Daze" plant likes air on its roots too---I got a yellow plant that I believe is in a similar family and it did not take well to being overwatered---had it in part sun outside.


Not sure, but this site says high humidity and it is known to grow in the Himalayas and india also.... 
Blue Shamrock Pea - Parochetus communis - Indoor House Plants - Plant Encyclopedia Database at PlantCare.com

It is surviving though. I think I did most of the damage trying to divide it so much and so soon after planting because I wanted it in several vivs and got impatient  So I'm pretty sure it will live in a viv...not so sure if it will flower well though.

I'll keep that in mind about the blue daze and try to put it in higher spots with good breathing/draining soil if I get some. You can get away with some plants in a viv that might not usually do well by planting them in things like fern pots, or rock planters sitting on the soil, or partially buried so they don't stay as moist and to help them drain better, or you can plant them in coarse orchid bark sometimes, basically making specialized sections of soil for them in the viv. Also If you avoid overly misting those areas that often helps. Basically at that point if they can survive the temps and the ambient humidity and don't NEED a dormant period most things should do ok, if not thrive. It pays to get tricky sometimes


----------



## Dendro Dave

johnc said:


> _Neoregelia_ "Dartagnon" has a blue flower. It's blooming in a planter for me right now in my frog room and I'm waiting on pups from it because it's an awesome, water-holding small brom. A bunch of the Neos have blue flowers - I believe Ampulacea red has blue flower too - mine bloomed a bunch a few months ago and it looked a lot like Stem's _Neoregelia_.


I'm kinda trying to stay away from broms because usually the flowers are so deep the leaves block the view. Some people might go for the broms though so thats useful info and some tillandsia are options also.


----------



## epiphytes etc.

ya but aechmea gamosepala is smaller and showy


----------



## earthfrog

Dendro Dave said:


> Not sure, but this site says high humidity and it is known to grow in the Himalayas and india also....
> Blue Shamrock Pea - Parochetus communis - Indoor House Plants - Plant Encyclopedia Database at PlantCare.com
> 
> It is surviving though. I think I did most of the damage trying to divide it so much and so soon after planting because I wanted it in several vivs and got impatient  So I'm pretty sure it will live in a viv...not so sure if it will flower well though.


It might be just the difference between humidity and water constantly on the leaves, esp. if it normally grows in cooler/elevated areas. Looks like it may have totally different needs than its 'cousin'. Or, it might just just be temporary shock from transplanting.


----------



## johnc

epiphytes etc. said:


> ya but aechmea gamosepala is smaller and showy


It's flower spike is drop dead gorgeous, but it doesn't last long and its coloration is a pinkish/purple.


----------



## Dendro Dave

Figured it was time for a lil update on this thread. Over the last year or 2 I've tried several things, and had a lil success. 

First.. Blue Shamrock Pea(blue oxalis) - Parochetus communis has proven itself in my vivs, but it seems that it does much better when grown from seeds(not to hard to get if you put google to work for you). Actual plants I've bought seem to hate being replanted or being fooled with at all really. My success rate was probably 50% with them. But seeds started in viv seem to germinate well and do nicely though I still haven't seen flowers. I'm going to experiment with increasing the amount of light both intensity wise and with a longer photo period as mine seems a bit leggy.









The unknown Commelina (spiderwort) from this thread of mine http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/58402-found-cool-blue-flower.html
has done well but you gotta keep an eye on it in a really wet viv. It may suddenly tank on you after seeming to do really well...but in slightly dryer conditions this stuff can be a beast and does periodically flower a perfect blue. I have a small grow out viv planted with this stuff that gets neglected but with water it gets overgrown very fast, and the stuff reseeds. Actually the light is on 24/7 too...plant doesn't seem to care just keeps going. With decent drainage and maybe a dryer spot in viv this one works. 

I just planted Commelina dianthifolia and graminifolia seeds to see how they do. They have 3 blue petals instead of the 2 my unknown species has and pics suggest they flower more so should be more visible if they do well, (fingers crossed). These are called day flowers as the flowers only last a day, which has held true for my unknown variety...but those are good days 

Myosotis scorpioides (Water Forget-Me-Not)
Synonym: Myosotis palustris
This pic is about the color of blue I got from mine, but conditions and different cultivars may result in a better blue.








This stuff works, though I was somewhat disappointed that the blue was so pale. Likes good light and wet conditions though, can really go nuts in well lit viv. More suited for taller vivs like 20verts or anything taller, atleast mine was kinda leggy. Great lighting and it might work in a 20h.

Ecbolium viride- This has done quite well though it is more suited for taller vivs, say 20verts or 30H's at least. Have yet to see flowers but mine are grown from seed as I accidently killed my one potted specimen I had with neglect, so what I have is not likely mature enough to flower and I've been cutting the top off to see if I can get it to grow lower/more bushy. So far my experiments with the other 2 turquoise flowers small enough they might fit in a viv, Lachenalia viridiflora and ixia viridiflora have been utter failures. The lach I bought in pots was shipped well watered in cold weather which was not a good combination and eventually died on me. All the lach and ixia seed I have tried has failed to germinate or died quickly except for one plant which has 2 long green strings for leave and I have no idea if its ixia or lach, it lives but does nothing and I've nearly lost it several times. The ecbolium is a winner though, now just waiting on the flowers. 









