Desert Plants

[Sabal Steve]

Here’s a few photos from the cactus garden in Balboa Park.  Anyone have any idea on any of the species?

Some sort of cactus:

Fouquieria species?  Columnaris?

 

Silver-Blue wispy desert tree?

I believe that this is a Brahea ‘Super Silver’

[Silas_Sancona]

2 hours ago, Sabal Steve said:

Here’s a few photos from the cactus garden in Balboa Park.  Anyone have any idea on any of the species?

Some sort of cactus:

Fouquieria species?  Columnaris?

 

Silver-Blue wispy desert tree?

I believe that this is a Brahea ‘Super Silver’

Yes, upside down Carrot root - lookin things are Boojums.. Nice ones too..

Cacti = ..casual 1st thought on an ID = Ferocactus, possibly F. glaucescens  or histrix..  Again, just a casual shot in the dark.  Bluish Farina on the skin / distinct arrangement of the ribs is what points me in that direction. Some other Barrel- type cacti have that look also.

Tree = ..a little tough to be sure from the distance in the shot but white looking bark of the trunk / leaders points me toward Lysiloma candidum ..Baja's " Palo Blanco " ( Another tree commonly called " Palo Blanco " in a different Genus of Legume -type Trees comes from across the Gulf in N. Sonora )

Would need a closer up of the trunk / foliage detail to be 100% sure..  GREAT looking tree ..if you can find it for sale regardless.

[richtrav]

I thought of Lysiloma candidum too. They are beautiful in Cabo

 

[Sabal Steve]

On 2/14/2025 at 2:01 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Yes, upside down Carrot root - lookin things are Boojums.. Nice ones too..

Cacti = ..casual 1st thought on an ID = Ferocactus, possibly F. glaucescens  or histrix..  Again, just a casual shot in the dark.  Bluish Farina on the skin / distinct arrangement of the ribs is what points me in that direction. Some other Barrel- type cacti have that look also.

Tree = ..a little tough to be sure from the distance in the shot but white looking bark of the trunk / leaders points me toward Lysiloma candidum ..Baja's " Palo Blanco " ( Another tree commonly called " Palo Blanco " in a different Genus of Legume -type Trees comes from across the Gulf in N. Sonora )

Would need a closer up of the trunk / foliage detail to be 100% sure..  GREAT looking tree ..if you can find it for sale regardless.

Here’s a few updated pictures

 

[Sabal Steve]

Here’s another interesting plant, which I didn’t have an ID on.  Anyone have any thoughts?

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Sabal Steve said:

Here’s a few updated pictures

 

Yep, Lysiloma candidum.  Olneya tesota < Desert Ironwood >  looks similar but don't see any of the grabby,  " rose - like " thorns you often see on the branches of those.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Sabal Steve said:

Here’s another interesting plant, which I didn’t have an ID on.  Anyone have any thoughts?

 

 

Tough call w/ out a  couple close ups of the foliage..  Shot - in - the - dark thinking?  something in the Legume Family but, basic, " Compound Pinnate " leaf arrangement is seen in other families too.
 

Hopefully the next time you're up there to get a few more shots, there will be some flowers, and / or fruit / seed pods ( of some sort ) on it at the same time..

Considering this is in Balboa, it's probably something unusual rather than common.

On a side note, while looking through internet shared pictures from the garden to see if someone else had shots of the same plant,  I see the person who writes the " Danger Garden " blog visited the desert garden there a few weeks ago and caught the  Wiliwili ( Erythrina sandwicensis ) specimen in bloom..

That's a really neat tree if you have space for one..

 

[Tom in Tucson]

On 5/14/2025 at 6:28 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Tough call w/ out a  couple close ups of the foliage..  Shot - in - the - dark thinking?  something in the Legume Family but, basic, " Compound Pinnate " leaf arrangement is seen in other families too.
 

Hopefully the next time you're up there to get a few more shots, there will be some flowers, and / or fruit / seed pods ( of some sort ) on it at the same time..

Considering this is in Balboa, it's probably something unusual rather than common.

On a side note, while looking through internet shared pictures from the garden to see if someone else had shots of the same plant,  I see the person who writes the " Danger Garden " blog visited the desert garden there a few weeks ago and caught the  Wiliwili ( Erythrina sandwicensis ) specimen in bloom..

That's a really neat tree if you have space for one..

 

Just a wild guess based on my SoCal observations. Could be Coreopsis gigantea. Here's a link that's similar.

https://garden.org/plants/photo/167170/

Hi 89°, Lo 58°

[Silas_Sancona]

8 minutes ago, Tom in Tucson said:

Just a wild guess based on my SoCal observations. Could be Coreopsis gigantea. Here's a link that's similar.

https://garden.org/plants/photo/167170/

Hi 89°, Lo 58°

Would be nice if i could zoom in better, but, pretty obvious looking compound pinnate foliage within the circled areas, = definitely not Coreopsis..



** Coeopsis ** gigantea foliage: 






** = No longer a  member of the Genus Coreopsis either..  ...As of about 10 years ago.

[Sabal Steve]

 I’ll grab some better photos of those leaves next time.  Thanks for all of the input, everyone.