SUM' - Flowers.. Summer / Fall flowering things 2023 Non Cycad n' Palms stuff only..

[Tom in Tucson]

9 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

I think i still have DELEP  seed from H. sonorae somewhere i need to start. 

The one " Ebony "  i wish i could find seed of is the TX. Ebony relative from Sinaloa,  https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/504427-Ebenopsis-caesalpinioides    Just to compare how it grows, compared to E. ebano,  and because it is endangered. 

Imagine it would be another great tree option since it grows in the same area as Cascalote, Which does well here..

 

As an aside, I emailed Matthew Johnson the other day about how DELEP is doing, a project I'm working on, and a couple legumes I'd like to get.

Your link shows an interesting species I may ask Matt about as well.

So, have you ever heard of anybody with a cactus weed condition like mine?

 Hi 105˚, Lo 78˚ - light evening showers

[Silas_Sancona]

32 minutes ago, Tom in Tucson said:

So, have you ever heard of anybody with a cactus weed condition like mine?

 Hi 105˚, Lo 78˚ - light evening showers

Never heard of something like that around here..  Maybe something that happens in neighborhoods bordering open desert?  I'd be contacting the Audubon Society down there about the Saguaros.. Know they're looking for as many as they can obtain for restoration efforts. 

Closest large Saguaro never sets fruit ..or ..i've yet to see evidence of any.   Plenty of W.W. Doves though,  inc. the pair that had made a nest / had babies in the Ficus this year. 

[Tom in Tucson]

22 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Never heard of something like that around here..  Maybe something that happens in neighborhoods bordering open desert?  I'd be contacting the Audubon Society down there about the Saguaros.. Know they're looking for as many as they can obtain for restoration efforts. 

Closest large Saguaro never sets fruit ..or ..i've yet to see evidence of any.   Plenty of W.W. Doves though,  inc. the pair that had made a nest / had babies in the Ficus this year. 

I know this is totaly OT, but WW doves aren't too smart. They build sloppy nests that the eggs and baby birds fall out of. They also build them in bushes and palms in my yard at 3-6 ft. from the ground. The king snakes have easy pickings, and I've seen them break a wing of adults so they can feast on the young birds in the nest. It's a wonder their numbers are so great.

Good idea about contacting the Audubon Society.

Hi 101˚, Lo 83˚

Edited August 16, 2023 by Tom in Tucson

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, Tom in Tucson said:

I know this is totaly OT, but WW doves aren't too smart. They build sloppy nests that the eggs and baby birds fall out of. They also build them in bushes and palms in my yard at 3-6 ft. from the ground. The king snakes have easy pickings, and I've seen them break a wing of adults so they can feast on the young birds in the nest. It's a wonder their numbers are so great.

Good idea about contacting the Audubon Society.

Hi 101˚, Lo 83˚

I had a near-ready fledgling fall out of the nest but other than that, they seem wise enough.. esp w/ the neighbors cat farm around..  I'll find the remains of Doves killed each year ( by the ___ Cats ), but pretty sure those are Mourning Doves.. Eurasian Collared are the " dumb nest builders " around here..  Get about mid-way through building a pile of sticks, then abandon it, only to repeat the process a few more times before completing one somewhere. Worse OCD than someone who'd constantly rearrange the plants in their yard, lol.

[Silas_Sancona]

Sum' Saturday stuff:

More sun - rays out front..







 Rest are close, and tall now..



Tithonia rotundifolia,  Mex. Red Sunflower ..Finally got one to flower, lol.. couple more plants near this one should bloom this year as well.



Senna hirsuta   gearing up for another bloom cycle ..Happy to say these survived the heat last month, though it burned off all the flowers that were on it at that time. Hopefully that won't occur this time around.



Lynn's Legacy TX Sage.. light response to recent increase in humidity.. Hopefully will respond more to this weekend's higher humidity.






Some new Plumeria cuttings in the works..  Stuff picked up from JJ on the way as of this afternoon..



Some seedlings of a species Plumeria ( P. cubense ) a very generous PT member sent when they sent some other things..  Seed was originally collected in habit, in Cuba.



Cordia sebestena seedlings starting to pop,  Thanks to the same person who sent the Plumeria seedlings, and a few cuttings..

An interesting mystery..  How did this  G. coulteri  seedling end up out front?  Neither of the ones i planted out there are old enough to start setting seed.. One at the old house may be, but i've yet to see any fruit on it yet ..and i certainly wouldn't plant seed off the potted specimens in this spot, let alone randomly out front..

[Rivera]

Some late bloomers

Epilobium canum

Artemisia pycnocephala

Couple of Dudleya hassei

Dudleya brittonii green form, maybe hybridized with farinosa or another species

Corethrogyne filaginifolia, formerly Lessingia genus I think

[Silas_Sancona]

It may be the final few days of Meteorological Summer,  but certainly aren't the last flowers of the " warm " season.

The " Senna Sisters ":

S. covesii





S. hirsuta v. glaberrima





S. wislizenii



Ruellia nudiflora



Cochlospermum palmatifidum  ..or gonzalezii..



Distimake aureus back to flowering after going semi- dormant ( leaves / flowers ) during the worst of this summer's heat in July.




A trustworthy sign of changing seasons when " The Little Green Monster " starts flowering..  Ipomoea hederaceca  We'll see how much it responds to some rain ( hopefully ) later this week, and cooler overnight lows as we start September   ...if the forecast doesn't change.










Ratibida columnifera   flowering again after a badly needed, mid- summer hair cut ..