Cleisocentron merrillianum- one of the few blue orchids in nature survived in my viv for 2 years and I think would have thrived had I not destroyed quite a bit of the roots when I pulled it from the fern pot it came in. One of the more stupid things I've done. The pot was awesome, no idea what I was thinking other then the plant/pot height was a lil much for the viv. Recently got another one from another source. Hopefully I won't kill it. It shipped in flower but more white then blue which I hear is common with this species. In fact from the web surfing I've done it seems the really blue examples of this plant are likely mislabeled cleisocentron gokusingii but I can't be certain. You still get examples of the good blue and the very almost white color when you do an image search on either name. Considering my first tortured plant lasted 2 years, and ultimately I think it was planted in a way/area that smothered the roots I'm calling this one a viable option for the viv. Just make sure it gets good drainage and the roots can breath.









Evolvulus glomeratus 'Blue Daze'- Ok this one I just got but I have high hopes for. The parent plants were a little large for the vivs I have up right now but some cuttings seem to be doing well and actually flowered right off the bat. The blue in my viv lighting has a slight purple hue, not the electric blue of the spiderwort but still good. Judging from the parents the plant likes to spread out more then grow up, so planted in 20h or bigger in a back corner or in middle up against back wall so it can grow up wall and spread into the viv floor may be the way to go. I'm saying a 20h is absolute minimum for this plant but in larger vivs if it proves capable of surviving the water and humidity this could be a real winner in our vivs.
Mine isn't nearly this bushy...I wish it was.









Impatiens namchabarwensis - The "True Blue" Impatiens
Ok this one I'm going to call a winner too. It flowered in the viv, had pretty good blue, though slight purple hue like the blue daze mentioned earlier, and was doing quite well till i moved it to a back corner. I think the extra moisture and less light killed it, cuz it was doing well and then after a few weeks of not looking at it, when I checked again it was dead. Its a lil big for smaller vivs, probably looking at a 30cube or standard 30 as the minimum, maybe a 20h, if you keep up with pruning. 20verts and especially a 40vert may be good with its extra width and plenty of height. I'm convinced enough this one will work that I ordered more. I really think it was just that viv was to wet especially when I moved it to the back corner. Some airflow and better draining soil in a good sized viv and this could be fantastic. Actually I need to check my mail, the new one may be here now! 










failures...
allium sikkimense- this may have been shipping stress as I think I forgot it was comming and didn't check the mail for a few days, but either way I think it will only work in a dryer/well drained spot.

blue lobelia- picked this up at wal-mart, it died in first week when just left in its pot and put in an old unused viv and watered...I'm guessing that no variety of this stuff is going to work, but hey if you stumble across it give it a shot and report back.

Might be a couple more failures of semi cool stuff but I can't remember other then I don't think there was anything I held high hopes for anyways. 

Plants at the top of my list to still try...
various Brunnera species
soitoma fluviatilis 'Blue Star Creeper' (Laurentia)- Not super blue but may be a cool ground cover if it survives.

various Pulmonaria 

various Campanula

Ceratostigma Plumbaginoides

Commelina coelestis

Lithodora diffusa Grace Ward

Veronica peduncularis (or umbrosa) Georgia Blue
Speedwell

various Ajuga species

Tradescantia Sweet Kate

Blue-Eyed-Mary, Creeping Forget-Me-Not (Omphalodes verna)

Gentiana pneumonanthe 
MARSH GENTIAN (It and other more moisture tolerating ones Might be promising) ---and various other gentian

Various blue annuals that re-seed, maybe they can keep themselves going even if conditions aren't ideal.

Lots more, but these are probably the top picks to try first that fit the criteria of might work and good blue color...at least as far as I can remember. Still want that dendrobium parvulum orchid though ;(

Next on the agenda is to setup a 30gal grow out viv with a fast draining mostly non-organic soil mix. Its made up of mostly turface, hydroton, Rockwool Cubes, and sand with some other stuff thrown in. I'll probably add some good spagnum moss and maybe some coir to it also. I created it at Select-A-Blend Orchid Mix

Going mostly non-organic for the drainage and I'm trying to come up with a soil blend that will prevent the water from being stained with tannins given the way I do my ponds/waterfalls. A fast draining soil may be the key to getting some of these borderline viv suitable blue flowers to work, or even getting some stuff that shouldn't work to indeed work  Oh and airflow/fans may be another key.

One thing I've learned so far is growing from seed if often the way to go when you can, because the plant acclimating to the viv from seed on to maturity can make all the difference. 

TOP PICKS SO FAR...
The blue oxalis(Perfect if grown from seed and I can get it to flower), blue impaitens, ecbolium viride (Pretty much your only shot at turquoise in your viv probably), and I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Evolvus blue daze...I think its going to work.

