Erigonum gigantum:
I had a chance to visit the San Diego Botanic Garden this week. As there was a thick overcast of May Grey, it was heavenly-cool and a fine day to walk the garden.
Erigonum gigantum is non-descript when out of bloom, though the pleated and pinked edges of the fresh foliage are attractive.
The plants we saw were about six feet tall and just about to flower.
Here it is at its best in late May:
It attracted the attention of more than one photographer.
The Salvias were mostly finished, but their dried flower heads, tiered like pagodas, are worth examination.
They have a strong chaparral scent: herbal, fresh, subtle.
This little plant looks like some kind of prickly dandelion, but it is in fact a daisy native to the Mojave desert. Argemone corymbosa.
The striking flower resembles a small Rommneya coulteri. You must be tough to live in the Mojave Desert.
Lynothamnus floribundus, the Catalina Ironwood, is blooming now.
So was a Sand Verbena, Abronia villosa.
This beastie hopped by, looking for edibles. That might be a Brush Rabbit, or a Desert Cottontail.
A Lotus scopariussmall mystery wildflower paired so beautifully with an Aloe, it was of no import that the Aloe is from South Africa. I've seen the little wild flower Lotus scoparius in my own neighborhood. It is a "pioneer plant" on cleared ground and adds nitrogen to the soil.
So dainty. It grows as a airy sprawl of foliage tipped with yellow flowers that age to orange.
Weighty Agave shawii balanced with something airy--the tag was buried behind the Agave and I wasn't about to reach close behind a well-toothed Agave to search for a label.
The Botanic Gardens Trichostemna lanatum looked awful. Our recent ferocious heat wave looked to have killed it. Mine however has survived, at least to bloom.
The flowers are not quite open, but I now see the meaning behind the common name 'Wooly Blue Curls', as the flowers indeed have a fuzzy texture.
Erigonum gigantum is non-descript when out of bloom, though the pleated and pinked edges of the fresh foliage are attractive.
The plants we saw were about six feet tall and just about to flower.
Here it is at its best in late May:
It attracted the attention of more than one photographer.
The Salvias were mostly finished, but their dried flower heads, tiered like pagodas, are worth examination.
They have a strong chaparral scent: herbal, fresh, subtle.
This little plant looks like some kind of prickly dandelion, but it is in fact a daisy native to the Mojave desert. Argemone corymbosa.
The striking flower resembles a small Rommneya coulteri. You must be tough to live in the Mojave Desert.
Lynothamnus floribundus, the Catalina Ironwood, is blooming now.
So was a Sand Verbena, Abronia villosa.
This beastie hopped by, looking for edibles. That might be a Brush Rabbit, or a Desert Cottontail.
A Lotus scoparius
So dainty. It grows as a airy sprawl of foliage tipped with yellow flowers that age to orange.
Weighty Agave shawii balanced with something airy--the tag was buried behind the Agave and I wasn't about to reach close behind a well-toothed Agave to search for a label.
The Botanic Gardens Trichostemna lanatum looked awful. Our recent ferocious heat wave looked to have killed it. Mine however has survived, at least to bloom.
The flowers are not quite open, but I now see the meaning behind the common name 'Wooly Blue Curls', as the flowers indeed have a fuzzy texture.
What I like best here are the unintentional color pairings and textural contrasts such as the cool-looking, pink airy thing with the ever-so-slightly pink spines on the agave, but especially of the green-yellow-orange deerweed and agave, both a little heat-stressed.
ReplyDeleteI think the pairs are intentional--they have good designers. Nothing like my garden, where the good combinations were complete accidents.
DeleteThe pink scrim hovering over Mr. Shawii is Euphorbia xanti, I believe. The Baja Spurge.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right. Thanks!
DeleteCheck this out:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sdbgarden.org/gallery/Fbloom5-4.jpg
Hey, that's it! Thanks!
DeleteI lived in San Diego for a couple of years, but it was long before the gardening bug bit. Here I'm seeing what I was missing. The Erigonum foliage is spectacular (or maybe it's your photographic skills). I also love the prickly daisy.
ReplyDeleteWell maybe you will get there some day. It was a lot of fun. The Ericonum foliage is quite spectacular.
DeleteThanks for the post. Eriogonums are one of my favorites. They are perhaps one of the best habitat plants you can have in California. I have several types, but Eriogonum grand rubescens seems to attract the greatest number of pollinators. When in bloom it is standing room only for all types of bees, butterflies and parasitic wasps; truly a sight to see.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoyed the post. We have Erigonums here and there in the neighborhood and in the nearby park, and the bees and butterflies do love them. Thank you for the tip on Eriogonum grande var. rubescens. It looks beautiful. I think I might have a spot for that up on the slope!
DeleteThanks for sharing your visit. Despite many trips to San Diego over the years, I've never been to the botanic garden. I'll have to make a point of doing so the next time we're down that way. I'm glad to see that your Wooly Blue Curls survived the heat - mine did too, even though the Agave vilmorinana nearby took a hit.
ReplyDeleteIt's well worth a visit. The California section is fairly new and just starting to mature--it looks quite good. I hope you enjoy it! Wooly Blues--we'll see what happens...
DeleteThese plants and flowers are very beautiful and unusual dear Hoover. I loved the image of the Lotus scoparius paired with the aloe, a lovely mix.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