Chocolate flower,  doing the same...



Solanum houstonii,   who also got a haircut this summer..




Clitoria mariana   adding some small, but mighty pops of leaf color as well..  Waiting to catch it in flower, something missed last year.  Despite remaining somewhat small in size due to constraints imposed by less water / constant heat here, quite pleased that this mid elevation native ( here in S. AZ ) continues to  survive in it's shady ..but still plenty warm... location here in the valley.  Can see this warm season, ground cover-y -ish Legume doing well where conditions might be a tad more favorable for optimal growth in CA.











....And of course, the " Theme of the Season " continuing to shine sunny rays as the seasons start to change.. 























 

Edited August 29, 2023 by Silas_Sancona
edit

[Silas_Sancona]

Fall's opening acts,  and continuing theme.

The little green ( ...and Blue ) Monster, Ipomoea hederacea














Clitoria mariana..  finally caught flowering..







September  " Sun "- beams..

























 

[Silas_Sancona]

Senna hirsuta  about a quarter through it's fall flowering cycle..



Senna wislizenii



Gossypium thurberi





Leucophyllum Langmaniae " Lynn's Legacy "



Ruellia nudiflora   ..much nicer than the extremely invasive option,  Ruellia simplex..



Cochlospermum palmatifidum



Distimake aureus



Ipomoea hederacea  at peak bloom..

[Silas_Sancona]

Sum' -more color on this final day of " Astronomical "  Summer..

Aloysia gratissima 



Galactia wrightii ..Actually able to flower now  w/ out the sun burning them up before they really open..







First  Conoclinium dissectum  flowers of the fall..



More Senna wislizenii   Sunshine. second specimen planted is about to light up as well. 





...Senna hirsuta, w/ a visitor, ..one of our local Xylocopa sps. 

[Peter]

@Silas_SanconaMy Senna 'Golden Wonder' is starting to flower for the first time; will post when further along

[Silas_Sancona]

A little October color..

Solanum houstonii



Ratabida columnifera, back to blooming after a summer trim.





Maurandella antirrhiniflora, red - flowering form



Tithonia routundifolia   finally deciding it is time to flower after a rough summer of trying to survive.  Good since these will be the " Sunflower finale " for the year.




Distimake dissectus     ..as the days flowers decide to fade out..




Eriogonum fasciculatum v. foliolosum starting to awaken for the winter..




Conoclinium dissectum,  ..and a friend ..Agapostemon melliventris




Mist Flower big brother, Chromolaena odorata    gearing up. No weedy issues w/ these here in the desert



Ericameria laricifolia,  ringing in the Fall..




Senna hirsuta  starting to wind down, but gifting me w/ much needed seed ( on the way )



Zepyranthes citrina



Faded, but the final flowering cycle for the year on Guaiacum coulteri..






Some pre - holiday season hints, via  Euphorbia  cyanthophora





As the curtain falls on one season,  the stage is set for the season ahead..

[Silas_Sancona]

A few Saturday extras..

 Senna wislizenii   ..#2



Native Cottons, both considered vulnerable / endangered out in the desert.

Gossypium thurberi



Gossypium davidsonii







Aristiolochia watsonii







Despite the lingering heat, some hints of fall in the air.  While it was labeled as Bursera laxiflora  when i picked it up a few years ago,   i'm not 100% convinced the species is correct.  Just doesn't totally match up with a majority of  iNat pictures of laxiflora, imo., looking more like another of the  lace-leaved Bursera,  B. stenophylla.   B. bipinnata would be a 3rd option, though it doesn't completely fit pictures of it either.  Not out of the question it is a cross between laxiflora and stenophylla ( ..or bipinnata )  since all 3 sps grow in the same area of Sonora ..or may be grown by the same nursery.. 

Regardless,  always the last of the Copal Trees to leaf out  -in June-,  Always the first to drop it's leaves in the fall ..and produce a quick flash of of color as the leaves are shed.  Is a touch cold sensitive / some new growth always gets nipped back each year while dormant too,  but seems to be growing out of that habit as it gains size. 

  Jumps from the 2gal box it has been in since after i bought it,  to a 5 or 7gal next year so it can start getting big.  I grow all my Bursera the way they should be grown ..like trees,  not constantly butchering them into some artificially miniaturized, warped idea of  " plant fashion "

[Silas_Sancona]

No flowers today, but a couple honorable mentions noted while out pricing some stuff for this years' episode of yard projects..

@mnorell  ...Not the single flowered one, ( if only.. )   but some double flowered specimens on the shelf.  $55. bucks ea. ..





Yellow Mandevillea, the FL native sp.. Had both 5gals, and a bunch of smaller 1's as well.. Plenty of the standard, large pink, and white flowered vining- type Mandevillea ..and the bushy forms.. for sale as well.  For anyone here who might see these in their neighborhood Lowes, No, definitely don't plant this vine in full sun here ..they fry.   Ask me how i know, lol.







**Not pictured**  Not a vine i'd plant in FL  ..or other places where it goes absolutely nuts,  but picked up a Coral Vine ( Antigonon leptopus ) for the back wall..  As much as i enjoy the Morning Glories, i figure these will handle the heat better / spread out much further along and over the block wall, and put on a more attention getting show than the M.Gs did. Another plant that is a huge draw for local pollinators as well.

 Should also stay more or less semi to mostly evergreen thru a majority of winters here as well ..Is the hope anyway.. ( Bares all during the winter down in Tucson )  ..so the wall will have some foliage cover during the  " month or 2 " of " winter "  as well.  Far enough away from the Ficus that it won't be able to climb ( ..and try to completely cover.. ) it. 

