My favorite plant this week: Arbutus 'Marina'

My favorite plant in the garden this week is a tree, Arbutus 'Marina.'  I inherited 5 of these trees with the house, 2 along the south side, another 2 in the backyard, and the last on the north side.  Given the size variances among the trees, I suspect they may have been planted at different times.

The largest and most well-developed tree is shown in the rear of this picture.  The smaller tree sits next to a "snorkel spa," used as a storage bin for garden furnishings until my husband gets around to converting it into something more useful.

Back view of the largest tree

The other large Arbutus Marina, located on the southwest side of the property 

The trees have beautiful ornamental bark.

They flower throughout the year with the heaviest flower production occurring in the fall and the spring.  Hummingbirds are attracted to the light pink, urn-shaped flowers.

The flowers are followed by fruit that turns orange, then red.  At this time of year, the fruits that fall from the tree look like miniature orange pumpkins.  The birds seem to prefer the fruits when they turn red and become soft.  The squirrels, which eat everything else in the yard, appear to ignore these fruits completely.

Arbutus 'Marina' is drought tolerant once established.  It grows up to 50 feet tall and nearly as wide.  It's hardy in USDA zones 7-9 (Sunset zones 8, 9 and 14-24).  It's said to be susceptible to Sudden Oak Death root rot (phytopthora ramorum), a condition I dread as it killed an Arbutus unedo at our last house seemingly overnight.  One half of a dual-trunked tree on our current property also died off suddenly shortly after we moved in.  I had concerns that it may have been infected; however, as the other half is still hanging in there a year after the dead half was cut away, I'm hopeful that I was wrong as to the source of the problem (although the trunk's cracks and gray coloration make me wonder if I need to consult an arborist).

Half this tree was cut back to the stump after it died suddenly

San Marcos Growers has an excellent write-up on Arbutus 'Marina,' including the history of its arrival in the U.S.  You can find this summary here.

This is my contribution to the weekly meme sponsored by Loree of danger garden.  You can find Loree's favorite plant of the week here, as well as links to other contributors' favorite selections.

Twofer Nursery Trek

This weekend, a friend and I had plans to visit a couple of nurseries in Carpinteria, a coastal California community more than 100 miles north of where I live.  For various reasons, we delayed that trip until mid-November; however, we did make it to one of my favorite nurseries.   Sprawling over 11 acres in Calabasas, Sperling Nursery isn't fancy but it's always well-stocked with a diverse collection of plants, including California natives and a seemingly ever-expanding selection of succulents.  When I was visiting the San Fernando Valley one or more times a week to see my stepfather, who passed away in 2011, and my mother, who passed away earlier this year, I would often pay a visit to the nursery before getting on the freeway to head home as a way of centering myself.  I haven't been there often since March of this year.

The nursery has always had a friendly, family atmosphere, probably because it's family-owned and operated.  The staff, even those who work the check-out counter, know plants.  Founded in 1971 as a sod outlet by Joe Sperling on one acre of land in what was then a largely undeveloped area, it was expanded it to 11 acres in the late seventies, creating a full-service nursery.  When I pulled up the nursery's website, I discovered that Mr. Sperling passed away in August.  I sincerely hope Sperling will continue as an independent nursery - I still remember what happened to my beloved Begonia Farms Nursery when the founding patriarch died and the land was sold to a developer.  Calabasas has been growing at a wild pace for decades so I'm sure there will be pressure on the family to sell.

It was sunny and hot in Calabasas.  That didn't stop me from thoroughly checking out the plant stock but I'm afraid that it did negatively impact the quality of my photographs.  Sperling doesn't have demonstration planting beds but there are always nice collections of pots arranged near the entrance to show possible planting schemes.

Succulent prices have sky-rocketed in the last few years, here and everywhere, but Sperling offers a nice selection.

Aloe plicatilis (Fan Aloe) could be be yours for $200

This large Aloe ferox was offered for $400

More than any other nursery I can think of, Sperling always entices me to buy garden ornaments I don't need.  I somehow managed to avoid such purchases on this trip, although I was tempted.  (I didn't even set foot in the gift shop.)

