Rain makes them hungry:
Yesterday's post on the demise of The Bougie was premature. The Bougie is not gone after all, it is just a vast deal smaller. You can see a tragic volunteer fig tree behind the Bougainvillea stumps. That sad tree is what the Bougie was climbing before the big collapse. The fig snapped under the weight of a soaking wet 20'x20'x20' (about 7x7x7 m) vine. The other sad tree in the photo is the trunk of a Jacaranda growing at a 45 degree angle. It was a "Y" shape with the bottom arm of the "Y" hanging over the fence dropping Jacaranda crap on my boxwood. Mercifully the tree guys trimmed it.
The silver lining of the new view of the neighbor's air conditioner is that now we also have a much better view of the neighbor's Quercus agrifolia, their one tree that is not weedy, sadly misshapen, or growing at a 45 degree angle (or all of the above).
Not a great Quercus photo because of the rain:
This native Oak was not more than 8 or 10 feet tall (2 m) when we moved in 11 years ago. It's now several meters taller than their house. Native oaks grow faster than is commonly believed. You want slow?
I'll give you slow. I'll give you molasses in January in Fairbanks Alaska slow: our new baby Yucca rostrata 'Sapphire Skies' there on the right side, in front:
Along with Agave bracteosa 'Monterrey Frost', a speed demon in comparison, and another snail-paced grower, Yucca queretaroensis (keh-reh-ta-roh-EN-sis??). The San Marcos comments for Y. queretaroensis include: "This plant is considered by many to be THE most beautiful Yucca species." Well, the babies are lovely. I hope I live long enough to see it in mature glory.
The Agave is pretty prime, too with its foliage arching in sinuous grace. I'm more likely to be around for that one's time of glory. I think it has already achieved it, baby though it is.
Rain and new plants and a view of a native oak from my window. Today was good.
Yesterday's post on the demise of The Bougie was premature. The Bougie is not gone after all, it is just a vast deal smaller. You can see a tragic volunteer fig tree behind the Bougainvillea stumps. That sad tree is what the Bougie was climbing before the big collapse. The fig snapped under the weight of a soaking wet 20'x20'x20' (about 7x7x7 m) vine. The other sad tree in the photo is the trunk of a Jacaranda growing at a 45 degree angle. It was a "Y" shape with the bottom arm of the "Y" hanging over the fence dropping Jacaranda crap on my boxwood. Mercifully the tree guys trimmed it.
The silver lining of the new view of the neighbor's air conditioner is that now we also have a much better view of the neighbor's Quercus agrifolia, their one tree that is not weedy, sadly misshapen, or growing at a 45 degree angle (or all of the above).
Not a great Quercus photo because of the rain:
This native Oak was not more than 8 or 10 feet tall (2 m) when we moved in 11 years ago. It's now several meters taller than their house. Native oaks grow faster than is commonly believed. You want slow?
I'll give you slow. I'll give you molasses in January in Fairbanks Alaska slow: our new baby Yucca rostrata 'Sapphire Skies' there on the right side, in front:
Along with Agave bracteosa 'Monterrey Frost', a speed demon in comparison, and another snail-paced grower, Yucca queretaroensis (keh-reh-ta-roh-EN-sis??). The San Marcos comments for Y. queretaroensis include: "This plant is considered by many to be THE most beautiful Yucca species." Well, the babies are lovely. I hope I live long enough to see it in mature glory.
The Agave is pretty prime, too with its foliage arching in sinuous grace. I'm more likely to be around for that one's time of glory. I think it has already achieved it, baby though it is.
Rain and new plants and a view of a native oak from my window. Today was good.
Too bad the bougie is not confined to the fence...but then, you could not see the cool yuccas and other plants.
ReplyDeleteYes, native oaks are not slow, just slower than cottonwoods, eucs or ash. And they live much longer.
You may be surprised at growth rates on yuccas planted from those sizes - once in the ground. I see Yucca elata form trunks in 3-4 years quite often. With your long growing season, that should only help. Perhaps get them regular summer water, since they grow more in warm weather.