 

[mnorell]

@Silas_Sancona, I did find some of the single form of Tabernaemontana divaricata from an eBay vendor as tiny rooted cuttings and so now have a few happily growing in small pots. The doubles are sold here constantly at pretty much every nursery and Big Box store. It's very popular since it pretty much keeps that deep green glossy foliage and people like the gardenia-looking double flowers. Even when it yellows in full sun after one of those 120F heat-waves (like this last summer), it throws new leaves very quickly, and all is soon forgotten. This one is also very easy to propagate via cuttings.

The Urechites (syn. Pentalinon) is a great plant and I don't know if this was the one you meant about not planting in full sun (I think you meant Dipladenia), but I have one here that spent this summer in mostly full sun and it did well. In the Keys it grows wild (native) and is often in punishingly sunny/hot/dry areas...not the desert exactly, but it's kind of close, at least in Florida terms. I hate that they call this "Yellow Mandevilla" or "Wild Allamanda" since it just sets out all sorts of confusion, but I guess you have to do what you have to do when you're marketing a plant to an audience that's never seen one before. I'm very surprised this vine has made its way out west, but I'm glad it has, since it is very, very tough and has very attractive, glossy foliage. But shame on Monrovia for deepening/oversaturating the yellow of the flowers on its plant-card, people may be very disappointed at the truly pallid yellow of the flowers once they see it bloom.

On the subject of Allamanda and Mandevilla, etc., there is now a Dipladenia/Mandevilla cultivar/hybrid (been around for a couple of years at least in the USA) that has a yellow flower that mimics rather amazingly the true Allamanda cathartica. It is a deep yellow like the true Allamanda, not the pale yellow of Urechites or of another Dipladenia/Mandevilla cultivar blitzing the market right now from Monrovia, "Sunbeam." This beautiful mimic is called "Diamantina Opal" and was developed by a company called Lannes in France. I had a couple that I bought at Walter Anderson Nursery in San Diego a couple of years ago but I think the one I have remaining has been overgrown by other plants and I will have to go looking for it.... But it is a great selection especially for folks living in the coastal strip where fog/low clouds and ocean chill make growing Allamanda a very spotty endeavor and only in the most perfect hotspots. Out here in the Palm Springs area, Allamanda cathartica grows very well but it hates being in mid-day/afternoon sun when temps climb above about 103-105F, pretty much shutting down flower production and with its leaves blanching. I have one in a container on a wall above our pool and I have to drag it back into the semi-shade for the summer, then back out for the fall/winter/spring season where it blooms and grows nicely. It is native to the Caatinga in Brasil and naturally endures a very rough, seasonally very dry and hot climate, but obviously it doesn't naturally get "exercised" at true hot desert temps/sun-exposures. There is a nice, large specimen growing in Palm Springs along Palm Canyon Drive, tucked into an east-facing area fronting a commercial building. The Dipladenia are the ones that I would very much agree really need protection from sun in inland/desert areas. They all seem content with just some morning sun or even all day dappled. The original Mandevilla/Dipladenia splendens are, I believe, native to the mountains/rocks up behind Rio de Janeiro where it can be quite hot but they must grow in somewhat forested areas where they get a little shade, and their range (also of a number of closely related species) I think extends down the Atlantic forest toward the Santa Catarina area. They certainly must be accustomed to plenty of humidity and rain, they are obviously much more delicate in stem and leaf than their relative, Allamanda cathartica. 

And the coral vine, Antigonon...yes, it can be a nightmare in Florida and the rainy Deep South, although frost keeps it cut back annually along the Gulf states area, which is quite a blessing. They grow very nicely in dry areas--I agree with you completely--the nicest ones I've seen were growing wild along the road from Puerto Vallarta to Mismaloya, scrambling delicately along the ground near the highway, and act like a well-behaved Bougainvillea in miniature under such conditions. I have one here, still trying to figure out where I want to plant it, but it's my experience here that it's one of those plants that, despite its tuberous roots and the fact that you really can't kill it very easily once it's established, it wants to go straightaway into the landscape, and hates life in a container, mine at least has been very demanding of water in its container. I'd say Bougainvillea is a much better choice in a pot.

[Silas_Sancona]

2 hours ago, mnorell said:

@Silas_Sancona, I did find some of the single form of Tabernaemontana divaricata from an eBay vendor as tiny rooted cuttings and so now have a few happily growing in small pots. The doubles are sold here constantly at pretty much every nursery and Big Box store. It's very popular since it pretty much keeps that deep green glossy foliage and people like the gardenia-looking double flowers. Even when it yellows in full sun after one of those 120F heat-waves (like this last summer), it throws new leaves very quickly, and all is soon forgotten. This one is also very easy to propagate via cuttings.

The Urechites (syn. Pentalinon) is a great plant and I don't know if this was the one you meant about not planting in full sun (I think you meant Dipladenia), but I have one here that spent this summer in mostly full sun and it did well. In the Keys it grows wild (native) and is often in punishingly sunny/hot/dry areas...not the desert exactly, but it's kind of close, at least in Florida terms. I hate that they call this "Yellow Mandevilla" or "Wild Allamanda" since it just sets out all sorts of confusion, but I guess you have to do what you have to do when you're marketing a plant to an audience that's never seen one before. I'm very surprised this vine has made its way out west, but I'm glad it has, since it is very, very tough and has very attractive, glossy foliage. But shame on Monrovia for deepening/oversaturating the yellow of the flowers on its plant-card, people may be very disappointed at the truly pallid yellow of the flowers once they see it bloom.