So lots more to do...


----------



## Spaff

Ever find a source for that blue Den. delicatulum? My white one's still doing well.


----------



## jacobi

What about aquilegia sp.? There are a variety of blues. And seeds are cheap online. And many of them like moist soils, so should do well in a terrarium with enough airflow.


----------



## hydrophyte

Wow that _Impatiens_ is cool. There are so many odd little plants that you can find in these online nurseries that don't necessarily sell stuff for terrariums. 

Check out Pacific Bulb Society and try a search for "tropical" plants and you can find lots of weird little bulbs. Some of them are from rainforest areas and might work in a humid viv. _Griffinia_ (http://www.rareflora.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=45&products_id=151) are really cool little plants and I have been trying to find some.


----------



## littlesmurf

How about Episcia Blue Nile or Blue Heaven? Blue Nile is going crazy for me...


----------



## Dendro Dave

Spaff said:


> Ever find a source for that blue Den. delicatulum? My white one's still doing well.


Not yet other then that jlorchid division for 150 but that was way back, might be cheaper or more now, if they even still have it. I should check. I just posted a few comments on flickr on pics of it that I'm looking for it. Doubt anything will come of it but you never know.



jacobi said:


> What about aquilegia sp.? There are a variety of blues. And seeds are cheap online. And many of them like moist soils, so should do well in a terrarium with enough airflow.


Those are interesting, and somehow I think I've missed them. Was pretty sure I'd seen just about everything after all the research of done last few years. Glad to be surprised. I''ll have to dive into them and do some more research. Quick searches led to a couple that might have a shot and meet my personal standards for being blue enough.



hydrophyte said:


> Wow that _Impatiens_ is cool. There are so many odd little plants that you can find in these online nurseries that don't necessarily sell stuff for terrariums.
> 
> Check out Pacific Bulb Society and try a search for "tropical" plants and you can find lots of weird little bulbs. Some of them are from rainforest areas and might work in a humid viv. _Griffinia_ (GRIFFINIA SP. - $0.00 : Gardino Nursery, Specializing in Rare and Unusual Plants) are really cool little plants and I have been trying to find some.


Ya the impaitiens seem to work. I only killed mine I think because that viv was really soggy and not enough light. In a bit better draining soil, maybe a fan I think this is a good one but it gets a lil big for smaller vivs. I ordered 2 more but forgot about them, well 1 vendor never told me it shipped and I don't check my mail every day so the first one I forgot for a day or two and didn't make it, the 2nd that came I didn't even know it was coming as it showed up several weeks after ordering with no warning and I'd completely forgotten I'd even made an order...completely melted. So that sucked, but its not to hard to find so I'll try again soon.

Oh ya I gotta do more searching of the bulb society fo sho  I actually stumbled on that plant you mentioned a few months ago, not quite blue enough for me, but still like it came real close to trying it...probably will when I have more free cash and can find it.




littlesmurf said:


> How about Episcia Blue Nile or Blue Heaven? Blue Nile is going crazy for me...


I've seen those though haven't tried them. Not quite blue enough for my tastes...but still cool viv plants worth getting at some point. I have tried some of the more blue violet species and those do ok when given good drainage in a viv.


----------



## hydrophyte

Where did you get that Impatiens? I have searched but haven't found it yet.


----------



## Dendro Dave

hydrophyte said:


> Where did you get that Impatiens? I have searched but haven't found it yet.


It pops up on ebay fairly often, which is where I got one. This seller sometimes has it along with some other interesting stuff, looks like they don't have it now though...
eBay My World - strange_wonderful_things

These guys have it. This is the one that showed up completely unexpected so make sure you check your mail regularly. If I got a shipping notice I couldn't find it in my inbox, maybe spam filter caught it.
Blue Impatien

Here is another source...
https://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_l..._wtr=0&prp_sun=0&prp_lif=0&prp_zn=0&prp_clr=2

And...
Impatiens namchabarwensis RARE Blue Flowered by eclecticasia

here are some seeds...bit pricey though. I would like to try this from seed though and think that might be ideal in a viv setting. 
Impatiens namchabarwensis 5 seeds TRUE BLUE Diamond Himalayan Jewelweed V RARE



This plant doesn't have much blue but might work in viv and is pretty cool. Wanna try it at some point...








http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/search/lst.srch.asp?prodid=2290&srch_term=Silene asterias

Ok I think I just gave up all my sources for this plant so I hope it does well for whoever gets it, cause I may need you to hook me up since I'm to broke to order more myself right now


----------



## Dendro Dave

Oh hydro, if you like these they might be worth trying in your setups. I think they might grow that wet...they really love water.


Myosotis palustris


----------



## ICS523

when I go hiking around in Michigan I see Myosotis or "forget me not" growing in streams and little puddles out in the woods.


----------



## Dendro Dave

Ok I stopped by home depot the other day for some FX viv supplies and they had a few blue(ish) plants I'd been wanting to try, so here is what I got...

