I planted a Puya berteroniana in 2014. It's a bromeliad that produces dramatic turquoise flowers but, thus far, I haven't seen a single sign of one. When the local botanic garden announced they had not one but two species of Puya in bloom, I decided to pay an impromptu visit to check them out.
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This Puyu alpestris was already looking a little scruffy by the time I paid my visit earlier this week but those turquoise flowers were impressive nevertheless
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Even with directions as to its location, I had to ask one of the gardeners for help in locating this Puya venusta. It had already bloomed out and blended into its surroundings. You can find a photo of what it looks like in flower here.
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Here's a photo of the sad-looking Puya berteroniana in my street-side succulent bed. Although it's been in the ground nearly 9 years, it was virtually smothered by an Agave desmettiana for several years. It might bloom someday. Its flowers are very similar to Puya alpestris, as shown here.
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The two Puya species were a considerable distance apart and I walked the full length of the 87-acre garden to find the second one. In the process I snapped photos of numerous plants, including several trees.
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The flaxleaf paperback trees (Melaleuca linariifolia) trees were blooming near the first Puya
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The shaving brush tree (Pseudobombax ellipticum 'Alba') was blooming in the Desert Garden
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My guess is that this tree in the Mediterranean Garden is a blue elderberry (Sambucus cerulea)
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Much of the Banyan Grove is fenced off due to construction but those tree roots are always worth a photo
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The construction work in the garden is ongoing. The plan, at least partially, seems to encompass the Banyan tree grove, or as the plan refers to it, the "fig forest."
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So far most of the work on the new Children & Family Garden set to open sometime in 2024 seems to involve moving dirt and creating massive berms. I saw some new signs that hint more clearly at what the new 3.5 acre garden will look like.
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Other plants of note during my visit include the following:
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I wasn't sure what this was but my cell phone identified it as a Cordyline stricta
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The sign on this one identified it as a Mexican grass tree (Dasylirion longissimum). I have one in my own garden and can only hope I can keep it looking tidier than this one.
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I think this is a Dyckia, another member of the bromeliad family
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The Fuchsias were hitting their stride
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An oriental poppy of some kind with petals the color of watermelon
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A mass of Salvia leucantha (Mexican bush sage)
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We got some sun at intervals yesterday afternoon and we may get more this weekend too. Have a colorful weekend!
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A friend dropped off a bouquet of dark pink peonies as a belated birthday gift as we were unable to go out to lunch to celebrate. I added sweet peas from my garden.
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material © 2012-2023
by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
The Dasylirion longissimum is a holy mess! No way your garden specimen could ever end up looking like this. Not while you are in charge :-)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of 'holy': the Banyan Grove alway feels like a place of contemplations. (In my imaginary perfect garden it would occupy an acre of my back garden property). I hope the new plans wouldn't have it run over with kids...
The Puyu flowers just don't seem real. Maybe now that it's been "un-smothered" it would grace you with a flower.
Chavli
My biggest worry about the new construction at the botanic garden is the Banyan Grove, Chavli. The plans call for a stairway of sorts into the upper canopy of those trees. I hope the designer, builders and garden staff have taken precautions to prevent damage. And yes, I hope it'll remain a peaceful place.
DeleteThe Puya in my street-side bed was "uncovered" in 2019 when I took out the bloomed-out agave that hid it for several years. I think the plant itself looks healthy, although cleaning fallen leaves out its center is very difficult given the plant's razor-sharp edges.
I love the turquoise flowers of Puya berteroniana, I've seen it in bloom in a botanical garden but can't remember which one. I think your plant is very attractive!
ReplyDeleteI saw a turquoise-flowered Puya at the Huntington Garden once. It was much bigger than the one at SCBG and very impressive. However, if my experience is representative, it's a very slow grower. One online site says it takes 6-8 years to flower but mine was probably delayed as a result of being covered up by an agave for 4 or so years.
DeleteFuchsias look great--the PVP is perfect for them.
ReplyDeleteI gave my Puya 10 or 12 years--plant looked healthy--never flowered--gave up on it.
Gorgeous peonies--what great friends you have!
I wish my own fuschias, few as they are, did half as well as those at the botanic garden, HB. But I think they're tended to by members of a fuchsia society and I expect they get both more attention and more water than mine.
DeleteThanks for the input on the Puya. Maybe I'll try giving it a little fertilizer to see if that prompts it to do something. I can't imagine giving it another 3 years.
That bed has a soaker hose but I think its moisture delivery is spotty at best so I expect you're right, Sue. Maybe I'll dig it up and put it in a pot where I can calibrate the water it receives more closely. Thanks for the input!
DeleteWell, it seems we all wait around for the Puyas! lol, I think I have one 4 years and another 5? *I'm not really positive on that give or take a year. Thank you Sue for the nudge on the water+ fertilizer. The Dasylirion, someone needs to get in there ! They are sharp though, they might need a full motorcycle leather situation.
ReplyDeleteYes, I even have trouble weeding around my Dasylirion!
DeleteI find the Puya flowers fake looking as the turquoise color just doesn't seem natural. There is a vine at our local botanic garden that has similarly coloured flowers that I feel the same about. Cool looking but fake. The Oriental poppy is actually an annual Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you see the turquoise color of the Puya as "fake" because it's so unusual in nature? I remember having a similar reaction to some Leucospermums that literally feel plastic to the touch but, now that I grow a number of these, they don't strike me that way. Some orchids look downright freakish to me too. Thanks for the ID on the poppy.
DeleteThose turquoise flowers are amazing! I hope yours blooms one day. :) Eliza
ReplyDeleteWell, as Sue says, it probably needs more love and attention than it's currently getting!
DeleteThose Puya flowers are amazing. Funny that turquoise is such a rare colour in flowers. Some weird and wonderful plants here. But the poppies are Opium poppies,, Papaver somniferum, easy from seed. Chloris
ReplyDeleteSadly, I've never had any luck with any poppies, Chloris. Even the native California poppies have a tough time, although I did get some flowers from seed this year, probably because of all the rain we had. Maybe I should try growing the opium poppies from seed too.
DeleteThey have some very interesting plants. the Pseudobombax looks cool and it's a little terrifying to think about a Dyckia getting that big and potentially having to do maintenance. Banyan trees are wonderful - I first encountered them in Hilo, Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteThe Banyan Grove at SCBG is my favorite area, even if there are very few flowers, just a scattering of Clivia ;) I'm a little concerned about the impact the new children's garden will have on it, though. Fingers crossed that the trees aren't damaged by either the construction process or future visitors.
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