Archive for July 14th, 2008

Charles Grimaldi Brugmansia


These are pictures of a Charles Grimaldi brugmansia that I used to have growing in the yard.  It reached its peak about two years ago.  I watered it frequently in the beginning.  It grew amazingly fast from about 3 feet tall to the size of a small tree (about 10 feet tall) in just 4 years.  It was overloaded with large yellow trumpet-shaped flowers 3-4 times a year.  The flowers were extremely fragrant.   Their perfume-like fragrance could be smelled from inside the house on summer evenings when we had the windows open.  It was the centerpiece of the yard. 

One of main problems I had with brugmansias is keeping snails off of them.  The snails love eating the leaves.  Putting copper tape around the trunk helps keep them at bay.  Another problem was the flowers tended to droop on warm summer afternoons when the plant was in full sun, even after a watering.  The brugmansias that I planted in afternoon shade tended to hold their shape better.  Also, Charles Grimaldi needs a lot of pruning to maintain an attractive shape, because it grows so fast.

During the freeze of January 2007, the temperature here dropped into the mid 20s, and my brugmansia froze to the ground.  Only a few outshoots returned after that.

 

 

July 14 2008 | Brugmansia | Comments Off on Charles Grimaldi Brugmansia

Jacaranda Trees


One of the highlights of summer is the sight of jacaranda trees in bloom. Jacaranda trees are inconspicuous trees most of the year that seem to blend into the background. But every year in the month of June, the smattering of jacaranda trees in our neighborhood burst into bloom providing a breathtaking display of lavender flowers that cover the breadth of the canopy. The above picture was taken about 3 weeks ago in late June.

Jacaranda trees are probably my favorite flowering tree. They seem to grow amazingly well in the inland portions of the San Francisco Bay Area, despite the occasional freeze. Jacaranda trees suffer when the temperature drops below about 28°F. About 18 months ago, California suffered an unusually severe cold spell, with temperatures dropping into the mid to low 20s. Some Jacarandra trees in our neighborhood lost branches, but the trees survived and are now blooming again.

July 14 2008 | Jacaranda | Comments Off on Jacaranda Trees