I've admired this cast iron crow before but he goes for $120

This little frog might look nice with the orange plants off the patio in the side yard

I have a peculiar affection for gargoyles and dragons

This photo screened onto wood planks was interesting but I didn't even bother to look for a price

My friend was attracted to this rhino pot containing an interesting succulent (but she resisted too).

I was tempted by a beautiful Grevillea.  I passed on it because I couldn't think where to put it but I'm still kicking myself.  Maybe I need to move other plants to make room for it?

Grevillea 'Superb'

Here's what I did bring home:

Tulbaghia violacea, Aster frikartii 'Monch,' Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Little Spire,' and Allium 'Graceful' bulbs

I was happy enough with my Sperling purchases - they'll fill some empty spaces in my back and side yard borders -  but I have to admit that they weren't that exciting.  So, after leaving my friend in the Valley, I decided to stop at another of my favorite independent garden centers on my way home.  Marina Del Rey Garden Center is conveniently located right off the freeway, not far from the ocean.  I once worked nearby and I've been going there for years, although it's a little more out of the way for me now.  It generally offers a good selection of plants but the staff doesn't always seem as well-informed as I'd like to find.

The garden center had a Halloween pumpkin patch and jumper/bouncey house thing going for kids.  I skirted around that and headed straight for the small-sized perennials.

Alternanthera tenella 'Crinkle Red'

Pennisetum setaceum 'Cherry Sparkler' 

Salvia 'Wendy's Wish'

Solanum xantii

I took a stroll through the larger plants in the back.

Lots of Leucadendron

Lots of Phormium and Cordyline

Lots and lots of Salvia

A garden cat who just wanted to be left alone

I spent a lot of time perusing the center's wide selection of succulents.

A very large Agave 'Blue Glow' with multiple pups (yours for $140)

Unlabeled succulents - some kind of Kalanchoe?

I searched out help to get the name of this small tree-sized succulent.  The horticulturist told me it was called 'Copper Leaf' but  she didn't have the species name and it wasn't Acalypha wilkesiana.

I passed on most of the uber-expensive succulents but I did splurge on a large Agave 'Blue Glow' even though the center offered budget-friendly $10 plants in 4-inch pots.  Here's what I took home:

Agave 'Blue Glow,' Alternanthera tenella 'Crinkle Red,' and 3 small assorted unlabeled succulents

All things considered, it was a good shopping day.

October 2013 Foliage Follow-up

We don't get much in the way of a seasonal foliage color change in Southern California, at least not by comparison to the northeastern parts of the United States.  The only plant in my garden that's showing a definite color shift right now is the coral-bark Japanese maple planted in the vegetable garden alongside our garage.  Its tips tend to burn when the temperatures soar but, in its current placement, it gets full sun only in the morning, which helps to reduce the leaf scorch.

Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku' in the morning sunlight

Close-up of the Japanese maple's leaves, now shifting from light green to an apricot color

Other plants showing similar coloration unrelated to the seasonal changes in temperature and day length include:

Agonis flexuosa 'Nana,' with new growth in an orangey pink

Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire,' which develops a bright salmon-pink color in full sun

The gray-leaved plants look good regardless of the season.

The artichoke in the half-barrel in my vegetable garden is finally gaining size

I still have some reservations about this combination of Helichrysum petiolare 'White Licorice' and Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' - the Helichrysum constantly threatens to overwhelm the grass and other nearby plants

I have no reservations about Stachys byzantina 'Helen Von Stein,' my favorite form of lamb's ear

Other foliage that caught my eye during my garden rounds included:

Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey,' which is at risk of being swallowed up by the rampant growth of the Pelargonium tomentosum (aka peppermint geranium).  I think the latter is enjoying the extra water I've been giving the new plants nearby a little too much.

Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star,' in the border along our living room windows - this slow-growing plant looks identical to a plant I saw labeled as a Strobilanthus at a nearby nursery

Schlumbergera x buckleyi (aka Christmas Cactus), showing the beginnings of tiny flower buds

Solenostemon scutellariodes 'Electric Lime Coleus' and 'Mocha Mint Coleus,' which made it through the summer heat relatively unscathed

That's it for this month's foliage round-up.  Please visit Pam at Digging to view her foliage picks for the month and to find links to other gardeners' selections.