*(Image enlarges when you click...or it should at least)*









From Left to right... (mostly)
Creeping Myrtle (Vinca minor)
https://www.google.com/search?q=cre...aAqgGouYHICQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAA&biw=1920&bih=974

lobiala erinus (nicest blue but don't think it is going to work)
https://www.google.com/webhp?source...biw=1920&bih=974&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&cad=b

isotoma fluviatilis (Blue star creeper) -Hope this one works! ...would be awesome for groundcover and backgrounds in vivariums if it does.
https://www.google.com/search?q=cre...09,d.b2I&fp=dac6205e1e1306e1&biw=1920&bih=974

Veronica peduncularis (I like this one to...2nd nicest blue)
https://www.google.com/search?q=ver...Hg2gWyloH4Bg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAA&biw=1920&bih=974

Well I was supposed to have a Mazus Reptens, but the pot says myrtle and the tag says Mazus, and the leaf structure looks the same as myrtle so, I think I got the wrong plant...mostly a purplish/blue at best...so no big loss.

The little red cup plant... (Viola odorata I think, flowers look identical)
https://www.google.com/search?q=vio...bg2wWh_YDgBw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAA&biw=1920&bih=974

I actually found that growing outside near my trailer, in similar splaces as the blue day flower I found that is working in my viv, so even though it is purple, figured I'd give it a shot, so took a few and cleaned them up and...we'll see 

I've got some rare iridescent ferns, and a rare iridescent selaginella (Not uncinata), coming too... so the Iridescent plant thread should get an update soon! 
Here what is coming though...

2 Iridecent ferns...
*Cyclopeltis crenata* (Ya the one on ebay...I broke down and bought it, and then ended up adding to that order)
*Microsorum siamensis T. Boonkerd *

Not iridescent, but cool...
Pyrrosia pilosellordes
4-5” Cutting rhizome from the mother plant with many leaves and roots

Selaginella apoda 
Selaginella erythropus (kinda iridescent/silvery)
Selaginella uncinata (Iridescent of course)
*Selaginella siamensis Hieron* (Rare iridescent selaginella!, more upright grower then uncinata it looks like)

*I've got bag of special soil mix I had made from www.repotme.com about a year ago that I haven't used yet. It is fast draining sand/new zealand sphagnum/leca/turface/fir bark/coir chunks...maybe some other stufff)
I'm going to try mostly planting some of these experimental blue plants in it, in pots or/fern pots and probably raised off the floor a bit so if they can handle the humidity in the air, the soil moisture won't be such an issue and maybe they'll make it. I'm trying to move to a longer lasting, faster draining soil in my new vivs, or remodels in general too. *


----------



## Groundhog

Ahem: 

1) Are these for a temperate vivarium? If so, _cool_--then you can place the tank in a _cool_ area in the winter. If not given a dormancy, most of these will grow for a year or two, and then decline from exhaustion.

2) Can the Lobelia handle vivarium humidity?

PlantZAfrica.com: Plants of southern Africa

3) The Isotoma may get out of hand...


----------



## jacobi

It gets big, but have you considered Amazon.com: PASSIFLORA caerula Blue Passion flower 15 Plus Seeds: Patio, Lawn & Garden

And it's a tropical....


----------



## Groundhog

If shades of blue are so crucial, why not:

Selaginella uncinata
Microsorum thailandicum
Monstera siltepecana
Neoregelia 'blueberry muffin'
African violets?
Streptocarpella?

And you know what I'd consider? Why not try a Callibrachoa, they're a lot smaller than petunias.

Alas, I don't recall any blue impatiens or tropaeolum


----------



## Dendro Dave

Groundhog said:


> Ahem:
> 
> 1) Are these for a temperate vivarium? If so, _cool_--then you can place the tank in a _cool_ area in the winter. If not given a dormancy, most of these will grow for a year or two, and then decline from exhaustion.
> 
> 2) Can the Lobelia handle vivarium humidity?
> 
> PlantZAfrica.com: Plants of southern Africa
> 
> 3) The Isotoma may get out of hand...


Well that is the point kinda, these are all experimental. I'm trying to find out which ones can work, and what I can do to get plants that may be borderline to work in a viv....And get some freaking true blue flowers into a viv, because *Grrr *nature and vendors are not providing me with many obviously suitable options 

I'm trying to find plants that like moist shade, do well in the higher # zones or are uncommon but tropical/pseudo tropical enough to work in a viv. 

As I said, the Lobelia, is likely to fail..but had the nicest blue so even though I've had other lobelia species fail, I'm going to try it...especially with my tailored soil mix/and raised planting ideas. I am also trying a longer more involved acclimation process to try and get borderline plants to naturalize in the viv. The blue oxalis is an example of one where about 50/50 of grown plants fail in the viv, but seed started plants do really well. And the day flower does well, but at first it doesn't like the wet feet but when started somewhere a bit dryer in the viv and given enough light it starts to tolerate it and spread, and it reseeds so the new plants are more adapted to the conditions. 

