Re: Iochroma grandiflora

 

 
Kurt,

I have grown Iochroma grandiflora off and on for some few years in my own garden in Berkeley, and it is a very fast growing and beautiful flowering shrub...  However, it is very subject to small caterpillars which love to munch on the leaves, which never bothered any of the other Iochromas in my garden, and it also can smell very much like a wet dog in a small enclosed room, so is not exactly a shrub to brush up against.  It is also intolerant of frost, and will be killed back to the ground at 32F.  I think there may be some confusion with this shrub and Actnistis, which is very similar in appearance, but with smaller blue flowers.  Iochromas root very easily from softwood cuttings, and in Stockton, it would be a good idea to take some in in the winter to increase your odds of holding on to the plant.  As they are native to high elevation cloud forest locales, I am not sure that it would really tolerate your summer temper! at! ! ures in Stockton, and is similar to Fuschia boliviana in it's preference for cool and mild weather year round.  I've found both to be perfect for cool, maritime mediterranean climates

 

 

1*@aol.com wrote:


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"! o! ! ut
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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