12/02/2006

Ruth Bancroft Garden

IMG_5452

For you, dear readers, I ventured into deepest suburbia today to bring you pictures from the lovely Bancroft Garden.

This is the land called Walnut Creek.

IMG_5457

Were you here when I visited the Ruth Bancroft Garden last time? It was June then, now it's December. What does it look like now?

IMG_5506 IMG_5505

More leaves on the ground, but that Tecoma stans is still covered with yellow flowers six months later. No, that's not Tecoma, it's Senna bicapsularis. This was not blooming in June.

IMG_5467

IMG_5469

Leucospermum. No, I don't think that's right either.

IMG_5475

IMG_5476

Brachychiton rupestris

IMG_5498

Brachychiton discolor for sale.

IMG_5771

IMG_5492 IMG_5495

They've got frost structures up already. You can see them in the background. Apparently, the suburbs get frost from December through March.

IMG_5731

Frost isn't a problem for the giant agaves.

IMG_5509

Of which there are many.

IMG_5588

IMG_5708

I guess it can be a problem for Beschornea tho' (right?) We're inside a frost shelter here.

IMG_5718

IMG_5700

IMG_5690 IMG_5689

Trichostema lanatum, Lamiaceae. One of my favorite natives.

IMG_5601

Short-lived. The one looks like it's nearing the end. The foliage smells nice and the flowers attract bees.

IMG_5603

Another southwestern desert native native, Cercidium floridum. Palo Verde.

IMG_5720

We'll come back in the spring to see it in bloom.

IMG_5635

This is my favorite picture for today:

IMG_5648

IMG_5676

IMG_5483 IMG_5465

IMG_5487

IMG_5607

IMG_5568

8 comments:

Christopher C. NC said...

I look forward to the rest of the tour.

I think your Tecoma stans is really a Senna. I am not sure which species. Senna wislizeni would be my first choice or Senna arnottiana maybe.

chuck b. said...

I think you're right. The leaves are very Senna-like.

Christopher C. NC said...

The full grown Agaves and other succulents in this collection are inspiring. They would all grow perfectly on the dry leeward side here in Kihei. Some times it is a true shame that everyone wants the typical lush tropical junglescapes and ignore our true desert climate.

I covet the Brachychiton rupestris big time.

chuck b. said...

Senna bicapsularis.

chuck b. said...

Whenever I see a bottle tree, I always think it's got like the tree version of goiter. If I could stop notions of botanical illness from immediately entering my mind, I would like these trees more than I do. As it is, they're momentarily interesting and photogenic, but I just want to move along.

Christopher C. NC said...

I'll have to do a photo post of Gout Plant, Jatropha podagrica for you then. If I hadn't been resticted by "The View" above me, I may have long ago succumbed to the temptation to buy seeds of the Baobab Tree and planted one of those here.

lisa said...

Oooh! LOVE those agaves! They rot for me here, but I'll get one to survive here someday! Senna, huh? I would have guessed some sort of locust tree...I have bristly locust
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristly_locust
The leaves are very similar, but the flowers are pink.

Brendan said...

I think you Leucospermum is Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon'

Nice photos!