I've basically tried to go for plants known to do well in at least zone 8+ and in part sun/shade...preferably moist shade areas, but that has been difficult to find in a blue I like...And I know some of those zone areas are dryer/wetter then others...and it isn't like all zone 10 plants will survive in our vivs...at least not without special accommodations for some...and others probably would just die period. 

So basically I'm experimenting... for instance this plant was found right outside my home...*Commelina erecta or commelina communis* (I think) 









That plant has actually done quite well in some of my viv (for 2+ years) and it was growing right here in oklahoma...it reseeds, which can be a pain, but is slow enough grower that monthly pruning can keep it in check.

Dormancy is potentially an issue with some, but I think with *some plants* in the *right conditions* they will skip it, or have a very short period, maybe where they don't want as much water...It could be kinda like the temperate moss myth that I keep having to debunk on this forum. "Oh no temperate mosses can't work because they require dormancy!!!" ...Uh then why did the moss I pull out from under some snow here in OK, live and spread in my vivs for years?...and I also read a book on mosses that said some temperatures don't need that period. So same theory..only with larger plants...maybe, we can get away with using some of these to get some blue into our vivs...

I've already had some success with blue impatiens, and evolvus (need a faster draining soil for both though), the day flower (usually does fine), and blue oxalis (Does great and good foilage plant if grown from seed in less wet areas of viv, but stupid thing won't flower for me hardly), and the turquoise/pale blue ecbolium viride which has flowered a couple times for me, but until recently was jammed into vivs to short for it. So we are already getting some pay off...and no reason others can't benefit from these plants and may be more willing to try them now...if they like em, since I've kinda paved the way. 

I am also trying to/plan to experiment with other plants that reseed, as a way to get blue flowers in the viv that will replenish themselves even if the parent plant has a short life span or can't cut it in a viv for more then a few months but can usually get some flowers and seeds out before it dies.

If the blue star gets out of control, I'll probably be a happy camper...Even if it isn't the greatest blue/pale purple. I think with its small size and flowering habit a viv filled with that, as long as it doesn't completely choke out my larger foliage plants would be awesome...would kinda be a similar effect as a nice patch of flowering utricularia....and probably look great filling in a background (IMO).


----------



## Dendro Dave

jacobi said:


> It gets big, but have you considered Amazon.com: PASSIFLORA caerula Blue Passion flower 15 Plus Seeds: Patio, Lawn & Garden
> 
> And it's a tropical....


Ya, I'm not a huge fan of the look, and then there is the size, but hey I encourage others to go for it if they like it. 

----------------------------



Groundhog said:


> If shades of blue are so crucial, why not:
> 
> Selaginella uncinata Use it, killed it when I let my vivs go to hell because they had no animals, more on the way
> Microsorum thailandicum got it
> Monstera siltepecana ...Meh
> Neoregelia 'blueberry muffin' Not yet, I am tired of seeing so many broms in vivs, though they are useful for pumilio/thumbs, but I'm not above adding a few to other vivs just to help with the "tropical look"
> African violets? Use it, killed it when I let my vivs go to hell because they had no animals. Will try again when I come across a suitable blue variety
> Streptocarpella? Had it in the hex, but that went to friends...will add to future vivs
> 
> And you know what I'd consider? Why not try a Callibrachoa, they're a lot smaller than petunias.
> 
> Alas, I don't recall any blue impatiens or tropaeolum


Calibrachoa:
More purple it looks then blue (maybe a few exceptions), but I'm not against putting some purple in my vivs, just focusing on blue/purple...and true blue. You think they'd work? I'd thought about petunias but size and being under the impression they wouldn't work, or perhaps I may have tried them and failed stopped me.



Not familiar with tropaeolum (or did I mention it past posts and forget about it?) I'll have to look into it..this one is blue enough for me:









Blue Impaitens is on page 4, but here is the pic again...








This one like the blue evolvus seems to really try to hang on but I think my soil mix was just to wet...so with a better/faster draining mix and attention to where they are planted in the viv, I'm pretty sure both will work from my past experiences.


----------



## jacobi

http://www.stepables.com/5/Viola_sororia_Dark_Freckles_Violet.html

There's a few more blue flowered plants on that site. All small or low growing.


----------



## Dendro Dave

jacobi said:


> http://www.stepables.com/5/Viola_sororia_Dark_Freckles_Violet.html
> 
> There's a few more blue flowered plants on that site. All small or low growing.


Yep found that one already, but haven't tried it yet. I used to have a good blue violet a lot like this one...









But killed it when I went through a period of neglecting my vivs...basically for about the last year + ...Until recently I wasn't doing anything more then feeding and misting and just let em go wild...was going through a bit of a depression after my job loss, so other then the basics to keep the animals alive the vivs themselves didn't get much attention...But I'm back now!  (And the nice thing about me when I'm "depressed", is I don't really get all that sad...I just get extremely unmotivated...which sux, but better then being curled up in a ball crying your eyes out I suppose )


----------



## Dendro Dave

Just an update on some of the Blue flower work that has been happening...

