Re: Late Winter Plants Blooming in the Garden

Just a few comments on some of the late winter showy
plants in my own garden and the neighborhood...

Even though the weather has been varying between
spring like and winter here, plants are definitely
waking up.  Nights are averaging in the low 40'sF, and
days alternating between the mid 50'sF and low 60'sF,
which feels glorious in the sun if not also breezy. 
After not having to mow a shaded front lawn for the
past two months, the grass is growing again, and the
first dandelion flowers have reared up.  

Some of the early blooming California natives such as
Ribes sanguineum var glutinosum are fantastic in bloom
right now, as are the Ceanothus 'Concha' and C. 'Julia
Phelps' planted in the median of University Ave. here
in Berkeley.  On my street, it would appear that
Oxalis pes-caprae is a local native, almost every
front yard is covered with it in full bloom now. 
Proteaceae shrubs such as Isopogon formosus, Grevillea
'Superb' and Leucospermum cordifolium 'Scarlet Ribbon'
are also covered in flowers, and the Leucadendron
discolor 'Cloudbank Jenny' at the Cape Garden in
Strybing Arboretum is spectacular this year, as are
all the various Magnolia soulangeana, M. denudata and
other species/hybrids at the moment.

Amongst the plants that I need to protect from the
winter rains, I am also enjoying the last of the
"Mother of Millions"/Bryophyllum tubiflorum blooming
away tucked out of the rain next to the perfectly
matched red/orange/yellow stems of a 5 foot tall
Euphorbia tirucallii 'Sticks on Fire", along with the
afore mentioned Proteaceous shrubs on the back sunny
deck.  I wish I had lots more sunny areas to indulge
myself with these, and especially appreciate the
Bryophyllum(syn Kalanchoe) for its large clusters of
showy satiny apricot blooms in the depths of winter. 
Another Kalanchoe, K. pumila is also looking great
right now, with its silvery gray trailing foliage and
cheery lavender flowers.  The silvery foliaged Dyckia
marnier-lapostollei have squeeked through the winter,
but most definitely deserve some protection from next
winter's rains, which have stressed them.  The even
more silvery Dudleya pulverulenta has come through the
winter with less stress, but also prefers some winter
rain protection.  

Amongst the subtropicals, the last of the Tibouchina
organensis is still blooming,(since October), along
with the Heliconias such as H. schiediana and H.
latispatha.  Abutilons have been blooming all winter,
and the huge leafed Bartlettina sordidum,(now going on
10 feet tall), with its massive 18 inch velvety jade
green leaves is budded up, along with the more
diminutive Ageratum corymbosum, both of which have
blue to mauve clusters of typical ageratum flowers,
and winter tinged purplish foliage for wind protected
shady areas.  I have read where Bartlettina(syn.
Eupatorium) is an escaped pest in the milder parts of
New Zealand, but it shows no propensity to reseed
here.  The Dahlia imperialis are also repeat blooming
this year, both the single pink/lavender form, and the
double white.  The tree Daisy/Montanoa grandiflora is
mostly through blooming, but sports a few flowers here
and there amongst all the fresh new foliage.  

Pavonia multiflora has never stopped blooming, and
neither has the Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi' or the
Dianella ensifolia, which looks more like some strange
bamboo than most other Dianellas.  This is good both
for the brilliantly colored deep purple fruit carried
nearly year round, and the intereting foliage carried
on 4 to 7 foot tall canes.  The blue flowered Iris
confusa 'Chengdu' is also pumping out the flowers
right now.  Amongst the orchids, Dendrobium kingianum,
Cymbidium and Epidendron are in full bloom, doing
their thing.

Some other stars in the garden this season include a
Vriesea imperialis hybrid which is getting ready to
bloom for the first time in 8 years, and is one of the
largest growing bromeliads in the garden, at 5 feet
across by 4 foot tall.  The bloom spike is still just
a few feet tall, but may reach 4/5 feet before it
flowers.   A hybrid Beschorneria out at the street has
3 bloom spikes this year, and they are growing at
least a couple of inches a day right now.  I don't
know whether I enjoy the subtle reddish purple and
green involucral bracts of the giant asparagus-like
bloom stalk more than the flowers themselves, but the
hummingbirds certainly enjoy the 10 foot tall bloom
stalk when it appears.

The Lowveld South African Cabbage Tree, Cussonia
spicata has pushed out several dozen new burgundy
leaves, just now fading to green after several weeks,
and the Snow Flake Tree, Trevesia palmata is likewise
back in growth mode.  I am also quite enjoying the
intense blue stalks of the Drepanostachym falcatum
bamboo, which is pushing on 20 feet tall after just 1
year in the ground.  Deppia splendens 'Cristobal' and
Edgeworthia chrysantha are about finished blooming,
along with the last of the Petrea volubis and
Hardenbergia violaceae.  The Pink Jasmine/Jasminum
polyanthum is in full bloom to take their place, and
is blooming all over town right now.  

Bulbs in full bloom right now would include the
ubiquitous Ipheion uniflora, Freesia laxa, Velethiemia
bracteata, Watsonia borbonica and the first of the
Sparaxis bulbifera.  One of my very favorites is also
blooming, Tritoniopsis caffra, which is like a
miniature red evergreen Watsonia, and blooms in mid
winter through early spring for me, very easy as a
container plant.

Many of the South African succulents are also showy at
this season, including Cotyledon macrantha, Crassula
multicava.  The silvery foliaged Cotyledon orbiculata
in all its different foliage forms blooms later,
usually in April/May in my garden.  Many of the
Mexican succulents are also beginning or finishing up
bloom, such as Echeveria derenbergii, E. gibbiflora,
E. harmsii, E. pulvinata, and Graptopetalum
paraguayense and the first bloom spikes of the more
tender G. amythestina.  The large hedge like Sedum
dendroideum(an underutilized succulent for both dry
sun and shade) is also in full bloom now, as is the
smaller ground cover S. palmeri, with pale lime green
foliage and the same brilliant daffodil yellow
flowers.    

These are just a few of the highlights of late winter
here in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

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