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What Aloes Are Blooming At The Huntington November First?
Not many Aloes blooming on November 1st. Perhaps the terribly hot summer and the overly warm nights slowed them down this year.
Aloe dichotoma was the sole large Aloe we saw in full flower:
Aloe tororoana, a species from Uganda, is dainty. Beloved took most of the photos in this post for a change. I was content to wander and wonder.
Not sure what this one is, Aloe megalacantha, maybe. I have it; it blooms like crazy most of the year:
I think this might be Aloe chabaudii:
Aloe suprafoliata flower just emerging
Aloe melanacantha also just starting.
Aloe elegans, maybe
Aloe framesii
No sign and no idea:
And not a lot else. Often the fall-blooming Aloes get going by mid September, as soon as the nights start dipping to 60F or below. This year the warm nights endured late into October. The Aloes apparently were waiting out the heat, like gardeners.
Okay: there's the answer, now what's the question?
A Cereus of some sort.
An Echinopsis species. The light was bright and the morning was quite warm.
We retreated to the Australian garden as it got hotter.
Blogger in habitat
A panorama shot of the Australian garden. It gets a lot less visitors than other areas of the Huntington.
Look what visitors are missing: Eucalyptus rhodantha, with its flowers like fireworks:
Huge Dioons recently planted
Eremophila divaricata attracts hummingbirds, but this white-flowered version also attracts white spiders who hide in the flowers, waiting to attack visiting insects. Look close...
We moved on to the trail that winds behind the Japanese Garden. This is what a Cunninghamia lanceolata looks like in Southern California. The ones we saw in the PNW were so gorgeous. Here they struggle with our long and hot dry season.
We continued through the shade of the Chinese garden. It was getting really hot.
The Lotus are going dormant for the winter.
I waited until the person on the far bridge was right in the middle.
People were pouring into the garden just as the heat began to peak. We were on our way out.
It was a beautiful day despite the heat and the lack of Aloe flowers. Soon cooler, soon blooming, soon, soon.
That spider blended into his background quite well. It was cooler here today, pleasant even though my husband and I were madly working to move the 3 cubic yards of topsoil dropped in our driveway early this morning before the rumored afternoon rain arrived. As it was, we got spit on by Mother Nature for a brief period in late afternoon and the pavement still looks damp but the meter shows no measurable precipitation. Did you get any rain?
ReplyDeleteA few spots on the driveway, less than you did. Waking to a truly cool morning (55F!) was heavenly, though. At least you got your topsoil moved in comfort.
DeleteThey got some up north, the Sierras got a little snow, the local mountains got several hours of rain--still things to be happy about. :)
The aloes might be a bit behind this year but there certainly was not shortage of amazing things to see the day you visited!
ReplyDeleteI didn't have time at all for the Australian garden during my visit last December. Another item to add to my endless places-to-visit-and-things-to-do list!
I enjoy the Australian garden more and more--the sense of space and the tall, tall trees--it's not a common thing here.
DeleteMany beautiful plants and flowers, the Aloes certainly do put on a wonderful display of flowers when in full bloom, the little spider is well camouflaged on the white flowers of the Eremophila, the Echinopsis and the Dioons look spectacular. I can understand the Australian section of the garden not being visited as much as other sections, many of our wildflowers are lovely but the flowers on some are not large and visible and are not as well known as many other exotic, English and American flowers. It was good to arrive early when the temperature was cooler and before the rush.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡
I appreciate the tall trees and open space more and more--showy flowers are not always necessary. Grevillea 'Moonlight' was blooming away, as usual.
DeleteI think I've said it before, but your photographer is a keeper :~) Beautiful photos of a Southern California treasure. Love the opening shot with the San Gabriels in the background.
ReplyDeleteRained hard here this evening, with more on the way (maybe). Snowing in Big Bear. May be in the high 30s here tonight -- down comforter time. Was it really over 100F just a week or two ago...?
He's a gem.
DeleteThe new entry garden has a lot of grasses planted, perhaps to add lushness until the trees and shrubs grow larger. It looked wonderful.
So happy you got some good rain! Only a few drops here, but rain anywhere in our region is a good thing. Hopefully more to come.
Some of my hybrids are in bloom and Aloe scobinifolia is blooming again. I really love that one.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the prize:
Answer: 42
Question: What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?
I almost got A. scobinifolia at Arid Lands, but I had an overwhelmed spell. It's such a pretty one. The Arabian Peninsula Aloes seem to all have that silky-smooth, silvery skin--the better to stand up to 120F, I guess. The neighbor's big A. arborescens clumps are just sending up scapes this week--at least 6 weeks later than usual.
Delete42 is also the atomic number of molybdenum--but that's not important right now. ;^)