I've planted some seeds of a bunch of stuff that probably won't work...and so far they don't even seem to be germinating.

But I did just plant some Myosotis seeds that will probably come up. I've had other Mysotis (blue forgetmenot) do well enough in a small viv I had to pull it.

Creeping myrtle and blue star creeper seem to be the only things holding on from the homedepot/lowes raid awhile back. The blue star all died off it seemed then started coming back. Both these are more on the purple side though

Really seems like a lot of these plants need some acclimation time, like putting the pot in the viv for awhile before permanently planting/re potting. Sometimes the best solution seems to be just hiding the pot. I got 2 begonia pavonina, and killed the one I replanted but the one I just sit its pot and in the viv and hid it with driftwood and crap is doing well. Seems like it started to die, adapted and is now doing much better.

Ecbolium viride, has continued to do well in vivs...but I've been taking so many cuttings it hasn't had much chance to flower except that once in a smaller tank where the lights burned up the flower before I got a good look. But it is a fairly tight and upright grower that doesn't seem to shade out nearby plants to bad...a great foliage plant, that tolerates fairly wet feet and a range of lighting.









Next, the commelina OKLAHOMA native...this one has continued to do well...doesn't break out in blizzard of blue flowers but does throw a couple pretty often and they are a great true electric blue. I believe the photo below is of the actual plant I found growing outside my house. Examples like this are why I mostly just ignore dormancy "requirements"...a lot of plants are able to power through or adapt. Maybe it shortens their life...I don't know...but If you don't experiment with these then you never know. 

I'm also convinced if properly planted, blue impatiens and blue evolvus will work. I have to get some more to try another round of experiments though.

I have been throwing cutting of this commenlina stuff into my tadpole tanks and even in a water feature of one viv and it roots fast and easy...I don't know how long it will grow like that but you can get it rooting and transplant it pretty quick...I think it helps with the tadpole water quality to have all those roots in there though. *It might even be a blue flowering option for Hydrophytes riprarium stuff. *

I also picked up a similar commelina plant off ebay...seems to be the same species whatever that is...and I've tried seeds of a couple varieties. I thought seeds would be the ticket but so far I haven't had much luck. These may need to be started outside the viv then allowed to adapt as transplanted cuttings.









Last and definitely not least...

*SUCCESS!!!!*
This one has been driving me nuts ever since I found it. For my tastes it sounds ideal...fairly compact...electric blue...and it has been doing well in vivs. At first 1/2 the plants I bought seemed not to survive transplant and it seems to do much better from seed, and I think the plants from seed or adapted transplants transplant to other vivs much much better then original plants. I don't know if it is just now mature enough to flower or what... or if it has been because my house has been a bit warmer with these extremely hot days we've had in OK (Being from the Himalayas I though it needed colder temps to flower maybe) ....or and* I think this might just be the ticket *, I put a normal soft white CFL bulb over it, and the rest is 6500k cfl and LED lighting..maybe a JD or I may have cheaper no name brand in there. *But it seems this flower may have just needed to grow for awhile and get lush before popping flowers and maybe more red spectrum*

















So my overall planting scheme is to start with taller Ecobolium viride or kinda leggy meandering plants like commenlina and iridescent begonia pavonia as my background...then iridescent Selaginella siamensis Hieron and/or Uncinata and Blue Shamrock Pea (blue oxalis) AKA Parochetus communis as filler with jewel orchids mixed in where ever I can and maybe a few larger sinningia/gesneriad...then maybe some blue star creeper a mix of micro/mini sinningia/gesneriads or utricularia and moss/micro liverwort as my foreground.

I will probably focus on continuing to experiment with more commenlina, blue forgetme nots varieties...the one i had years ago was real pale...trying to find a good blue cultivar and some other random stuff. Oh and the blue impaitens and evolvus in special plantings conditions.


----------



## Bcs TX

Dave have you tried the New Guinea impatiens?
They do like shade outdoors but IME can take a lot of water (at least the ones I have had in a hanging basket). They are inexpensive, maybe worth a try.


----------



## Dendro Dave

Bcs TX said:


> Dave have you tried the New Guinea impatiens?
> They do like shade outdoors but IME can take a lot of water (at least the ones I have had in a hanging basket). They are inexpensive, maybe worth a try.


I picked up some hybrid the other day from wal-mart, but not sure if it will make it. I really only ventured into the Impatiens realm because of the 1 nice blue variety


----------



## Bcs TX

They are really pretty, I have killed plenty of them, the hate the Tx heat.


----------



## Dendro Dave

Bcs TX said:


> They are really pretty, I have killed plenty of them, the hate the Tx heat.


Ya I've found a few more varieties I like while researching the blue one....I'll have dig through them again when I'm in the market for non-blue flowers


----------



## clifford

Two of mine from the past few months...the morning glories are pretty short lived in my tanks. The violets are pretty standard-- the variegated one is blue as well.


