Friday, December 17, 2021

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

18 comments:

  1. I'm not a huge fan of cacti but this garden certainly looks interesting. The roots on that tree are amazing!

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    1. That Banyan Grove is my very favorite part of that botanic garden, Nikki!

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  2. The huge upturned Dracena draco is a sad sight! Surly they aren't just going to let it shrivel up and die... at least the top bits can be cut off and re-rooted, right?
    I hope you can find Cordyline 'Renegade' in shopping center or online. Mixed in with your collection of bright aeonium would be beautiful.

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    1. I don't know what, if anything, they're going to do with the uprooted Dracena. They used to have a propagation team staffed by volunteers that I'm sure would have made use of it but I've seen no indication that's come back :(

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  3. The pot of succulents on the left at the entrance to the Tropical Greenhouse, overflowing with trailing echeverias or grapto-something -- such a wonderfully mature, laid-back, but big gesture in a pot!

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    1. I was impressed by those big pots standing next to what appears now to be an empty greenhouse. My suspicion is that both greenhouses in that area will be moved as part of changes planned for that area related to the introduction of food services but that's complete speculation on my part.

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  4. Hmmm, not a fan of the big white balls and I agree that doesn't look like any Agave shawii I've ever seen before. It seems like such a shame to let the Tropical Greenhouse just sit there empty!

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    1. As mentioned in response to Denise, my guess is that both greenhouses will be moved. I certainly wouldn't expect them to get rid of them entirely but I haven't heard anything about where they might go.

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  5. Dracena draco is very slow growing--that fallen over plant might be 50 years old.

    Rover has its own wikipedia page--too funny! Maybe they are there in the SCBG to keep an eye on former volunteers.

    Thanks for showing us what's up at the SCBG.

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    1. If that were true about Rover, I'm sure it would have chased me out of the garden - or pushed me into the closed greenhouse ;)

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  6. I never realized there were so many kinds of cacti and succulents that grew so well in California. I always thought of CA as more tropical.
    Being more of an English garden style girl, I would never flourish in a desert, but they certainly have their own unique beauty. Now, the Banyon Grove looks more to my liking.
    Merry Christmas Kris.

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    1. Florida has a more tropical climate while coastal California has a Mediterranean climate, which is very succulent friendly. Most tropical plants require way too much water, especially under our current "severe" drought conditions.

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  7. It must have been hard to make the decision to remove and redesign so many plant areas, but I imagine the drought has put a lot of stress on the garden, so change was inevitable. Given a few years, I suppose things will mature and look amazing. Sorry your banyans were off limits this trip, I know they are your favorites. :)

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    1. Plants are always in short supply this time of year so I'm hoping SCBG devotes more time and thought to planting in the new areas as more plants become available after the holidays. There are so many Mediterranean plants they could use ;) Off-hand, I can't remember any Leucadendrons or Grevilleas in the garden, although there are some South African Salvias...

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  8. A bit sad to see the garden still catching up with itself. Another visit when the plague of white balls has gone home again?

    Kirstenbosch went thru a sad patch - but now seems to be back to usual. Not quite as crowded as before.

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    1. I think this botanic garden is still trying to find itself, Diana - 60 years old and counting.

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  9. WOW! Based on THIS post, I'd love to revisit. Lots of succulents, even mangaves. Maybe there's hope after all?

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    1. There's always hope, Gerhard. The Mangaves are a recent introduction. I think the Aloe section needs a lot of work.

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