Is Zone 9b too hot for Wilsonara Pacific Command?

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by Ray

1) USDA zones are related to expected winter lows, not highs, aren't they? So I would disregard them in this case.

2) I resold a bunch of Pacific Commands, and mine 'Huina Road' (not Huana) is in bloom now in nearly 100° weather. It is in S/H, so that might make something of a difference.

Ray,

I ran across a photo of your 'Huina Road' in bloom and it was gorgeous. Double checked the description of mine and, woops, it is spelled Huina insteand of Huana.

I believe USDA zones are based on lows. The heat index is what it actually feels like outdoors. It can be 95 degrees with a heat index of 102. Don't really know how this is calculated but it factors in things like the actual temperature, humidity, wind and maybe even sun intensity, cloud cover, and barometric pressure. Local weather forecasters make a big deal out of our heat index as well as the wind chill factor during winter.

All of my Huina plants were growing SH. One plant looked a little "off" and was repotted this spring. I was low on pellets so she was planted in a terracotta pot in a mixture of CHC, charcoal, and aerolite. She has adjusted and is growing well.

Does your plant exhibit multi-seasonal spikes in PA? If lower temperatures are the key to spikes then it's unlikely my plants will ever bloom during summer or fall. My expectations for blooms would be late winter/early spring.

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by JimMcCully

To paraphrase Spinal Tap, we're " an 11 " here in Hawaii. So yes , heat index is the appropriate metric over Plant Hardiness.
If you like Wils. Pacific Command you should really like some of the Wils. Pacific Panache clones. 'Keenan' and 'Red Heaven' are particularly good.
The most reliable grower and bloomer of all the Sphacetante hybrids is Odcdm. Catatante (* Colm. Wildcat). It is also proving to be a great breeder.

Thank you. I'll keep your suggestions in mind. Unfortunately, my budget is such that I cannot justify chid purchases at this time and have been resisting temptation for almost a year now. It's been pure torture, but I've managed to maintain my sanity by repotting, mounting, looking forward to blooms, and experimenting with different division techniques. My collection has increased a little with the introduction of gifted plants.