Director's News
Special Events and Noteworthy Garden Happenings
Puya berteroniana Up Close
Spectacular Ground Bromeliads in Bloom!
Space would not allow me to list all the wonderful plants that come into bloom at this time of year, but some discoveries during a stroll around the Garden this morning revealed some of my favorites. These are so spectacular that they warrant a visit to the Garden even if there was nothing else to see.
We have a large South American collection of plants with a strong emphasis on the Mediterranean climate flora of Chile. Among these are the signature Puya (chaqual) of which several species are especially spectacular. Probably the most famous is P. raimondii which rarely blooms but then puts on a mammoth display. Unfortunately, our last bloom was on a 27 yr old plant in the mid-80's, and our oldest current specimen is only barely 20 yrs old. However, two of their even more beautiful 'cousins' have just come into bloom. Puya chilensis sports a tall inflorescence of bright, almost neon, lime-green flowers, but even more striking is my favorite, the Puya berteroniana which produces a 10-15 foot tall spike containing hundreds of bright waxy teal colored flowers with brilliant orange stamens. Both are further unusual in producing conspicuous strong sterile spikes that serve as bird perches among the flowers; we often see the jays taking advantage of these perches to drink the abundant nectar from the flowers.
The foliage on these plants also offers some unique uses. For example, the long spiny grey leaves create a formidable barrier if you are interested in creating a security wall. The plants love full sun and require little water or care.
We expect these two species to continue blooming over the next month, but I suggest an early visit to insure you see the full fresh display. Blooms on others like the deep indigo Puya coerulea will be coming soon.
The Garden has a limited number of specimens for sale including the following:
Puya coerulea (3 Heads, 36"w) $70
Puya coerulea var. coerulea $12 in 1 Gal
Puya berteroniana $20 in 2 Gal
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Its winter but the California collection is coming to life. I just took a walk after the cold evening rain and discovered the first Ceanothus (California lilac) in bloom (notably the fragrant C. megacarpus with white flowers and dark blue centers) along with other manzanitas. The strange Dutchman's pipe vine is also coming into bloom on the way to the oak knoll.
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