On the subject of Allamanda and Mandevilla, etc., there is now a Dipladenia/Mandevilla cultivar/hybrid (been around for a couple of years at least in the USA) that has a yellow flower that mimics rather amazingly the true Allamanda cathartica. It is a deep yellow like the true Allamanda, not the pale yellow of Urechites or of another Dipladenia/Mandevilla cultivar blitzing the market right now from Monrovia, "Sunbeam." This beautiful mimic is called "Diamantina Opal" and was developed by a company called Lannes in France. I had a couple that I bought at Walter Anderson Nursery in San Diego a couple of years ago but I think the one I have remaining has been overgrown by other plants and I will have to go looking for it.... But it is a great selection especially for folks living in the coastal strip where fog/low clouds and ocean chill make growing Allamanda a very spotty endeavor and only in the most perfect hotspots. Out here in the Palm Springs area, Allamanda cathartica grows very well but it hates being in mid-day/afternoon sun when temps climb above about 103-105F, pretty much shutting down flower production and with its leaves blanching. I have one in a container on a wall above our pool and I have to drag it back into the semi-shade for the summer, then back out for the fall/winter/spring season where it blooms and grows nicely. It is native to the Caatinga in Brasil and naturally endures a very rough, seasonally very dry and hot climate, but obviously it doesn't naturally get "exercised" at true hot desert temps/sun-exposures. There is a nice, large specimen growing in Palm Springs along Palm Canyon Drive, tucked into an east-facing area fronting a commercial building. The Dipladenia are the ones that I would very much agree really need protection from sun in inland/desert areas. They all seem content with just some morning sun or even all day dappled. The original Mandevilla/Dipladenia splendens are, I believe, native to the mountains/rocks up behind Rio de Janeiro where it can be quite hot but they must grow in somewhat forested areas where they get a little shade, and their range (also of a number of closely related species) I think extends down the Atlantic forest toward the Santa Catarina area. They certainly must be accustomed to plenty of humidity and rain, they are obviously much more delicate in stem and leaf than their relative, Allamanda cathartica. 

And the coral vine, Antigonon...yes, it can be a nightmare in Florida and the rainy Deep South, although frost keeps it cut back annually along the Gulf states area, which is quite a blessing. They grow very nicely in dry areas--I agree with you completely--the nicest ones I've seen were growing wild along the road from Puerto Vallarta to Mismaloya, scrambling delicately along the ground near the highway, and act like a well-behaved Bougainvillea in miniature under such conditions. I have one here, still trying to figure out where I want to plant it, but it's my experience here that it's one of those plants that, despite its tuberous roots and the fact that you really can't kill it very easily once it's established, it wants to go straightaway into the landscape, and hates life in a container, mine at least has been very demanding of water in its container. I'd say Bougainvillea is a much better choice in a pot.

Its actually the reverse, Urechites  is considered an old name, according to iNat, and every other source i've looked over anyway..:   https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/166467-Pentalinon-luteum

Regardless, yes, that is the same plant.  As far as planting / placing in full / near full sun exposure,  ..forget it here.  Is how i lost mine.  Always looked it's best w/ filtered, shifting shade.
 
It's kind of funny some growers still refer to Dipladenia  since it too has been tossed / everything that was in that Genus now lumped in w/ Mandevilla.  The yellow one you mention, and ..another ..more Orange flowered hybrid ( you probably mentioned it ) look interesting for sure.  Different than the pink / white flowered options for sure.

Most people don't realize it but, there are -at least- a few Blue, Purple, and bright Red - flowered Mandevilla sps out there ..that should have already been brought into cultivation, lol..

I've seen ..at least a few shots of " decent " looking Allamanda cathartica ( ..and the pink -ish flowered " Cherries Jubilee " )   from San Diego, so, it will grow there at least.. 


Coral vine is going in to ground.. Agree, here at least, it rarely goes crazy, though the specimen growing at Tohono chul in Tucson demonstrates that it can ( Climbing high up into trees near where it is growing on a wall ).. Much nicer looking than your standard Bougainvillea, and attracts much more attention from the critters.

Had a white- flowered form that actually did pretty well in it's container ..until i didn't water it one too many times, lol.



 

[mnorell]

2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Its actually the reverse, Urechites  is considered an old name, according to iNat, and every other source i've looked over anyway..:   https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/166467-Pentalinon-luteum

Regardless, yes, that is the same plant.  As far as planting / placing in full / near full sun exposure,  ..forget it here.  Is how i lost mine.  Always looked it's best w/ filtered, shifting shade.
 
It's kind of funny some growers still refer to Dipladenia  since it too has been tossed / everything that was in that Genus now lumped in w/ Mandevilla.  The yellow one you mention, and ..another ..more Orange flowered hybrid ( you probably mentioned it ) look interesting for sure.  Different than the pink / white flowered options for sure.

Most people don't realize it but, there are -at least- a few Blue, Purple, and bright Red - flowered Mandevilla sps out there ..that should have already been brought into cultivation, lol..

I've seen ..at least a few shots of " decent " looking Allamanda cathartica ( ..and the pink -ish flowered " Cherries Jubilee " )   from San Diego, so, it will grow there at least.. 


