1: FLOWERING TIMES: SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
GARDENII: MAY – JULY
ROBUSTA: APRIL – JULY
CAULESCENS: SEPT. – OCT.
2: LEAF AND PLANT SHAPES:
GARDENII: Tall, thin,strappy leaves to 90cm. Bright Green colour narrowing to a point. Suckers freely therefore they do not form a large base/stem, unlike the Robusta.
ROBUSTA: Tall, light green leaves up to 180cm with only a slightly rounded point. Leaves are thicker than Gardenii. Plants are robust, large and form nice fan shaped bases. Most have grey green bases with darker veining. These plants can grow up to 1.8m
CAULESCENS: medium, strappy leaves up to 50cm. broader than other species leaves, and are pointed slightly at the ends. These plants form aerial stems up to 1 m and higher. This is one of its typical trademarks
3. FlOWERS AND DIFFERENCES:
GARDENII: Not as pendulous as other species. Pollen anthers protrude out far. Thick pedicels. Variety of colours with prominent green tips. They appear in shades of orange colours as well as more rare forms of pink, blush and yellow.
ROBUSTA: Flowers are similar to Gardenii. More pendulous and more flowers per umbel. Pollen anthers are mostly inside flowers, but can in some flowers also protrude. Colours are from baby pink to deep red and bronzes. More rare varieties are also available like blushes, yellows and the very rare near white.
CAULESCENS: Flowers are pendulous and tubular. Flowers are close together and pollen anthers are inside flowers. They often flower 2 x per year. They appear in pastels, orange to deep red and the very rare yellow form.
INFLUENCE ON INTERSPECIFIC BREEDING:
Gardenii x miniata–more pendulous and tubular
Min x gardenii – more upright
F2 flowers more beautiful, larger more open better colours
Robusta x miniata – more pendulous, tubular flowers
Miniata x Robusta – larger flowers, more open. F1 very pretty
Caul. X Miniata- tubular, more pendulous
Miniata x caul – larger, more open flowers. F1 very pretty
