Four new plants from our all-too-short vacation to California's central coast, two mysteries that appeared in the garden, and a surprise.
From the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, Banksia marginata 'Mini Marg'. A smaller (but not small) version of a variable shrub/tree. Flowers rich with nectar for hummers, warblers, and orioles. The backs of the leaves are a silvery white, which can be seen in the photo at the bottom left, on a twisting shoot.
Grevillea 'Austraflora Fanfare'. A draping ground cover with red flowers for the hummers. I already have one in a less than ideal location which has been grown too dry its whole life. I want to try another in a more promising location, because...that foliage.
Variegated Agave geminiflora 'Leapin Lizards'. Cool!
And from Sierra Azul Nursery on the outskirts of Watsonville, Banksia ericifolia. A tall, tough shrub with yet more nectar-rich flowers. I'll try it in one of the spots where a Cypress was removed.
I'm curious, though, to figure out what it is.
LWTF #2 is this rose, which might be the Portland 'Comte de Chambord'. How it ended up sprouting here years after I removed all the roses from this area, I have no clue. WTF.
The surprise is Aeonium arborescens coming up from seed on the back stairs.
Look by the metal ruler:
A nearby Aeonium bloomed last autumn. Seeds landed on the decomposed granite fill in between the stairs.
Huh. How 'bout that?
From the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, Banksia marginata 'Mini Marg'. A smaller (but not small) version of a variable shrub/tree. Flowers rich with nectar for hummers, warblers, and orioles. The backs of the leaves are a silvery white, which can be seen in the photo at the bottom left, on a twisting shoot.
WTF #1 came up in one of the veggie garden beds. I remember putting various interesting seeds in this bed, but I'm drawing a blank on this plant. Acacia? Weed? Weedy Acacia? Trash tree? No idea. It's not overwhelmingly attractive.
Look by the metal ruler:
Oh that Grevillea 'Austraflora Fanfare'!!! I've long been a fan of that plant. Hope you have much success. Could your unknown seedling be a Callistemon? It reminds me of one I had for awhile here. It wasn't hardy long term (we only get the small leaved ones to last). Yay for Aeonium babies!
ReplyDeleteYes, that 'Fanfare'. So cool. Unknown does look a little Callistemon-ish, but I didn't plant any seeds of a Callistemon, and they are not a plant that reseeds around here. Mystery!
DeleteI'm envious of all your new acquisitions. I had rose foliage appear here a year+ after we removed a couple of magnets for rust posing as yellow roses but I'm guessing it was part of the rootstock the roses were grafted onto - it's never bloomed.
ReplyDeleteProbably rootstock rose 'Dr. Huey', which blooms on old wood only. I know it well...
DeleteBaby Aeoniums: a-*dorbs*.
ReplyDeleteAll four of the new plants are extremely cool, but leaping' lizards, that skinny agave is jaw-dropping. ("Eh, Sandy?" "Arf!" )
Look forward to learning what your maybe-Acacia mystery plant turns out to be.
Was very happy to find that Agave waiting for me!
DeleteMystery looks like a cross between Alstroemeria and something protea. Mystifying.
ReplyDeleteI planted a few seeds there from Calothamnus villosus, which does not look like the mystery. None of the neighborhood weed trees look like it, either. The befuddlement continues.
DeleteI love the new agave "Leaping Lizards". It looks so delicate which is not what I would normally say about an agave.
ReplyDeleteI love to find sweet little plants self seeding in the gravel path. Of course most of the time they are weeds but lucky you finding the aeoniums.
I did think those Aeoniums were weeds and went to pull them, but then I looked closely and got a surprise.
DeleteThat fabulous Grevillea reminds me of 'Ivanhoe'. Those leaves....! How exciting to find Aeonium seedlings. I can't keep them alive for the life of me, but I do drool over them in the gardens of others.
ReplyDeleteLove the Leaping Lizards! The foliage reminds me of a variegated carex that grows in my part of the country. But I also like the form and foliage of Banksia ericifolia, and I like that it produces nectar rich flowers. As for the WTF plants - It is always a fun challenge to find unexpected plants, especially when I don't know exactly what they are. Too often they turn out to be weeds!
ReplyDelete