The Koelreuteria paniculata next to the reception centre is still looking spectacular. The xChitalpa tashkentensis is fully in bloom now and looks lovely. There are still lots of buds - it's supposed to keep on blooming as long as the weather stays warm. Over in the North Garden, Acanthus spinosa is showing off its spines. These are planted a lot around the city, but I never noticed the spines. Seeing the name helps to notice them. Here's an update on the Dierama reynoldsii and Dierama latifolium. Asphodelus aestivus is new to me. We posted Eucryphia last year, but there are two in the same area, and now I can't tell if this is the same one that was identified last year or not, even after reading several descriptions. This is either Eucryphia x nymansensis or E. x intermedia 'Rostrevor'. And last, a damask rose hip that most people probably know, but I found the gourd shape surprising.
The X Chitalpa should be compared with 'Pink Dawn' to see if it is the same. The Eucryphia has the broad, prominently toothed leaflets and the flowers of E. x nymansensis; the dominant, single-flowered cultivar is 'Nymansay' (derived from Nymans A, as in Nymans seedling A). E. x intermedia produces a proportion of many narrow leaflets without as many teeth, and different, more prim flowers. Both hybrids have mixtures of the foliage traits of their respective parents. As there is no E. cordifolia in E. x intermedia it is more petite than E. x nymansensis. Like many hybrid rhododendrons both often produce a see-through specimen for many years, the desired solid display of flowers not appearing until after some time.
Sorry, Douglas Justice did say in the blog article I cited in the posting two weeks ago that it's the 'Pink Dawn' cultivar. Thanks for the Eucryphia description, including the explanation of the name.
