ID this extremely rare flowering tropical vine/shrub

Hi,
I have come across this extremely rare plant (maybe everyone knows it and I've never seen it before), it's very showy and extremely beautiful and I'm dying to know the name, it looks tropical to me but I know nothing about this particular one, any information would be very appreciated!

http://www.codie.cratered.net/id/1.jpg
http://www.codie.cratered.net/id/3.jpg
http://www.codie.cratered.net/id/4.jpg


Thanks!
Laura

[PG Greenthumb]

Hi

Heres a guess Amaranthus caudatus ?

Regards doug

[corvuscorax]

.......an Amaranthus, to me too.

The garden variety known as "love-lies-bleeding". I think they look great alongside yellow African Marigolds.

Jamie
-----------------------------

[waternymph]

Thank you so much for your fast reply guys! this is a great board! :D


Laura

[Borneo]

Hi Laura,

Where did you take the picture of the plant? Is it really rare? I think I have a very similar plant.

I posted a picture of my plant about 10 hours ago (look under Borneo). Please look at my posting. I am not sure whether it is in the same family as the acalypha. I notice that the leaves of my plant and those of your picture do not have jagged edges. However, the many species of acalypha I found on the web have jagged edges.

Anyone else have any idea?

Thanks.
Borneo

[waternymph]

Hi Borneo,

I had never seen one of them before but apparently it isn't such a rare plant, it is extremely showy though when it's in full bloom, when I walked in the nursery and saw it my eyes almost popped out of my head, lol

I took the picture at a nursery called Cottage Gardens of Petaluma
( http://www.cottagegardensofpet.com/ ) In Northen California, zone 9a, their plant is huge and it's growing on the ground.

It comes in several colors (red, green, pink, purple, violet, orangy) and the flowers are different depending on what variety of amaranthus you have, some are pendant, some are spikes, some are in the shape of little balloons, it's a beautiful plant but I read somewhere that is an annual? They are super fast growers and easy to grow by seed though.

I'm sorry I can't be of much help, I'm in the same position you are, I just discovered this plant and fell in love with it but don't know a whole lot about it.

I saw your thread and the pic of your plant, it is definitely an amaranthus, it doesn't look exactly like the one in my pics though, notice how my plant's blooms look like pearls on a string and yours looks more like nodding spikes.

here are some pics of different varieties of amaranthus and useful links

http://www.saunalahti.fi/sjostrom/an...maranthus.html
http://www.odla.nu/artiklar/images/b...us-pony-ta.jpg
http://www.gardentrails.com/product/...1190&Enlarge=T
http://www.biol.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/user..._amaranth.html
http://floriculture.osu.edu/archive/...rr-i/r0734.jpg
http://www.gardenerspath.com/plantguide/amaranthus.html
http://plants.usda.gov/classificatio...MARA|u|140|+63
http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/~st...2500/02299.jpg
http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/~st...2500/02301.jpg
http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/~st...6000/05584.jpg
http://theparttimegardener.com/amaranthus.jpg
http://solanaseeds.netfirms.com/amaranthe2.JPG
http://tomclothier.hort.net/album/elephead.htm
http://mtuxford.tripod.com/flowers/p...amaranthus.htm




Acalyphas belong to the family Euphorbiaceae, a common name would be chenille plant or red hot cattail and not 'love lies bleeding' aka Amaranthus which belongs to the family acanthaceae.

Here are a few pics of acalyphas:

http://www.kartuz.com/f/r/acalypha-hispida.jpg
http://www.gerbeaud.com/jardin/fiche...n_acalypha.jpg
http://www.magnolia.kujawy.com.pl/acalypha.htm
http://www.cambridge2000.com/gallery...P50811507.html
http://www.floridata.com/ref/A/acal_his.cfm
http://www.kwekerijgommer.com/fotos/...%20Hispida.JPG
http://www.uhu.es/51038/images/fotos...-hispida02.jpg
http://www.dentooms.com/wholesale/acalypha_firetail.htm

Laura :)