Douglas Justice's November 2020 in the Garden - UBC Botanical Garden blog is out, which he starts by talking about flowers and fragrance. I am posting this first photo of Cercidiphyllum japonicum 'Morioka Weeping', not mentioned in the blog, with no leaves or flowers at all, to say that when I was in the area, not even that near the tree, I was overtaken by the katsura fragrance enough to look around for the tree. So there I was where the Elaeagnus macrophylla was supposed to be, assuming that I would be able to just follow my nose to locate it, as that's how I found the Elaeagnus × ebbingei ‘Gilt Edge’ at Dart's Hill Garden last month. Fortunately, right at the top of the path, there was Douglas himself, who came to help me out. It seems it was covered with flowers last week; I did finally find a few flowers, and could imagine that maybe there was a bit of a fragrance. Maybe. Douglas pointed out the fruit forming in the fifth photo. There is quite a bit more to the plant than I have shown here. This is the Cotoneaster glabratus on which the Elaeagnus is climbing. Nearby are the Nipponanthemum nipponicum, Nippon daisies. A little up the path is Disanthus cercidifolius, which I've posted several times, but not for these flowers. These also got a mention for their "strange semi-metallic aroma", which maybe I think I might have detected with some effort and imagination. Also nearby is Viburnum foetidum, which I would not have noticed at all, but Douglas was particularly interested in it, and now I don't remember why. It hasn't ever appeared on the forums, so here are some photos. The name would suggest some sort of smell, which I now read is noticeable when the leaves are crushed. I did fondle a leaf, didn't notice anything.
Sorbus are putting on various types of show. This Sorbus pallescens is so striking right on the main path, I'm surprised it hasn't been posted here before. It's actually the almost translucent fruits that caught my eye. Douglas mentioned the unverified Aria species with the label Sorbus caloneura. I posted it once in a thread on colourful fruits, mentioning that it was the odd one out, seemed to have no colour. But the fruits are curiously photogenic, probably because they are so large for Sorbus. [Edited] I think I misunderstood, and this S. caloneura is not the unverified one - Douglas was talking about plants that the Elaeagnus was draping itself over. Here's another doing yellow - Sorbus harrowiana, which I have posted twice before, not in autumn. It was the big leaflets that I've noticed every time, but I didn't remember it at all, had to ask for help with the ID. Here is the more recent posting: September 2018 - Sorbus. Another that I am posting here is in that posting as well. This is Sorbus glabriuscula. It's a big tree with a lot of fruits. And then there is one of my favourites, looking very small and delicate with its pale pink fruits, Sorbus pseudovilmorinii. quite the opposite impression from the first tree in this posting, which is fairly close by.
That was November 6 two years ago. Douglas Justice led a tour for garden members this evening, September 13, 2022, and there are lots of flowers starting to open. Douglas pointed out that the leaf backs and flowers are covered in scales.
