RE: Cornutia grandifolia @ UCLA

This is not really a mediterranean plant, but
apparently it is being grown at the Mildred Matthias
Botanic Garden at UCLA.  I don't recall having seen it
there, and this is the only place it is mentioned as
being cultivated in Los Angeles in the S. Cal Hort
Society's book, Selected Plants for Southern
California Gardens.  It is mentioned as being
spectacular in bloom with terminal clusters of blue to
lavender flowers all summer followed by lavender
berries in fall, on a small tree.  I think it is also
a cloud forest species found in Costa Rica?  In any
case, I was wondering if any of the southern
California people posting here are familiar with it,
and have seen it used elsewhere in southern
California?  As it is rated a zone 10 species, I was
wondering if it warrants trying to grow in the San
Francisco in a wannabe zone 10/9b location?  I realize
that Westwood is a Sunset zone 24 location versus my
zone 17, but does anyone have experience with this
plant to advise whether it might be useful under
slightly less mild winters and cooler summers? 
Perhaps this is also planted at the Huntington or
Quail Botanic Gardens or in San Diego's Balboa Park?

I remember seeing this in an article on tropicals
planted inside the renovated gardens of the Madrid
Train Station, and it was truly a beautiful small tree
and sounded interesting, but perhaps more useful in
south Florida than California?  I'd love to hear from
anyone growing this.

On another note, I was very surprised to see flowers
on another tropical here in the back yard, my
Delostoma rosea has popped a few flowers again, and
the rosy purple trumpet flowers nicely complement the
flowering Tibouchina organensis beyond it, and the
Ribbon Flower, Hyposestes aristata below it, which has
outdone itself this year with an abundance of flowers.
 As well, the towering lavender flowers of Dahlia
imperialis are peaking out beyond this scene, with the
far back hedge of Pittosporum tenuifolium covered with
the daffodil yellow flowers of another South African,
the vining Senecio tamoides.  It is so pleasing to
have these late fall/early winter blooms to give some
color in the garden, and  the violets and lavender
blooms contrast nicely with the deep red and orange
foliage of the Lagerstroemia fauriei trees and the
shocking pink flowers of the Nerine bowdenii below
them, and the Matillija Poppy like flowers of the
shrubby Gordonia axillaris in full bloom in the middle
of the garden.  So far all has escaped any frost
damage, as the lowest my garden has gotten is 36F. 


		
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