Iochroma grandiflora


All:

At the Strybing Arboretum and botanical gardens yesterday in San Francisco, 
in the glaring sunshine and 90F heat, I came across a tree(or at least large 
shrub)-sized specimen of the subject plant.  It was in an area that also had 
a number of tree-sized specimens of Brugmansia sanguinea, among others.  
Admittedly, the weather was an aberration for SF, but the plants appeared to 
be thriving.  Does anyone know the cultural requirements/limitations of this 
plant?  The foliage and habit very much resembled that of the Brugmansias 
with which it was planted, but the flowers were smaller and blue in color, 
something like a large, tubular Solanum.  Also came across a specimen labeled 
Brugmansia "Frosty Pink," but the foliage was different from any Brugmansia 
I've seen.  It was hairy and rugose.  Anyone familiar with "Frosty Pink" out 
there?  I also noted that they were openly growing a rather wild-looking 
variety of Papaver somniferum in the entrance garden, and I found several 
varieties of P. somniferum plants in a local nursery.  I've long grown them 
in my garden, but I seem to recall a discussion we had some while back that 
confirmed that the plants are illegal in California.  Any comments?  Thanks.

Kurt Mize
Stockton, California
USDA Zone 9



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