I Went To The Garden Center And My Dream Plant Was There

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I've been dreaming of growing Banksia victoriae since I first saw it at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum in 2016.  The flowers are exotic, and the foliage is cool, too.
 
I've searched for a plant of my own ever since.  No luck.  Never could find it.  Oh, well. 
Saturday, we decided to take a drive down the coast to Plant Depot in San Juan Capistrano.  PD was fully and freshly stocked for spring.  Beloved snapped photos while I walked up and down every aisle looking at everything.   

And there was Banksia victoriae waiting for me.  It came home with us, along with a Banksia prionotes dwarf, which has a similar,  equally spectacular flower and similar, equally cool foliage.  The other plant brought home is Iochroma 'Princess'.  
 After almost three years of looking for and finally finding a very special plant, now comes the hard part:  not killing it.  Getting it to grow.  Getting it to thrive.  Me, do that?  Uh-oh. 

The available space for substantial plants was the area vacated by the Italian Cypress last September.  The Iochroma (aqua arrow) will get nine or ten feet tall (3 m) in just a few months;  it is intended to be a quick privacy screen.  I have an Iochroma 'Purple Queen' and it reached 9 feet in four or five months.  It gets ratty from Santa Ana winds in late autumn, but recovers quickly.  Hummingbirds fight over the flowers.  The B. victoriae is indicated by the pink arrow.  B. prionotes awaits a place.   
 The Banksias, I will baby.  Previous Banksias purchased last October in the Monterey area are not overly happy so far.  Be careful what you wish for;  you might kill it and feel like an idiot.   

On the other hand, I thought for sure I'd kill the Leucospermum 'Yellow Bird', and look what happened to that one:
 

Comments

  1. Spiky ObsessionMay 1, 2019 at 6:20 AM

    Great plant. It is a double edged sword finding that long searched for plant and then knowing you actually have to look after it. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

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    1. Hoover BooMay 1, 2019 at 12:36 PM

      Thank you, Spiky.

      My other dream plant is Aloe polyphylla. Jealous of your A. polyphylla, just a little!

      Delete
  2. hansMay 1, 2019 at 6:29 AM

    I know that feeling. :)

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  3. danger gardenMay 1, 2019 at 8:52 AM

    Yay! I look forward to feeling lots of jealousy in the future, when you share beautiful photos of the banksia flowers.

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  4. AlisonMay 1, 2019 at 9:20 AM

    Good luck with your coveted plant! Banksias have such interesting foliage.

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    1. Hoover BooMay 1, 2019 at 12:46 PM

      Thanks, Alison. "prionotes" means, roughly, "saw like", referring to the toothy leaves.

      Delete
  5. Kris PetersonMay 1, 2019 at 9:21 AM

    Congratulations on your find! Banksias - and Hakea - are still very hard to find. The tags on the Banksia look like those used by Jo O'Connell at Australian Native Plants Nursery. Did the Plant Depot specimens come from her nursery?

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    1. Hoover BooMay 1, 2019 at 12:47 PM

      Yes they did come from O'Connell's nursery. She also has the plant for sale mail order if you can't resist. ;^)

      Delete
  6. NellMay 1, 2019 at 5:03 PM

    If the Banksias do even half as well as 'Yellow Bird', they should be spectacular.

    This is the first time I've been exposed to your pics from the Santa Cruz Arboretum: gorgeous and otherworldly. I can see how a visit would inflict some longing...

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  7. StasherMay 2, 2019 at 1:37 AM

    I am sure that these special plants will work wonderfully in your garden. Your garden of Eden....

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  8. Lisa at GreenbowMay 2, 2019 at 4:42 AM

    I know the trepidation of finally finding a plant that you have wanted for so long. I wish you the best of luck with them. My only advise is don't kill them with kindness. ;)

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    Replies
    1. Hoover BooMay 3, 2019 at 2:20 PM

      Thank you Lisa. Not much chance of kindness--too much to take care of to pamper any of them.

      Delete
  9. Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)May 8, 2019 at 8:35 PM

    OMG, I'm so happy for you! The specimen at the UCSC Arboretum is a stunner. Yours will be, too, in time.

    ReplyDelete

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