The Plants Of Legoland

Lego buffalo with a mane of sheared Podocarpus gracilior.
 photo lego8953_zpsada0b11a.jpg
We and our visitors went to Legoland in Carlsbad a few days ago.  We all enjoyed it, though I was the only one focused almost completely on the foliage and flowers of the park.  
Sedum farming:
Legoland Sedum farming photo lego8967_zps49126f4e.jpg Carlsbad, California has one of the world's most mild climates.  In winter, it might be a bit colder than 72 F (22 C) and in the summer, it might be a bit warmer than 72 F, but mostly it's sunny and 72 F, and it shows in the plants.  The living is easy.  
Not the Palms I was agog over:
Legoland Lego Palm photo lego8970_zps3b3e9320.jpg
The park's plants are grouped into temperate, tropical, desert, and woodland forest themes--of course, those themes had to do with the Lego displays.  There is a plentiful supply of the standard not-too-big-tree-for-commercial-landscapes Pittosporum undulatum, and the standard tough-evergreen-shrub Pittosporum tobira 'Cream de Mint', but there is also no shortage of beautiful, less common specimens for the plant lover to enjoy.  I was swooning over multiple superb specimens of Cupressus cashmeriana:
Legoland Kashmir Cypress photo lego8999_zps9bcf4419.jpg
Tree sized, thriving Duranta erecta:
Legoland Duranta photo lego8989_zps8099050c.jpg 
All types of Carex, all of them looking great:
Legoland Carex photo lego8971_zps312a43c8.jpg 

Legoland Carex photo lego8955_zpsf8046321.jpg
Healthy, happy native Sycamores and Oaks:
 photo lego8965_zps18c78692.jpg 
Bonsai Myrtles:
Legoland Bonsai Myrtle photo lego8961_zps2a68dced.jpg 
I was happy to see, in a climate so amenable to wonderful plants, that wonderful plants were being grown.  I'll first survey the tropical and subtropical plants, not quite so happy in my area 75 miles or so north, but which find San Diego's slightly more mild climate ideal.   
Pisonia umbellifera 'Variegata', aka Heimerlodendron brunonianum 'Varigatum',
 from the South Pacific:
Legoland photo legoHeimerlodendronBrononianimVarigatumPisonia9083_zpsfddbe53e.jpg
The Pisonia's odd flowers:
Legoland Pisonia umbellifera 'Variegata' photo legoPisonia9086_zpsb6938788.jpg 
There were several Caryotas (Fishtail Palms), which are not true palms--they are more like bananas--blooming once and dying, but leaving offsets behind to carry on.  I do not know the species.  This next specimen (on the left) was blooming.  The foliage was from another adjacent Caryotas (on the right):
Legoland Caryota photo lego9098_zpsfae5ab01.jpg Plant lovers must work at Legoland--there were little touches like Bromilliads and Tillansias tied to Palms:
Legoland Tillansia photo lego9090_zpsff9c78bb.jpg
Lots of Strelitzia nicolai, and a Spathodea campanulata:
Legoland Spathoedia and Strelitzia photo lego9092_zpsc60ee33f.jpg
 A Ginger of some sort:
 photo lego9095_zpsf7fc63cf.jpg  
A Platycerium superbum tied to a blooming Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), with more Caryotas behind:
Legoland Caryota photo lego9089_zps7d235128.jpg 
A good backdrop for a Lego Elephant.  I found animals were the most sensitively rendered in Legos.  Look at the way the head is crafted:
 photo lego9081_zps0f795181.jpg
Bamboo, a shrub Vitex, Caryotas again, and a Scheffera(?)
Legoland Bamboo photo lego9072_zps087c296a.jpg
Bromilliad bloom:
Legoland Bromilliad photo lego9088_zps20023403.jpg
A big Crinum and a mass planting of Clivia in front of a wall of bamboo:
Legoland Crinum with Bamboo photo lego9076_zps9af81141.jpg
Breynia nivosa doesn't much like the Santa Ana winds in my neighborhood.  It loves Carlsbad:
Legoland Breynia photo lego9061_zps8d7b069b.jpg  

Legoland Breynia photo lego9062_zps00e0ed48.jpg    
Philodendron, Schinus molle, and a beautiful bronze foliage plant I don't see much around here--do you know it?  It looked tender. 
Legoland Foliage photo lego9063_zpsa7770b5a.jpg
A fair sampling, then, of the tropical/subtropical plants at Legoland.  I'll have to do another post of more beautiful Legoland plants when I get another break.
Legoland Tibouchina with Palm flower photo lego9028_zpsd5bf2844.jpg
Gorgeous Tibouchinas...
 photo lego9026_zpsc38fdc9a.jpg
Massive Begonias...
Legoland Begonia photo lego9023_zpsab3dccce.jpg 

Legoland Begonia photo lego9016_zps734c5812.jpg 
Oooh!
Legoland Foliage photo lego9020_zps766195a2.jpg
Oooh!
Legoland Foliage photo lego9024_zpsffcaaaf9.jpg


  

Comments

  1. Wowzer!!!!! what a fabulous collection of plants. Those Breynia are amazing and gorgeous. Love the last shot of the acalypha. Also love the photo with the bridge and sycamore. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing

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  2. Well, I would have never thought to visit Legoland for a plant tour..though San Diego is pretty hort-rich .

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    Replies
    1. San Diego is super hort-rich. I wasn't sure, but I suspected.

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  3. Legoland? Plants? Who knew? Thanks for the fun education.

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    1. It made wading through hoards of small, screaming toddlers quite bearable. Though they were all passed out in their strollers by one in the afternoon.

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  4. Your mystery bronze leaves may be acalypha wilkesiana, aka copperleaf. Comes in straight bronze and also variegated, and yes, it’s frost tender. People overwinter it indoors even in zone 9, or take cuttings. In tropical, subtropical climates it can get quite large, 6 feet and up. Used a lot in the shady areas of the San Diego Zoo.

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    Replies
    1. Acalypha, yes that's it. Thanks! We see them for sale very occasionally here, but I had doubts it would enjoy our winter nights under 50F. At Legoland they were 6x6 and looked flawless, sigh.

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  5. Lego buffalo with a mane of sheared Podocarpus gracilior - Whoa! Great lego. These are stunning photos!
    Greetings from Poland.

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  6. I have to say I never would have thought that Legoland would provide interesting plant viewing opportunities - I'm glad you did. I have never seen a tree-sized Duranta!

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    1. I've never seen a tree-sized Duranta before either.

      I just assumed Legoland would have great plants. Lucky I guessed right.

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  7. For years I have been trying to identify a Legoland tree that I remember from years ago (kids are grown now so won't get back there) and thanks to you I have finally found it, the Cupressus Cashmeriana.

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    1. Happy to have helped!

      Isn't it a beautiful species? If I lived in the appropriate climate with appropriate space, I'd plant one (They can't take strong winds or long stretches of hot dry weather.) The largest in the US was at the Huntington Library/Gardens. It was snapped off and killed by a microburst storm back in the 90's.

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    2. I visited with my little nephew, who was a Legomaniac...he's in college now!

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  8. Does anyone know what succulent tree like plants are in the waiting line of the lost kingdom ride at Legoland.

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