Desert Botanical Garden Fall Sale

Going on today and tomorrow.

As a member, I took the day off yesterday and went to the member's sale.  As usual, I overspent my budget.  This time, though, I have a stash of coins that I will use to pay back the difference into the household.  Go me! 

This time I'm going to do a little research on my purchases, before I kill them.  The longer I live here, the better the kill ratio gets (more survive!)  I'm learning what works, both in the desert and with my garden style.  This is good. 

List behind the drop-down:

This list will be updated periodically over the weekend! - I hope to add pictures...

Cissus trifoliata: An Arizona native. "...grows in chaparal, salt marshes, stream banks, open woodlands, and disturbed areas." "...a common vine with fleshy leaves that are generally 3-lobed and coarsely toothed but extremely variable in form. The vine has tuberous roots, a woody base, and fleshy structure above. It has clusters of small berries that become black when mature. The leaves give off a sharp odor when crushed."

I also own a Cissus rhombifolia, a cast iron houseplant for low light and low care conditions. Hard to find in the market these days, mine's a pass-along plant from my grandmother.

Gasteria aloe hybrid (with a ? on the tag - love this uncertainty!) "Gasterias are popular undemanding indoor plants, tolerating a little shade and infrequent watering. However, some sun ensures a compact growth habit, attractive leaf colouration in some species and abundant flowers."

Scilla violacea:  "Easily cultivated in almost any good garden soil, with occasional water applied during the dry months. Perfers some shade in hot summer climates, and should not be waterlogged during rainy winters. New bulbs can be separated from the mother plant in the spring." 

Another source suggest best temps for this plant are between 20 and 22C.  Huh.  Not this climate.  We keep the heat at 65F and the AC at 80F.  I predict this plant will be the first to drop.  Sad.  It's got nice foliage.

Alluaudia procera (Madagascar Ocotillo):  Keep from freezing, avoid frosts.

Wilcoxia albiflora (synonym of Echinocereus leucanthus):  There seems to be several conflicting descriptions of this plant online. Might actually be two different plants out there with this name. "Light shade to bright light, avoid full sun. Little water, needs porous well drained soil."

Clematis drummondii:  Another native. I've seen this one growing out in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. It was on land that had once been homesteaded, so I'm not thinking it is native to the Sonoran. But the fact that it survives in an area under shade without any additional help makes it a good candidate for my pot garden.

Penstemon pinifolius:  Native to southern Az. For you temperate gardeners, this one has foliage much like the moss phlox, nice and green, with a matting habit. Hummingbirds love penstemon. "Different looking penstemon with leaves that look like pine needles. Summer blooming for several months. Comes in red to orange with one variety in yellow. Water twice a month."

Penstemon eatonii (firecracker ): "Grows 10-40 inches tall. Bright red flowers in April to July. Attracts hummingbirds. Doesn't do well in wet soils. Water once a month." Hmm. So I've killed the previous plants by overwatering. A common affliction in my garden. Poor plants.

Penstemon baccharifolius.: This one's a native to the Chihuahuan desert. "Full sun to part sun. Origin: Texas. Evergreen perennial, 1.5 to 3 feet tall (45-90 cm), 1 to 2 feet wide (30-60 cm). Little to moderate [water] when established, needs good drainage." This was an impulse purchase, prompted by the unusual leaf and the fact that it was blooming. I liked the color of the one I bought.

Tephrocactus articulatus v. pardiophious (what a mouthful!): This one seems to be native to Argentina. I'm not finding this variety online. From the pictures, it looks like the long spines are found only on the new growth, but that'll be okay. It's one of those 'bad hair day' cacti that I like so much. Resembles the native cholla, without the barb-n-hook spines of that plant that reach out and won't let go.

Oenothera stubbei: Another from the Chihauhuan desert. This one is the same family as my sundrops and missouri evening primrose in my Michigan garden. The fact that I have such an emotional tie to this plant means it will be the second to succumb to my mishandling. Sigh. "Large yellow flowers blooming at night, wilting quickly during the early morning. Forms a good groundcover, prefers afternoon shade and a bit more water than more xeric-adapted primroses. Roots along stems."

Asclepias linaria: "Full sun to part sun. Origin: Southern Arizona to Mexico, on rocky slopes, at 1500 to 6000 feet elevation (450-1800 m). Shrubby perennial, up to 3 feet tall (1 m), 3 feet spread (1 m); needle-like leaves, 1.5 inches long (4 cm). Moderate water to keep good appearance, needs good drainage"

Asclepias subulata: This is one that the landscape crews just can't seem to figure out. If you try to do what they do with EVERYTHING - that is, shape it like a box of some sort - it sends out multiple shoots from the cuts and looks like a really bad haircut. So they do it again, and again, and it just gets worse and worse. I'm really glad to see this advice "...cut back overgrown clumps to base to induce vigorous fresh growth" so if the natural vase shape gets out of hand, there is a method to trim that won't look so awful. Good news!

"The desert milkweed is sensitive to aphids." These seem to be a species that has co-evolved with the plant, with the distinctive red/orange coloring of the milkweed eater. They are decorative in their own right, and I will let them be unless it becomes obvious they are harming the plant.

Hyptis emoryi (desert lavender) This one grows locally in the desert. I will definitely have to watch and not overwater this one!

Dyckia (x): This plant is a terrestrial Bromiliad, distantly related to the pineapple. "They should be grown as other succulents in a well drained soil. Good cactus soil or African violet soil is adequate. They like a lot of water in summer, and need a lot of space in their pot to accommodate their large root system. A lot of sunlight is a necessity. Flowers are generally yellow to orange and come from the side of the rosette."

The one I selected has some red in it. It might have this or this as parent stock. Doesn't matter, I love the color. We'll see if I can keep it alive.

Comments

[Noelle (azplantlady)]

Hello,

I am jealous :) You got some great plants. I think my favorite is the Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii). I hope you have fun finding places for them all.

[bogie]

Congrats on your picks! I've always wanted to try several of the penstemmons, but have stayed with the widely available Husker's Red (which really, really likes my climate, judging by the volunteers I get).

I got one of the gasteria aloe's a year ago. Even in the Northeast it does well on a northern exposure window.

Good luck with your new plants!

[marianne]

I've missed the fall sale two years in a row so I'm jealous, Hope you have great success with all your new flora!

[eliz]

Wow that's a lot of plants, hardly any of which I can grow. I love botanical gardens sales; ours is awesome.

[danger garden]

I am green with envy!