My visit to South Coast Botanic Garden, part 2

Last week I published a post on my most recent visit to South Coast Botanic Garden (SCBG).  That post focused on the latest changes to the garden.  This one focuses primarily on the Desert Garden but takes in a few other spots.

I'll start with the entrance area and the main walk leading to the Rose Garden.

This is known as the Palm Circle for reasons that are relatively obvious

The area was redesigned and replanted earlier this year to feature more drought-tolerant palms and succulents.  The white orbs are related to the GLOW (light show) exhibit.  I'm afraid they remind me of a cult classic TV series called 'The Prisoner'.   The orbs in that show are referred to as Rover and have their own Wikipedia page.

One of the splashiest mass plantings along the main walkway are these Mangave 'Snow Leopard'

However, I was entranced by these plants, which I'm guessing are some form of Cordyline.  I have several Cordyline 'Renegade' in my garden but I've been looking for a near-black variety like this.

This is the view from the end of the main walkway looking back in the direction of the Palm Circle

More succulents (mainly Agave ovatifolia and Senecio serpens or a relative) and palms are featured on this end

The Rose Garden sits directly across from the main walkway's intersection with the tram road but the Desert Garden neighbors it on the right.

Panoramic view of the main section of the Desert Garden looking east

Views of the massive Opuntias

Giant Euphorbia ammak (I think) with what I believe is Kalanchoe beharensis in partial shadow below

The tall plant featured on the right is Alluaudia procera (aka Madagascar ocotillo).  The stout plant in the photo on the left is Cyphostemma juttae (aka wild grape), which has poisonous fruit.

This a a view of the Desert Garden from the side roughly opposite that shown in the prior photos

The sign indicates that the plants cozying up to the barrel cactus are Agave shawii but they were larger than I expected of those plants

More succulents are planted across the road from the area occupied by the barrel cactus.

View of the area in question on top.  Closeups of Aloidendron barberae (aka tree aloe) on the lower left and Drimia maritima (aka sea squill) on the lower right.

At the rear of this area are two greenhouses, one of which, the Tropical Greenhouse, has always been open to visitors.  It's now closed and appears to have been cleared.  SCBG's site says no date has been established for its reopening.

Off another spur of the tram road, there's another succulent section focused on Aloes.  This was added a few years ago and, although the original plants have gotten larger, it seems no more plants have been added since.  The area appears to be larger than the original Desert Garden but it remains sparsely planted.

The densest planting (top) consists of Aloe vanbalenii and a hybrid, which I believe is probably Aloe vanbalenii x ferox (based on the plant I picked up years ago at a SCBG plant sale).  The plants on the lower left are Aloe camperi.  The plant on the lower right is Pseudobombax ellipticum (aka shaving brush tree), attractive in and out of bloom.  The photo on the lower right hints at the wide expanses of empty space.

After leaving the Desert Garden, I walked to the Banyan Grove but it was closed off due to the GLOW exhibit.

This is the only photo I managed to get of the area that wasn't mostly cluttered by GLOW paraphernalia 

Disappointed about that, I headed back through the neglected Garden of the Senses and walked by the meadow adjacent to the garden's Amphitheater. 

The area bordering the meadow was covered in Narcissi.  It was also riddled with gopher mounds and holes but, as gophers won't eat Narcissus bulbs, at least they were untouched.

I traveled along this path behind the Amphitheater, which I think of as the Echium walk, although it's not labeled as such

NoID Echium (left) and Lagerstroemia (aka crape myrtle, right)

At the end of the path approaching the tram road I discovered what I initially identified as an upturned Yucca.  Commentators on my Instagram post on the photo identified it as Dracena draco (aka dragon tree).

That path brought me back to the Desert Garden.  I headed out shortly after that, passing by the garden's current substitute for its former gift and plant shop.

The plant stand has shrunken by half since summer, although the contents are much the same.  The most interesting item was the unnamed Tillandsia on the right.  It was large and it was flowering but, at $150, I passed right on by.

That's it for me this week.  Best wishes for a pleasant weekend!

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party