Perennial Presence

In our tropical climate all the following plants are perennials. They are prolific in flowering during the rainy season, just lessen during the dry season, however, they are still there manifesting their presence. They flower more beautifully if pruned before the rainy months, but I have not been consistent with that. My pruning job depends on my availability, most of the time they are just left on their own. 

I am quite fascinated with my Duranta erecta  when it produces such long stems full of flowers. It is also much favored by butterflies, bumble bees, and honey bees. Pruning the spent stems allow more branches to produce more flowers like in the photos.

The red Pentas lanceolata is the lone survivor of the long dry season last year. I lost the lavender, pinkish-lavender and white plants.  Cutting spent flower stalks and not allowing the seeds to develop retain the young look to produce more and bigger flower umbels. 

This Caesalpinia pulcherrima has been with us for more than twenty years. They just suffer during the dry season, but still recover after the heavy rains. It never fails to produce such wonderful blooms in the rainy season. It also feeds the larvae of the small yellow butterflies.

 This marigold came from the US, from the generous spirit of Skeeter. She is the partner of Tina of In the Garden. From the many packets she sent me two years ago, this is the lone survivor. This is the 2nd generation of those seeds. I am keeping the seeds for other generations to come. I grow them in partially shaed area.

Dark orange Lantana camara is not very common in garden nurseries. Besides, i haven't seen tree lantana for sale here,  only the bushy or creeping types. But i got this one from the wild from a far region of the Philippines. I was just lucky to have the stem cuttings recover from the wilting it suffered during transport. Its stems rode 2 planes, and several land transport vehicles before reaching our garden.  

This plant is very common, but i don't know its ID. It can be invasive if planted in very healthy soil and left on its own without trimming. It can be viny if uncontrolled. Danielle Babin just recently gave its ID as Altercanthera sessiles alba. This is a 2011 post and the comment is in 2016. Thanks Danielle. However, i realized again that something is wrong so i checked and it has to be correctly put as Alternanthera ficoidea 'Sessiles Alba'. 

Chrysothemis pulchella is a very easy to propagate plant, even when the cats, dogs and chickens always trample on their stems, they easily produce replacement shoots and eventually flower again. However, they always want available water in the soil and easily affected when it becomes dry. But they easily recover, don't worry.

My favorite Caladium is not as prolific as my other caladiums, but at least this one is spared by the sphinx moth larvae. They did not respect the other caladium colors. They shed leaves during the dry season but their tubers are laid dormant in the soil, so they are perennially present too. Around it are 2 species of Turnera and the white cat's whiskers.

The last five photos are remnants of my orchid collection. Above is a terete Vanda which is very tolerant of our long dry season and hot temperatures, usually above 30 degrees Celsius. Even without water last season coupled with leaves eaten by goat's kids it recovered again. When healthy, it produces longer spikes and more flowers. 

Pteroceras ungiculatum, an endemic orchid species identified by Klaraau. Imagine that, an Australian more knowledgeable of our Philippine orchids! I am trying to take care of this one as it might be an endangered species already (though i am not yet sure), because i have not seen it in other gardens or in orchid shows. I have two plants of this species. 

An Oncidium  already with us for more than twenty years, and it is tolerant also of our very long dry season. This is the only orchid which still produce flowers last dry season even without watering. I was scared then that its flowering might have been an indication that it will leave this world, trying to leave its offspring for good! I am glad it really is a drought tolerant type. It just blooms, come rain, come shine!

Mokara orchids mostly facing the other side because they want to face the morning sun.

Dendrobium orchids need watering during the dry months, but they are able to withstand long dry seasons and flower again when the rains come. You will notice other Dendrobium colors at the back.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day