Coral vine is going in to ground.. Agree, here at least, it rarely goes crazy, though the specimen growing at Tohono chul in Tucson demonstrates that it can ( Climbing high up into trees near where it is growing on a wall ).. Much nicer looking than your standard Bougainvillea, and attracts much more attention from the critters.

Had a white- flowered form that actually did pretty well in it's container ..until i didn't water it one too many times, lol.



 

The nice thing about botanical nomenclature is that there are only taxonomic opinions, there is no "right" or "wrong." A synonym is just that, whether GRIN, or Kew, or you, or I, deem it a sensible and meaningful name to employ. The reasoning for lumping or splitting is always based on a decision made through opinion. Is it right, for example, to subsume the Bombacaceae into the Malvaceae? I would say no, and I'm entitled to my opinion, and I'm sure I am not alone. But others will adamantly argue the other way around and that's just fine. The reasoning behind making the lines of demarcation is too blurry and quite controversial in many cases, so the plasticity of nomenclature through synonymy is, IMHO, a very good thing. 

That said, in my own case of using the name Urechites luteus, it isn't a matter of conviction, I really don't have knowledge of its detailed taxonomy, nor an opinion, and have no problem using Pentolinon. But Urechites was the name I learned and can easily remember, and many people know it as such, and I don't want to commit another to memory...so please excuse my laziness as it is purely that. There are four homotypic synonyms for this plant, and then gobs and gobs of heterotypic synonyms, so I feel it's one of those "pick one and use it" type of things, at least from my POV.

I agree that there are many in the Mandevilla/Dipladenia complex that would be excellent horticultural subjects and great for hybridization--beyond the now-familiar 'Alice DuPont'--with now that buttercup-yellow Allamanda-mimic from France as well as all the patented/trademarked versions in the U.S. market in a rainbow of colors. I have always been curious if Mandevilla laxa has been, or could be, employed to increase cold-hardiness of the more tropical species. Apparently there is much interest in this complex and in the off-chance you care to spend some time reading about it, here is an in-depth paper by Santiago Benitez-Vieyra exploring the subject.

And on the subject of Allamanda cathartica...yes it is certainly possible to grow it coastally, my sister and her husband have one in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, in sight of the ocean. I told them to find the hottest, hottest spot they could, and they did give it their choicest location against a west-facing wall. Last year it was spectacular and I was frankly shocked that it could looks so good in the fogbelt. (I grew it years ago in a much warmer area of Hollywood (L.A.) but never got that good-looking a plant.) But this year it has been a complete dud in their coldest summer in some years...now she talks about removing it, though I told her to hang on 'til next year...

[Silas_Sancona]

While it might have been tough to get great shots of the Eclipse itself,  some " Eclipse Day " shots  of fall flowering stuff came out pretty nicely..

Leucophyllum  langmaniae " Lynn's Legacy "



...And friends...

[Silas_Sancona]

Late October Glory:

Senna wislizenii   ...still going..





...Same with Solanum houstonii



..And Distimake aureus



..And sister species, D. dissectus



Davidson's Cotton, Gossypium davidsonii

Yellow, in flower...



Blushed pink while fading out...





..One of the Tansy Asters.. Smothered by it's buddy, Galactia wrightii



NOID Composite i'd thought was another one of the Tansy Asters.. Seed collected at Oak Flat.  Some good lookin' Phyllaries ya' got there..





Desert Marigold, Baileya multiradiata



Maurandella antirrhinifolia dressing up Ceratozamia X.





Florida / " Spiny " Fiddlewood, Citharexylum spinosum ..And i think to myself each time looking at it: " Where are these supposed Spines? "






A " Triffid " of an invader in warm / wet tropical locales, kept in check by the sun here in the desert, Chromolaena odorata, Siam Weed / Fragrant Mist Flower starting off it's turn on stage.. If only this powerful butterfly attractor had some butterflies to attract.. We'll see.   Again with the Sexy Phyllaries ..







Regardless,  they are not the " Blazing " star on stage right now.....


.....All the while, some " winter stuff " headed to the stage..

Marlberry, Ardisia escallonioides




........>>>>

Edited October 28, 2023 by Silas_Sancona
edit

[Silas_Sancona]

.....October's shining  ..ehh, " Blazing " Star,  Tithonia rotundifolia, Red " Torch " Mexican Sunflower   ...in all her glory.  

While a little annoyed the winds of " Hot Summer 2023 " blew them over,  blooming like crazy regardless..  Missed being in-bloom for the Eclipse by about 3 days..  No worries... that attention capturing fire burns right through the longer shadows as Autumn progresses... 

A tribute to one of October's finest flowers...


Burning bright by day...  If you look closely, you can see the bright, but  hard - to- capture- in - pictures  Purple -y / Magenta -y  Red " sheen " reflected off some of the flowers in some shots..


































...and under moonlight, the stars, ...and a flash...











Now the question is:  Because it is a perennial in zone 10, and it doesn't get all that cold here ( ...basically Z10,  no matter what some assume about the climate zone here ) will these plants over winter and re-ignite come spring?? ..Either way, have plenty of seed ..aside from what these produce later to get the fire going again next year..  This time, ...they'll be staked, lol

                                                                                                 ................. ~Fin ~ ...................................

[Tracy]

Epi...

[Silas_Sancona]

A few for today..

Autumn flames continue burning..



Chromolaena  stepping onto stage..






How about that... Not being tortured everyday by the heat = some Peppers( Italian Long ), finally,    Been growing these buggers since ..May.. and  while most assume peppers love heat, ...which they do  ..They apparently don't appreciate -our- heat 😂 ..At least the 55 days of 110+ "heat" we experienced this summer..  Was not sure they'd even make it past August.



