Winter color at the local botanic garden

I visited South Coast Botanic Garden with a friend last weekend.  Our purpose was to see their dinosaur exhibit but I took photos of flowers and a few other plant highlights along the way.  Located approximately five miles from my home, the garden provides an indication of the color our part of the country offers in winter and I thought I'd share it with you as we head into the Christmas holiday.  I'll keep my commentary to a minimum.

The Aloes are at their best during the winter months.

I think this is Aloe arborescens, although the flowers look redder than usual

Aloe 'David Verity'

Aloe isaloeansis

Aloe melanacantha

NoID Aloe

Possibly hybrid Aloe capensis 'Quartziticola'

Mostly Aloe vanbalenii and its hybrids

That's it for the Aloes I photographed but there was more floral color to be found elsewhere.

Late blooms on an Erythrina (aka coral tree)

Bearded Iris!

Justicia aurea

Maybe Justicia floribunda

NoID Lavatera

Meadow with Narcissus papyraceus (aka paperwhites)

An interesting Viola my friend took note of

There were a few other plants, mostly without flowers, which I noted.

A nice mix of Agave attenuata and Crassula ovata

Three bloomed-out Agaves with what I think is Pedilanthus bracteatus (aka tall slipper plant) in flower on the left.  I neglected to get a closeup of the latter.

Native California Heteromeles arbutifolia (aka toyon and Christmas berry).  The birds and I miss the large specimen that suddenly died in my garden several years ago.

Iresine herbstii 'Variegata'

My friend and I thought this tree was dead at first.  My phone's plant app identified it as Taxodium distichum (aka bald cypress)

Best wishes for a happy holiday week!  I'll share photos from the dinosaur exhibit later this week.

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