Re: Acanthus spinosus and Watsonias

Regarding the spines on A. spinosus, it is really only
the flowers that are spiny, the foliage is not.  This
plant also seems very well behaved and slower to
spread than A. mollis in our area, and I have never
had the plant self sow in my own garden,(or even set
viable seed), but this may also be due to no bare dirt
around.  It must be a slower grower as well, as
wholesale nursery prices for A. spinosus are always
higher than for A. mollis.

It is a surprise to hear of Watsonias still blooming,
the show has been over for at least a month here in
northern California, and the various species and
hybrids put on a very good show again this year.  Some
of the South Africans still putting on a show here
include Psoralea pinnata and Leucospermum hybrid
'Tango', which has been blooming since late March. 
The Francoa sonchifolia also seems rather late this
year, and is more usually seen in June rather than
July.

The mild winter weather has been responsible for many
plants to bloom either early or late.  An Asian Pear
is just now leafed out and blooming in July, probably
due to lack of sufficient winter chilling.  Various
Heliconias are in full bloom already as well, with a
magnificent red form of H. latispatha called Mexican
Red expecially specatacular this year, with over 8
flowering stalks and bracts up to 14" long, and even
appears to be setting seed.  An Eucadorean highland
tree is also blooming well, Delastoma rosea with rich
royal purple trumpet flowers and foliage very similar
to an avocado tree.  Puyas, Dyckias and Hechtias are
also blooming heavily, and I am enjoying all the new
species I purchased from a friend's wild collected
seed, who moved to Hawaii and could not take his
plants with him.

I am taking advantage of the balmy weather to grow
more subtropicals this year, and have added several
more Heliconia species such as H. aurantiaca, H.
bourgaeana and H. matthiaseae to my collection of
plants.  H. bourgaeana is especially colorful and
large flowered for a higher elevation cold hardy
species, with larger more pouch like deep waxy red
flower bracts, more characteristic of the tender
tropical species.  It will be a bit of a trial waiting
the typical 2~3 years for the first blooms, but I have
the habitat photos to tide me over until they do.  I
am also trying out H. collinsisana, a higher elevation
pendant bloomer with a waxy blue bloom to the foliage.
 This may need higher winter temps to bloom, but is
known to grow and bloom in Los Angeles, which is
typically 10 degrees(F) warmer year round than the SF
Bay Area.  

The blue leafed fern native to much of southern
Mexico, Polypodium glaucum is also thriving in the
garden, and was wonderful to see in Chiapas and Vera
Cruz states this past June, massively covering large
boulders in both shade and sun, growing along side of
the beautiful round leafed tall growing cane begonia,
B. nelumbifolia.  Other tender herbaceous growers such
as Iresine herbstii and Strobilanthes dyerana are also
easily propagated this time of year, and make good
annuals for bright shade along with the more usual
ferns and impatiens.

The extra summer heat and mild winter also seems to
suit the Tibouchina organensis, which is still
blooming in waves after its primary bloom season of
fall into spring.  I would grow this one even if it
didn't bloom, as the foliage is so attractively tinged
deep red in new growth, as are the stems.  The oldest
plant in the garden is now tree sized at over 14 feet
tall, and while not as floriferous as T. urvilleana,
is worth growing for the milder winter mediterranean
garden, along with H. heteromalla.





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