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What’s Blooming July

June 29, 2009

What's Blooming

  Albizia julibrissin

The Pink Powder-puff Tree

Family: Fabaceae


Native to temperate and subtropical Asia, this somewhat short-lived tree with finely divided leaves and pink, powder-puff like flowers. It is a welcome addition to Southern California landscapes because of the light shade its canopy of delicate leaves provides. It is also used in Chinese medicine as an anti-depressant, and there is evidence it may work too; its flowers contain the human brain chemicals nor-adrenaline and serotonin.  

Albizzia julibrissin flowers

Aristolochia gigantea

 

This flower is one of the largest on earth (the Huntington Botanic Garden’s giant stinky flower, Amorphophallus titanum, is actually a structure composed of many flowers). Although it is not a carnivorous plant, Aristolochea flowers actually trap and detain bugs!  First attracting insects with a scent that resembles dead animals, the  Aristolochia flower then temporarily traps them with hairs located inside the bloom. These hairs wilt as the trapped insect struggles against them, eventually releasing them –but not before the its movements have managed to coat it with copious amounts of Aristolochia  pollen. Once released these insects fly to other Aristolochia plants and pollinate them.

Aristolochia gigantea

Acacia karroo

Cracks in the bark of this Southern Africa native produce an edible gum used in making candy and other food products. Check it out in the African section -but watch out for its huge 2-3 inch-long spines!


 

What’s Blooming June

June 01, 2009

What's Blooming

Jacaranda mimosifolia

"June Gloom" is the phrase used to describe the morning low clouds that are common here in Southern California from May to early July. It's this weather that favors the flowering of Jacaranda mimosifolia, a lavendar flowering South American tree that has been  planted all over the L.A. basin.

Jacaranda mimosifolia trees at the Arboretum

Jacaranda mimosifolia

Acacia visco

Another South American native that is blooming profusely now, Acacia visco, west of the Bauer lawn.

Acacia visceo

Acacia visco

Acacia visco close up

Fragrant Acacia visco flowers

Duranta repens

This weeping shrub, commonly known as "Sky flower" is native to North and South America. The plant produces allelopathic compouds, i.e. substances that inhibit the growth of other plants around it.

Duranta repens in the Kallam garden

Duranta repens in the Kallam garden

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