July 2025 in the Garden - a "torrent of flowers", "a riotous concentration of blooms"

I'm not sure this thread will live up to its promise as quoted from Douglas Justice's July In the Garden 2025 - UBC Botanical Garden. There are already good photos in the blog, so I think I will just post photos of what I liked and ignore whether they are what Douglas was promoting. After all, his blog is there for you all to read.

Highly noticeable and remarkable is this stand of Crocosmia 'Lucifer' on the entrance plaza, about twice the height as what I remember from previous years.


In the African section of the Alpine Garden is Crocosmia massoniorum next to a small bit of C. 'Lucifer'. These get attention from hummingbirds here, but it's other small nectar-feeding birds that to the pollinating job in Africa.

Here's a 12-second video clip of a hummingbird.
Hummingbird on Crocosmia massoniorum_UBCBG_Cutler_20250708… | Flickr

Next to the field of red on the Entrance Plaza is a field of blue Catananche caerulea.

We saw this again in the Amphitheatre bed.


My other Entrance Plaza favourite was Coreopsis grandiflora 'Sonnenkind.

 

Arisaema consanguineum are in bloom now. They are not a riot of colour, but they're quietly showy.


It's not my fault I get to post Rosa x odorata ‘Mutabilis’ yet again - it's in the blog, one of my favourite plants in the garden because there is so much variation colour one flower to the next.


Each year, Tropaeolum speciosum get easier to see, as they're closer to the Upper Asian Way path and better established (better may not be the right word, as they are from Chile, not Asian at all, but they are pretty determined to be here). Right now, the fruits are developing while the flowers are still showy.


Somewhat in the same neighbourhood is another favourite - Paris polyphylla var. polyphylla.


Here is Veronicastrum sibiricum var. yezoense, which I caught one year a little showier than this, but usually I miss the flowers, so I was happy enough.


OK, back to showy - Inula magnifica are in bloom in the Asian Garden.


And here is Inula helenium in a container outside the Physic Garden.

 

There is lots of floral activity in the Physic Garden. Here is Achillea millefolium subsp. millefolium - yarrow.


Acanthus spinosus is the one with very deeply cut sinuses and owie leaf-tips.


Agrimonia eupatoria has showy yellow flowers, but the less showy fruits are the star of the show.


These are lovely flowers on the Chamaemelum nobile 'Flore Pleno' - double-flowered chamomile.


Here is Aconitum napellus - monkshood.


Another quiet beauty - Leonurus cardiaca - motherwort.

 

The hit for me in the Contemporary Garden was Daucus carota 'Black Knight'.


Also impressive is the size of the flowers on the Magnolia grandiflora 'Edith Bogue.


Here are a few more from the African section of the Alpine Garden.
Berkheya purpurea - South African thistle

and Berkheya cirsiifolia - thistle-leaved daisy.


Eryngium agavifolium - agave-leaved sea holly

and the much smaller Eryngium eburneum.


Here is the very graceful Dierama reynoldsi.

 

Here are a few in the Amphitheatre bed, which might or might not be the same area as what was the Winter Garden.
Santolina pinnata subsp. neapolitana 'Edward Bowles'.


Morina longifolia


Colutea arborescens

 

And in the Carolinian Garden, the flowers on this Rhus typhina - staghorn sumac seemed unusually huge.


I tried all kinds of ways to find photos of male vs. female flowers on this species, but did not even come close. I queried male flowers and got shown lots of the red bobs, which are the fruits, so they're not going to be on male trees. So with no corroboration, I think I do have the right idea, that the large inflorescences are female and the short squat inflorescences have male flowers. So these would be female flowers on the left, male on the right, on a nearby tree.


The Rhododendron viscosum - clammy azalea is new to me, probably because it seems to bloom so much later than the other azaleas in this area. It's aptly named - the hairy flowers are very sticky.

 

something what I learn about this plant
Leonurus cardiaca,Motherwort,Lamiaceae,perennial herb with a rich history in traditional medicine, particularly for supporting heart health and addressing gynecological issues. While some of its traditional uses are supported by preliminary research, further scientific investigation is needed to fully validate its potential benefits.
Motherwort has a long history of use in traditional medicine, particularly for anxiety, heart conditions, and menstrual irregularities.
It's been traditionally used to support heart health, and some research suggests it may have antioxidant properties that could protect the heart.
Motherwort is believed to have a calming effect and has been used to help with anxiety and nervousness, including menopausal anxiety.
Motherwort contains compounds like flavonoids, sterols, triterpenes, and tannins, which are known to have antioxidant properties.
It was introduced to North America as a plant to attract bees and is now naturalized, growing in various habitats.
It has distinctive heart-shaped, three-lobed leaves and small, light purple flowers that bloom in mid-to-late summer.