Some soon-to-be new peppers on the way....



We'll see how many Peppers they'll produce before nights get too chilly for proper flower formation, when that happens.


NOID  Solanaceae  member that popped up alongside one of my newer Plumeria additions... Pretty sure it is one of the Ground Cherries, genus Physalis, ..though keying out exactly which species has been a bit of a challenge..  Very delicate and brittle.   Seed was probably mixed in with a batch of Wash Gravel i'd collected..





While the Guaiacum coulteri specimens were very shy about producing seed this year ( more like this year's heat cooked the flowers before fruit could develop ), G. sanctum was not..  Hopefully this years' batch will be sufficiently large enough to germinate ( Seed from prior attempts has been too small / did not fill out properly )



Seed development on highly vulnerable / threatened ( in Habitat ) Gossypium davidsonii.





" Winter " is officially on the way when Pachycormus discolor   awakens..






Getting things ready for Spring 2024:

Asclepias speciosa seeding trials ready to go..  Fabric covering is to keep the Thrashers out.. 

As mentioned in the past, the best method for establishing Milkweeds in a garden is by directly sowing seed. Transplanting many native species can be tricky.. Some don't flinch, while others really dislike / can experience significant setback after being transplanted from pots.

We'll see what happens..







Side bed prepped / Cover ready to be laid once the seed goes down to keep the birds out..




 Spring 2024 mix / Spring Annual trials ( Besides the usual Desert Bluebells )

Texas Bluebonnet, '24 trial

Lupinus nanus, Sky / Douglas's Lupine, ..Considered to be California's " Bluebonnet " by some.  '24 Trial

" Carmine King " CA. Poppy

Desert Chicory, from last year's seed collection.

Partridge Pea

Annual Delphinium ( Larkspur ) Someone gifted me w/ seed for plant sitting..


Front Bed:

Yet to be determined Globemallow sp..

...Could be a form of the standard S. ambigua   though this one looks distinctly different ( to my eye anyway ) from all the " Desert Globemallow ' i've seen in habitat and nurseries. 

Flowers on this kid are larger / brighter Orange, and flower color is consistent across 100's of specimens observed over a 2 year period. Observed and seed collected near Picket Post Mountain / Boyce Thompson area.

Specimen example from B.T.A.





Owl's Clover

Phacelia crenulata.. ...if i can find seed.

Lupinus sparsiflorus, Desert / Coulter's Lupine ...And probably some of the TX. Bluebonnets ( i've got 2 oz of seed to play with ) .

We'll see how everything turns out come February.. 🤞

[Calosphace]

 

 FL natives
a Pink Muhly mass planting (with a volunteer Bushy Bluestem-- a favorite of mine, though rarely planted. ive seen cardinals eat the seeds too)

Forked Bluecurls

Skyblue cluster vine

Ipomea coccinea, golden form (forget name of cultivar off top of my head)
I have this in a planted up oak stump and it reseeded true. it has that naples yellow flower color that is my absolute favorite yellow

Exotics

Witch hat coleus, a native of savannas in south central Africa, a late bloomer first opened this year a little earlier (October 31st-- how apt!) often peaking around Christmas. I normally do not get a freeze until January so this is not a big deal at all and it's a good late season nectar source. im not sure if it is hardy here, i grow mine in a 3 gal where it is quite unfussy

Here's a highly underrated plant in my opinion: Winged Bean
this is the daylength neutral variety sold by baker creek heirloom seeds. the flowers are larger than they look and had a patch of that rare aqua tone and the plant is quite heat tolerant. it is slightly susceptible to nematodes so you have to give the plant a head start before planting in FL but they are solid in-ground. i think the susceptibility might be a plus as i dont see it reseeding. mine survived mid 20s F and forms a slight tuber. oh and it is a bean that i edible raw and tastes pretty typical

 

there is also of course Red firespike, Lion's ear, and Winter cassia which are my fall color trifecta

[Calosphace]

Also @ Nathan

How does Maurandella antirrhinifolia and the Spiny fiddlewhood do for you?

I am considering the former in my hell bed at work, was wondering what pollinators use it

and I am curious about the fiddlewood's cold tolerance. I read that the FL native spiny one isnt that hardy which is why I was thinking of ordering the Rio grande species instead (available from Almost Eden) to replace the ganoderma'd Butia once I saw out that stump

[Silas_Sancona]

On 11/5/2023 at 8:36 AM, Calosphace said:

Also @ Nathan

How does Maurandella antirrhinifolia and the Spiny fiddlewhood do for you?

I am considering the former in my hell bed at work, was wondering what pollinators use it

and I am curious about the fiddlewood's cold tolerance. I read that the FL native spiny one isnt that hardy which is why I was thinking of ordering the Rio grande species instead (available from Almost Eden) to replace the ganoderma'd Butia once I saw out that stump

The fiddlewood has done fine through our winters, that said, its rare i see anything below about 29 or 8 for a couple hours once or twice during the winter. Dry air here also reduces seeing actual frost..  It will drop some foliage when it gets that cold, but is otherwise fine as long as i keep it watered and out of direct sun through the summer since 55 days of 110+ heat would cook it -and almost anything else that isn't already adapted to that kind of heat, lol.

I too want to try the species from S. TX to see what -if any- distinct differences exist between the two species.



While i usually encounter it growing up the foothills here,  i've seen it growing out in untouched desert in the valley.  Overall, it is common from roughly Page up by lake Powell, all the way to areas of far S.E. AZ  where it can snow / occasional lows in the high teens occur every so often.. 

