Re: [Fwd: aliki question]
On Thu, 20 Jul 2000 03:55:26 -0400, you wrote:
>The photo was taken by my daughter holidaying on the island of Spetses,
>Greece. She said it's flowering now in many gardens as a shrub, but has
>also escaped into ditches and empty lots where it seems to be
>flourishing without water. The silvery leaves have a bloom on them that
>rubs off on the fingers. She's collected seeds but is afraid it might
>be invasive. Anyone recognise it?
>Cali Doxiadis
>Corfu, Greece
I would suggest that it is Nicotiana glauca the TREE TOBACCO. This is a
mostly glabrous branched shrub or small tree that quickly grows 3-9m high
and wide. The bluish-green ovate to lance-shaped leaves are up to 15 cm
long. The stems are topped with large loose panicles of yellow flowers about
4 cm long. These cover the entire plant for most of the summer and is
flowering well in my garden now. The flowers are followed by small seed pods
containing many seeds which will readily germinate. Here in the Algarve it
has escaped and grows wild, but it is attractive. A good plant for the dry
garden as it requires only occasional watering, but it does looks better
with regular watering. It grows best in full sun. The leaves are toxic to
animals. It is native to South America.
Graham in a hot and sunny Algarve, Portugal.
---- Graham Payne ---- dpsgkp@mail.telepac.pt ----