----------



## Dendro Dave

clifford said:


> Two of mine from the past few months...the morning glories are pretty short lived in my tanks. The violets are pretty standard-- the variegated one is blue as well.


That's cool, I've thought about morning glories but the size always put me off...maybe I'll drop some in my bigger vivs when they get cleaned up, or the dryad viv when that comes into existence.


----------



## Dendro Dave

Now that the blue Oxalis flower has been out for a day or so it has changed to the more typical blue like on google pics rather then that blue/purple mix...


----------



## clifford

Dendro Dave said:


> Now that the blue Oxalis flower has been out for a day or so it has changed to the more typical blue like on google pics rather then that blue/purple mix...


That's a pretty plant. I think we have 6 different kinds of oxalis out in the yard, and none of them are that intensely blue. Is that in a tank or outside?


----------



## Dendro Dave

clifford said:


> That's a pretty plant. I think we have 6 different kinds of oxalis out in the yard, and none of them are that intensely blue. Is that in a tank or outside?


Thanks, this is growing in a 20H vivarium 

It isn't actually an oxalis though "blue oxalis" is one of the common names (and shamrock pea). Scientific name is Parochetus communis or africanus (a species or a subspecies). I believe it is a member of the legume family.

Here is a PDF on differences between communis and africanus...
http://tai2.ntu.edu.tw/taiwania/pdf/tai.1998.43.4.316.pdf

Here is the abstract to another I can't access... If anyone can and would hook me up that would be Rad...
PAROCHETUS AFRICANUS Leguminosae - Beckett - 2008 - Curtis's Botanical Magazine - Wiley Online Library


----------



## Dendro Dave

An addition to list of plants I'd like to try...


*Veronica beccabunga*
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/56592/#b
I stumbled across this semi aquatic veronica while putting together another post...which I don't know how I've never stumbled onto it before given my extensive blue flower searching, but I'd like to try it in a viv...if I can find plants or seed (haven't begun that part of the search yet). Apparantly it is Dang near aquatic, and can live in zone 9-11 (which coupled with moisture tolerance is usually a good sign it has a shot at making it in a viv). Pretty decent blue color too. 



























*Update:*
Great this appears to be one of those plants that only exists in photos or blog posts...or the EU/UK. So far B and T is the only place I've been able to find seed (UK/EU suppliers have all been live plants which means higher shipping/phyto certificates $$$)


----------



## Dendro Dave

Update... 

Got some live Veronica beccabunga. 
Posted about it here...
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/2107889-post2697.html

Looks promising 

Oh and slugs took out most of my blue oxalis in the main viv i was growing it, so doing battle with them now, and growing more of that out in other containers and another viv.


----------



## greenman857

I'm currently happily growing the Blue Oxalis I got from DendroDave. It even seems to adapt well to swampy conditions! It's even producing seeds.


----------



## Dendro Dave

Oh wow, good job... nice to see more proof it will flower well in a viv.

I thinned mine out to much taking cuttings and I neglected the viv that had the main plant in it so it dried out some and got over shadowed by other plants. Some is still hanging on, and I finally got more seeds and started a bunch of new plants in a grow out container. Which totally reminds me I for got to contact you and the other guy to send some seeds to like I had planned. Sounds like you don't need em  ...I'll have to try and find the PM from the other to check in him. It's a really cool plant, I'll be proud if it and a few others I found someday become common in vivs... My legacy of blue flowers 

Glad it's doing well for you, hopefully I'll get to see a mass of flowers like that soon. Most of my vivs are in need of a remodel and the one really nice one id like to add the blue oxalis to is infested with slugs...and they love eating that plant 

Did the commelina blue day flower do well for you? 

Hopefully I'll have enough oxalis, to do some more plant packages soon. I'm good on Ecbolium viride and commelina, and I probably have enough Veronica beccabunga to add it in this time along with some sag. Uncinata and apoda.


----------



## Spaff

I don't think the blue "oxalis" is actually an oxalis at all. The flowers look much more legume-like, making it likely more closely related to clover.


----------



## FroggyKnight

Yes, blue oxalis is not really an oxalis. The name is misleading and it is actually Parochetus communis which is in the family Fabaceae. It is closely related to clover, but it even closer to peas 

It is also know as shamrock pea.

John


----------



## Dendro Dave

Spaff said:


> I don't think the blue "oxalis" is actually an oxalis at all. The flowers look much more legume-like, making it likely more closely related to clover.