There's a similar looking plant in a related Genus, sometimes called " Balloon " Vine, Epixiphium wislizeni  from New Mexico/ far West TX., i want to get my hands on too..  Flowers are supposedly larger, and range from a more light -Lavandar-y Blue, to a brighter, mid range Blue Violet. I've seen for sale it a couple times and kicked myself for not picking one up at the time, haha.

As you've seen in the pictures, the one that popped up in the yard has more magenta-y red flowers compared to the typical blue / blue violet - colored form ..which i'm hoping to come across next year.  Seems pretty easy ..i keep the one here in more shade than sun,  and germinates easily from seed.  Purposely tossed seed from that plant into another pot and it sprouted within two weeks. Going to toss some seed in the shadier area under the Olive out front to see what it does out there.

Btw, adding the Winged Bean to my list ..That blue tone is really nice and atypical. Reminds me of a rarer type of Texas Sage .. Color of the flowers is a very unusual, hard to describe shade of light Blue.

[Calosphace]

Yeah that’s why I’m interested in thst fiddle wood that climate is closer to ours in terms of freeze risk than south FL and with heat island from parent my spot is hotter than natural area would be in FL

Re: vine that sounds perfect, so it should be heat tolerant. That other species looks interesting too some habitat images show them in dunes where they take on a nice glaucous color. For this bed I’m trying to stick to strongly pigmented or totally white plants (only if wildtype is white though, I find white cultivars often are more heat sensitive. I suspect  many white cultivars are likely the result of a broader mutation impacting Anthocyanin or other secondary pigment production systemically which would decrease ability to modulate heat stress)

 

for the winged bean I suggest the baker creek selection for sure otherwise it needs a very long growing season to start from what I’ve heard. Even in FL I benefit from Daylength neutrals bc most plants grow best until early June and then rebound in September which shortens the season. I haven’t had heat issues with the winged beans but FL heat is a far cry from AZ heat lol 

Fortunately they appear shade tolerant; that one is nearly 20 feet under oak canopy. It’s a compost bed over old pavement we made to protect oak roots from vehicles parking there. I tried some other beans there and they didn’t work. 

Id  recommend layering it under some “living shade cloth” bulletproof native small tree or similar but they also produce in 1 gals
 

 

 

[Calosphace]

Taiwan species of toad lily (T ravenii or s/t I think) 

orange/typical form of Himalayan hat plant, a sunbird-pollinated plant from that region. It is a short Daylength flowering plant and if shielded from freeze it can continue to flower until mayish I had it in a pot for winter hummer taking it in and out but now that I acquired more winter mahonia s and native honeysuckle I finally planted it

 

multiple visits on the witch hat by Gulf frit, nectaring seemed successful 

 

buds forming on Lachenalia viridiflora!! 

Clematis crispa native FL species I mostly  encounter on the partially shaded slopes of ditches but tolerates average soil and loves my high water table, periodically flowering since late April. Second year plant from seed, dug up and planted here this spring

[Silas_Sancona]

On 11/9/2023 at 9:41 AM, Calosphace said:

Yeah that’s why I’m interested in thst fiddle wood that climate is closer to ours in terms of freeze risk than south FL and with heat island from parent my spot is hotter than natural area would be in FL

Re: vine that sounds perfect, so it should be heat tolerant. That other species looks interesting too some habitat images show them in dunes where they take on a nice glaucous color. For this bed I’m trying to stick to strongly pigmented or totally white plants (only if wildtype is white though, I find white cultivars often are more heat sensitive. I suspect  many white cultivars are likely the result of a broader mutation impacting Anthocyanin or other secondary pigment production systemically which would decrease ability to modulate heat stress)

 

for the winged bean I suggest the baker creek selection for sure otherwise it needs a very long growing season to start from what I’ve heard. Even in FL I benefit from Daylength neutrals bc most plants grow best until early June and then rebound in September which shortens the season. I haven’t had heat issues with the winged beans but FL heat is a far cry from AZ heat lol 

Fortunately they appear shade tolerant; that one is nearly 20 feet under oak canopy. It’s a compost bed over old pavement we made to protect oak roots from vehicles parking there. I tried some other beans there and they didn’t work. 

Id  recommend layering it under some “living shade cloth” bulletproof native small tree or similar but they also produce in 1 gals
 

 

 

The Epixiphium looked interesting ..Can't remember why i didn't grab it when i saw it.  Regretted not picking it up when i did a little more homework, lol.. 

Here at least, white and /or silvery colored foliage is usually an adaptation to being better equipped to handle heat / low moisture conditions. In that case, that can mean they are sensitive to excessive moisture.. Some of the really white / silver leaved Leucophyllum  sps are for sure. Many of the Artemisia sps out here as well.

Baker Creek's offering looks like the best for sure..  What it responds to / preferred season sounds like a lot of the native Beans here which grow mainly during Monsoon season. Tolerating a little shade, it sounds like it would thrive crawling up the Ficus out back.. Already planning on letting some Trans Pecos Morning Glory clamber up it next summer.

 

[Silas_Sancona]

Sum' Sunday stuff...

Senna pendula   ***Often sold as Senna bicapsularis.. ( As was this kid )  ***   Purchased and planted for additional luring in of Orange Barred, Cloudless, and Large Orange Sulphurs. Need to acquire a new batch of Senna corymbosa seed.





Chromolaena ..about half way to peak bloom..



