What is the most exotic plant right now in the garden? Eucryphia, I don't know what sp., this small tree or bush at the east side of Alpine garden And we looking forward to see in bloom next week or very soon in Asian garden Styrax tonkinensis Catalpa ovata with cute small flowers Tetradium glabrifolium Adinandra bockiana var. acutifolia Aralia elata variegata in Carolinian Forest Garden
Nymansay eucryphia. The catalpa would be referable to to Catalpa ovata flavescens, as it has yellow flowers. Seattle area still contains some older examples, pretty much the only version of the species seen with any frequency here. Noticeable and appealing for the tinting of the flowers, although these tend to be on the small and cupped side individually. The aralia if of course not Carolinian, but probably a holdover from earlier plantings. If of any size perhaps noteworthy, although grown in North America for a long time big ones may be scarce. Based on what I saw happen to one example near here, taking over of the rootstock could be a problem.
Are you sure about that Aralia growing in the Carolinian Forest? I checked the database and it says the Contemporary Garden, and the trees in the background aren't part of the treescape around/near the Carolinian.
You are right, I just remember it is not in Asian garden, so assumed it is native, but name alata for Asian
Nadia was pretty excited - the Styrax was in bloom. I don't know how she could even see those little flowers way up there. Surely this is the last Styrax to bloom. There were more flowers on the Catalpa ovata too, though we were specifically looking for it, had the location, which is on the main path, and we walked right by it. It's not exactly showy - maybe more flowers will open? We weren't so convinced about the "yellow flowers" until we put the white paper next to them.
Catalpa may not have enough yellow to conform to flavescens, it depends on how narrowly it is defined.
The excitement for me was in the North Garden this time. In no order, first up is Hippophae rhamnoides, in the Winter Garden, which Nadia knew from growing up in Russia - she said everyone grew them, because the fruits were so nutritious. This is in the Elaeagnaceae family, another plant with an association with Frankia species, a feature of today's POTD from the North Garden, Datisca cannabina. [Edited]Anne Elliott has posted on flickr the most wonderful photo of Hippophae berries, from a plant in Calgary. Here's a Berkheya cirsiifolia in the Alphine Garden, native to South Africa and Lesotho. Also in the Alpine Garden, I posted this Azorella trifurcata in flower in June. Now it's covered in fruits. [Edited 2012aug17]The ID here was totally wrong, and it's Coprosma petriei, from New Zealand, not South America. The Clethra alnifolia posted previously with the pink buds has a few open flowers. We think this might be its prettiest stage right now. These Clethra are very fragrant, which Nadia would say is too nice a word to describe them. The delicate flowers on this Prostanthera cuneata reminded Nadia of Catalpa flowers. I like everything about this Pinus parviflora.
I would definitely use different than 'nutritious' word for Hippophae rhamnoides. First of all it is a valuable medicinal plant and was used as medicinal since ancient times(mention of the sea buckthorn can be found in ancient Greek writings). The plant is widespread in Russia. There are only in Siberia over five thousands hectares of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) agricultural plantations. Hippophae rhamnoides can tolerate temperatures down to minus 45C degrees and below. Fruits of the sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) include vitamins А,B1, B2, B3, B6, C, E, К. But most valuable is the oil from fruits. Fruits store fatty oil, which consists of linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, the saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid, pectin substances, organic acids, tannins, flavonoids, nicotine, folic acid, macro and micronutrients ( boron , iron , zinc , copper , manganese , potassium , calcium ), sugar, some species of plant antibiotics. Few other vegetable oils contain a similar quantity of these fatty acids. Both the seed and pulp oils are rich in tocopherols, tocotrienols and plant sterols. In addition, the pulp oil contains especially high levels of carotenoids. The oil has wound healing and analgesic properties, it is used for the treatment of psoriasis, Darier's disease,burns, frostbite, eczema, ulcers lupus, poorly healing wounds, fractures, some eye diseases, ear, throat, some vitamin remedy, used with gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcers, radiation injuries of the body, as a preventive measure of radiation therapy of tumors, in gynecological practice in obesity. It has a nourishing, anti-inflammatory, regenerating and biostimulation effect. I read about other uses of this plant, but I didn't experience some of them. Fruits of sea buckthorn used as raw materials for food - juice of sea buckthorn(never tried it) Some people like jam made of berries, very unusual taste. Sea buckthorn can be cultivated as an ornamental plant. Suitable for a hedge. I didn't see it as a hedge. Because of the strong root system of sea-buckthorn is used for fixing the slopes, ravines, slopes and hollows of railways, highways and canals, to strengthen the sandy soil and prevent landslides. The leaves can be used for tanning and dyeing leather, fruits for dying wool fabrics in yellow, young shoots and leaves to get black paint. In veterinary medicine, a branch of sea buckthorn is used to accelerate growth in sheep' wool and to make wool shine. It can be true, because the meaning of Greek name hippophaes is hippos - horse and phaos - shine: it was thought that the horse, reared with leaves of sea buckthorn, had a particularly shiny skin. A valuable honey plant. Used as a hedge near the apiary. I copied and translated info from Russian sites http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Облепиха_крушиновидная http://www.argo-shop.com.ua/article-5392.html http://www.calorizator.ru/product/berry/sea-buckthorn
Despite its benefits, Hippophae rhamnoides can also be considered invasive in some parts of Canada (esp. Alberta, so far). Not in the Lower Mainland, though, I suspect.
It cannot be invasive in Russia:). People would like it to be more invasive so they can come and pick more berries. The oil is quite expensive and was very hard to find and buy in drugstore, people can make it at home themselves
Promoted by fruit specialists and prevalent in local garden centers in recent years. Named selections occur.
I don't think this is right - the leaves don't look the same. Do the leaves change, or can I get another name for this one in posting #10? Thanks.
Yesterday, there was a tag on the area next to the one with the little clear fruits - Coprosma petriei. We were in the wrong continent even. The second photo has no tag, but it looks like it would be the matching male plants (that one fruit was not attached). Here's a Botany POTD for Coprosma petriei.
I can't help posting a couple more photos of the Coprosma petriei. A few of the fruits are getting a bit of a blue colour, but I see that they probably won't get too much darker. Here's a thread with a basket of berries from Coprosma brunnea, where the poster describes them as looking like opals. I was surprised to see how different some Coprosma are - not at all like this dense ground cover.