FroggyKnight said:


> Yes, blue oxalis is not really an oxalis. The name is misleading and it is actually Parochetus communis which is in the family Fabaceae. It is closely related to clover, but it even closer to peas
> 
> It is also know as shamrock pea.
> 
> John


You are both right of course  ...I discussed that in post 58
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/1358802-post58.html

I just referred to it by that name because I still have to look up the other to spell it right... or copy/paste it 

Super plant though, probably my favorite viv plant. Only commelina and its reliable electric blue blooms and a few ridescent plants come close. Maybe utricularia gramminfolia if I can get it established in a viv and flower, or get ahold of another blue ultric and have success. I'm finding they need a lot of light though and easily get molded over or shadowed out by other plants if I'm not careful. Parochetus (copy/paste) has the nicest look I think when it fills in like it did in Green man's pics. Not to criticize his photography skills, but I don't think his pics do justice to the blueness 

I'm trying to get a viv filled with blue flowers and iridescent ferns sag. Species, begonia, jewel orchids and other iridescent plants then some utrics.... some day


----------



## Dendro Dave

*I'm just copying the post I made in the big blooming thread to save time and cross reference, so all the blue flower stuff here. What is likely next on the agenda is at the end...*

.....
....
..
.
1. I have a crappy emersed setup with some plants from an RAOK from planted tank, and maybe some stuff I paid for (most of which died). Yesterday I thought my blue flower experiment Veronica beccabunga finally bloome, bit was to lazy to get a pic till today and flower is a lil beat up....

Not Veronica, (wait for it...)










It has similar leaves and structure to Veronica, and I thought the hairs were maybe what happens as Veronica matures but I'm pretty sure it is some kinda *Bacopa* I guess came in the RAOK I won on plantedtank.net. Lil more purple perhaps in real life but cool..

Ironically when I went to finally get a pic Veronica flashed me. She isn't in a viv, but considering it is a tub of water with substrate and she ia surviving in a few vivs, I'm guessin she'll prove true... 

2. Veronica Beccabunga









Flowers are smaller then bacopa, but to my eyes look a bit more blue. There are a couple of Veronicas on Bluestoneperrenials, that have very similar leaf/stem structure but under different species name. Since this is doing ok and their zones/descriptions are similar to other plants I got lucky with, I'll try them when I can.

3. Utricularia sandersoni, (To lazy to clean the glass, but I think it looks cool)...










*Just me.. or does that look like two bunnies humping in the rain?*  

4. Commelina Sp, ("Blue morning, (AKA) blue day (flower)* <-- See what I did there?*... won't you see things my way?")...










5. "The (other) MONEY SHOT!" , (The blues + 2 lil yellow what I think are Ludwigia reptens flowers)...










A few extra shots here...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]

Older flickr here...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

***Also updated experimental 10gal thread, blue flower thread with this stuff, posted a few shots in the foilage thread, and FOREIGNER vid in lounge music thread. (To lazy to link you to all that stuff)...

"Blue morning, can't you see what your love has done to me?" - FOREIGNER 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Next on the agenda... *

Bluestoneperennials.com has 3 Veronica types I'd like to try given the encouraging success seen with beccabunga...


1. V. Georgia Blue

http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/img/VEGB/280x373/VEGB_0_Veronica_Georgia_Blue.jpg

http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/VEGB.html

2. V. Blue reflection

http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/img/VEBR/280x373/VEBR_0_Veronica_Blue-Reflection.jpg[/b]

[url=http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/VEBR.html]Veronica Blue Reflection -- Bluestone Perennials[/url]

3. V. Waterberry (Says "speedwell", but I wonder if this isn't a USA version of Beccabunga given the "Waterberry" name, and Beccabunga is so common in Europe, but I had to order it from there to get something with the right name. Was surprised such a seemingly common English garden plant wasn't available here, at least under a name I recognized)

[IMG]http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/img/VEWB/280x373/VEWB_0_Veronica_Waterperry_Blue.jpg[/b]

[url=http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/VEWB.html]Veronica Waterperry Blue -- Bluestone Perennials[/url]

4. V. Tidal pool (Given great color i pic, and that this is the only one that says "humidity tolerant", while the others just say seaside/salt tolerant... I have high hopes for it. Specifically says "evergreen" too, so overall the description is a bit more encouraging.)

[IMG]http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/img/VETP/280x373/VETP_0_veronica_tidal_pool_sk.jpg[/b]

[url=http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/VETP.html]Veronica Tidal Pool -- Bluestone Perennials[/url]

I guess these will be available in spring. I may or may not have money, so feel free to jump on them... Just save me some cuttings if they do well, and look good, (J/K...sorta) ;)


----------



## Dendro Dave

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Grr,made we wait for mod approval, and some how every IMG & URL code was messed up. I know I didn't type em like that. 

*Next on the agenda... *

Bluestoneperennials.com has 3 Veronica types I'd like to try given the encouraging success seen with beccabunga...


1. V. Georgia Blue










http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/VEGB.html

2. V. Blue reflection










http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/VEBR.html

3. V. Waterberry (Says "speedwell", but I wonder if this isn't a USA version of Beccabunga given the "Waterberry" name, and Beccabunga is so common in Europe, but I had to order it from there to get something with the right name. Was surprised such a seemingly common English garden plant wasn't available here, at least under a name I recognized)










http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/VEWB.html



4. V. Tidal pool (Given great color i pic, and that this is the only one that says "humidity tolerant", while the others just say seaside/salt tolerant... I have high hopes for it. Specifically says "evergreen" too, so overall the description is a bit more encouraging.)










http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/VETP.html

OK, Fixed


----------