( ** Cat call alert  < Not calling Cats alert > ** ) Look at those Phyllaries...  ...Look at em    ...Now go take a long, cold shower.



Salvia farinacea, bobbin' in a warm, Sunday breeze..



Some late -season Basil X Pygmy Date legs hybrid seen on the walk..   Basil, Next year, dang it..



Another, mid autumn show and Fuzzy lips from Leucophyllum langmaniae  X " Lynn's Legacy "





At the old house too... One closest to the house over there was transplanted and seems to be responding well so far.



Out of season " Texas Rest Stop " Opuntia putting on a small fall show for ya'.




Interesting, " fall season " native annual ground cover-ish thing that popped up in the yard over there.. Wooly Honeysweet /  Tidestromia, Tidestromia languinosa.. Amaranth family ally. Might have to position something beneath part of this plant to capture some seed to toss around the sidewalk bed here for an interesting fall season filler next year..  Only allowed to call it a weed if you haven't graduated 8th grade ..  color is interesting, with numerous " complementing it " possibilities.. Cue a Bob Ross creativity moment..





Interesting, in ya' face view of the " hairzz " that cover the leaves.. Wonder if they're actual, old guy who hasn't shaved in years branched " Hairs ",  or a result of the leaves "sweating " some sort of mineral, like salt.  ..Like humans do all summer here..  Niice camo there spider sir.. ( Shot #1 )









** Not pictured **   ...Another member of the genus ( Shrubby Honeysweet, Tidestromia suffruticosa ) grows here as well, but is more low perennial shrub than a ground cover.



Rouge Kallstroemia grandiflora  that popped up late, putting out a few flowers, before signing off for the year.



Rogue Sunflowers the birds forgot to eat,  ...just poppin' up in the lawn ..🤷‍♂️ ..eh, whatev..   ..Tallest getting close to flowering..



Main " Spring show " bed seeded and covered..  After cleaning up the section in front of of this area, ( RIP old dead n' tortured Hibiscus remnants ) contemplating extending the spring show further up towards the sidewalk this year.  May mass sow seed of CA. native Baby Blue Eyes / Five Spot, the Owl's Clover / Lupinus coulteri  there..



In this yard, the more color, the better.. More Flowers? ...instead of just more green thingzz  ..that are just, uhh, ....green',   ...Oh the humanity / World' is collapsing before our eyes folks!



Some much appreciated by many, greatly hated by too many inter'estin' oddballs  fleeting, leafy Autumnal seasonal color  ..from the ...dry tropics,  ..No way!..

Bursera fageroides



Bursera silviae



Pseudobombax ellipticum  ..my White - flowering specimen.. Leaves still green as can be on the Pinkies..








It's early, but already contemplating a spring project., ...on top of 10,000 other projects 🙃.....  Since this is a rental and i can't rid myself of the front lawn, i can " wild " it a bit.. Since i know a place to get them fairly cheaply, considering purchasing a couple dozen Zephyranthes bulbs ( 2-4 sps ) and creating a few drifts in the lawn..

Leaves are grassy, so they'll blend in w/ the Blah' muda ( Might even look 'bedder  ) doesn't get tall, so they won't disrupt the flat as a board lawn look, for any " ...It's gotta be flat.. just flat  ....These Bumps, just chaos, Chaos i tell ya.."  OC 'ers with a thick, New York  accent   ..Flowers will add some unusual interest ( and quell that non- stop, constantly nagging, " Everything has to be perfect / obedient "  voice  n'  feeling ) when they magically appear in spring ..and / or summer / fall after a good, warm soaking..



Just for the heck of it:  My two " Agave Troopers " after surviving the summer from 4 blocks from hell.. ✌️

Agave pintilla ..Bigger pot, possibly, next year..



Agave cerulata ssp. dentiens,  Yepp ..da' rare one..

[Silas_Sancona]

Sum' final days of November ..and Autumn.. stuff..

Some big Italian Longs ..getting closer to harvest



Instead of coloring up as they get ready to fall, how about coloring up as they emerge... Warm Fall has been kind to the Queen as her toes dig in..



Near Winter Sunflower about to open, and a trio of Mex Fans..



Forget a Christmas Tree, How about a Holiday Season Sunflower - tree ( ..How all the flowers are arranging themselves along the entire length of the stalk ...Intriguingly shaped like a Christmas tree.. )  I'm cool wit' it..  About 11 more Sunflowers coming up behind this one too.. Sunflowers ..in Winter,  How about that..



Tansy Aster sp..



NOID Asteraceae Seed collected at the flat ..still bloomin'





Chromolaena at peak bloom..





Mex Hats. Perfect color combo for the season.



Salvia pinguifolia






Senna wislizenii  about done,  but full of ripening seed.. Will seed fill out this time ..or mostly abort.



Ardisia escallonoides, flowering right on time..



...as some stuff spring starts sprouting out front.

Lupinus texanus



Lupinus nanus   ...Happy to be growing both again, together this time too..



Desert Chicory



....And the Bluebells of course ( Phacelia campanularia )  Had to remove the row covers a bit earlier than planned due to them crushing sprouts ..and to deal with said Gopher..




...We'll see if i can keep this new Gopher invader from destroying everything before he gets .." Iced " Outsmarted the trap, twice ..so, he's about to understand what evading a " nice " capture means..



A rare winter graduate ..to it's first big boy pot.. Because their growing season is winter, Pachycormus discolor  gets freed from the 1gal square it has been in for a couple years..  Time to spread out, relax,  and add some size ..