Plant Highlights By Date
Cereus hildmannianus
October 2019
Cereus is a genus of columnar cacti native to South America (east of the Andes) and islands in the southern Caribbean. In California, the most widely grown species is undoubtedly Cereus hildmannianus, though it is frequently labeled incorrectly as Cereus peruvianus.
Euphorbia obesa
September 2019
The genus Euphorbia is so diverse and widespread that nobody would suppose they all belonged together if the flowers did not demonstrate that they are related. They may be trees, inch-high weeds, or have a spiny cactus-like appearance. One of the true oddities in the genus is Euphorbia obesa, which bears the common name “baseball plant”.
Dasylirion longissimum
August 2019
Dasylirion is a genus of 20 or so species native to Mexico and the southwestern US. There are two species which differ from the others in having very narrow needle-like leaves, and these are frequently confused in nurseries and in gardens. These are Dasylirion longissimum and Dasylirion quadrangulatum, and it might be useful to point out their differences.
Agave bovicornuta
July 2019
Agave bovicornuta is native to the northern Sierra Madre Occidental in the Meican states of Sonora, Chihuahua and Sinaloa.
Opuntia ficus-indica
June 2019
Though many Opuntia fruit are tasty, one species in particular is widely cultivated for fruit production, and this is Opuntia ficus-indica.
Yucca carnerosana
May 2019
Yuccas always put on a wonderful display at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in spring, with their showy clusters of waxy white flowers.
Veltheimia bracteata
April 2019
Veltheimia bracteata is clump-forming, with new bulbs added year after year. It is native to coastal scrub vegetation in the Eastern Cape Province, which is located in the southeastern part of the country.
Crassula pubescens ssp. radicans
March 2019
The genus Crassula is the type-genus of the Stonecrop Family (Crassulaceae). The great majority of these are found in southern Africa.
Aloe branddraaiensis
February 2019
As with most aloe species, the flowers in each cluster open sequentially from lowest to topmost over a course of several weeks. Each flower has a rounded base, narrowing a little above this, and then increasing again in diameter toward the mouth.
Cephalophyllum aureorubrum
January 2019
At the Ruth Bancroft Garden, we have found this plant easy to grow if given excellent drainage and a sunny spot. Its bright yellow and orange blossoms are a welcome addition to the garden in winter, and lows in the upper 20’s F (to -3°C) have not harmed it.
