Bloom Day - December 2025 (Early Edition)

It's holiday season and blog posts need to be crammed in wherever I can.  Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, the long-running meme established by Carol of May Dreams Gardens, officially falls on December 15th but I took photos over the past week to fit it into my schedule.  My garden isn't showing off at its best this month but then that's to be expected, even in sunny Southern California.  It's been especially sunny and warm this week, with temperatures reaching into the low 80sF (27C) here along the coast.  Meanwhile, despite the monumental rain that's deluged the Pacific Northwest, there's been no rain here since late November and there's nothing showing in the extended forecast either.

As this month's lineup looks a lot like the one I showed in November, I'm going to start with this month's surprises.

This is Dermatobotrys saundersii (aka tree jockey).  Native to coastal forests in southern Africa, I picked it up as a small plant at a sale held by Huntington Garden many years ago.  I cut it back earlier this year after a poor showing in recent years and it's come back.  In the past it's bloomed in or around October but this year its bloom followed our rain in November.

My daylilies didn't do well in general this year but these 2, Hemerocallis 'For Pete's Sake' (left) and 'Spanish Harlem' (right), are blooming for a second time this year.  I'm getting one bloom at a time from each but I still appreciate them.

I planted Lachenalia viridiflora bulbs in a pot years ago but I'm delighted each and every year they pop up with their turquoise blooms 

Other plants that surprise me whenever they choose to show up include, clockwise from the upper left: Erigeron 'Wayne Roderick', green Eustoma grandiflorum, Hypoestes aristata (aka ribbon bush), and Vesalea floribunda (aka Mexican abelia)

Next up are the flowering plants making the biggest impact at the moment.

The 3 Camellia sasanqua shrubs that came with the garden are the most floriferous plants at the moment.  The shrub shown on the left and in closeup on the upper right may be 'October Magic Rose'.  The other 2 shrubs, represented by the closeup on the lower right, may be 'Early Wonder'.

Hybrid Aloe vanbalenii x ferox is just getting started.  There are several other species of aloes following close behind this one.

Argyranthemum frutescens springs into action during our cool season.  'Mount Everest' is on the left and 'Beauty Yellow' is on the right.

Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre', shown on the left and in closeup on the upper right, is always the last of the Australian fuchsias to bloom.  Meanwhile, C. 'Ivory Bells', shown lower right, the first to bloom, is still in full flower.

Crassula ovata (aka jade plant)

Cuphea 'Starfire Pink' and C. 'Vermillionaire'

The flowers of Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy' (aka 'Little Grape') are tiny but abundant

We recently removed one of the 2 Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' shrubs in my north-side garden but one remains, for now at least

The Pelargonium peltatum (aka ivy geraniums) bloom off and on all year but they're happiest during the cool season

Polygala myrtifolia (aka sweet pea shrub) also blooms year-round but prefers the cooler season

I continue to be thrilled with the blooms produced by Protea 'Claire'

There are a few plants already gearing up for a big display next month too.

The Aeonium arboreum are getting a start on their annual takeover of my garden.  I refer to them as my "Triffids," although unlike those fictional plants, they're not carnivorous.

The flowers of Grevillea 'Poorinda Leane' are still tightly in bud

while the first flowers of Metrosideros collina 'Springfire' have begun to open

I'll close as usual with the best of the rest, organized into color-related collages.

Clockwise from the upper left: Barleria obtusa (aka bush violet), Duranta erecta 'Sapphire Showers', Evolvulus glomeratus 'Beach Bum Blue', Felicia aethiopica, Lobelia erinus, and Salvia 'Mystic Spires'

 

From upper left: noID Gazania, Pelargonium x hortorum 'Bird Dancer', Pentas lanceolata, and Xerochrysum bracteatum

From upper left: Alstroemeria 'Claire', Dietes grandiflora, Narcissus papyraceus, and Fuchsia 'Windchimes White'

Top row: Chrysocephalum 'Desert Flame', Haemanthus albiflos, and Rudbeckia 'Juliana'
Middle: Aloe lukeana, Grevillea 'Superb', and Leonotis leonurus
Bottom: Gaillardia 'Spintop Copper Sun', Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset', and Zinnia 'Benary's Giant Coral'

That's a wrap for Bloom Day and for this week.  Enjoy your weekend!  For more GBBD posts, check in with Carol at May Dreams Gardens on Monday, December 15th.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party