Plant Highlights

Alluaudia procera

Madagascar ocotillo

Highlight Month:
September
Nativity:

Southern Madagascar
Growth Habit:

Native to arid southern Madagascar, Alluaudia procera belongs in the Didiereaceae, a small family which is known for plants with thick, water storing stems. The Malagasy name for Alluaudia procera is “fantshiholitra” which means “the tree with the spiny bark.” The genus name honors Charles A. Alluaud, a French entomologist (1861-1949). The specific epithet, procera, comes from the Latin, procerus, which translates to “tall or slender,” an apt description for these plants with their long stems that curve upwards and back creating a wispy look from afar. In the wild, A. procera can reach up to 60 feet tall, but record heights in California are about 25 feet tall. In Madagascar, the large grouping of them in the southwest is known as an ecoregion called the spiny forest. Their stems are grey and are covered in spines, which are modified leaves, that can grow up to four inches long. A. procera leaves have two orientations; coming out horizontally on new growth and vertically on mature growth. The common name, Madagascar ocotillo, references this plant’s resemblance to the unrelated but superficially similar Fouquieria splendens of the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Growing Requirements:

A. procera is hardy in USDA Zone 9a from about 20-25° F, growing best in full sun. It can do well in a container or dry garden due to its low water needs. This means it is best to let the soil fully dry before watering and to avoid letting the plant get oversaturated.
Features:

Alluaudia procera is dioecious having clusters of male or female flowers that are quite small and a white to greenish yellow color. This species is semi-deciduous, frequently losing some or all of its leaves in the cold season.
Where at Lotusland:

Succulent Garden
Agave ellemeetiana

Ellemeet’s agave

Highlight Month:
August
Nativity:

This species was originally described in 1865 from material in European gardens but was recently re-discovered in the cloud forests of Mexico. Two subspecies exist: A. ellemeetiana ssp. ellemeetiana (from Veracruz and northern Oaxaca) with smooth leaf margins; and A. ellemeetiana ssp. subdentata (from western Oaxaca) with fine teeth, or denticles, on the margins.
Growth Habit:

This solitary agave lacks dangerous teeth on the margin and reaches large proportions in the garden. Its reflexed shiny green leaves are waxy and may turn slightly reddish at the tips when grown in full sun. Agave ellemeetiana superficially resembles A. attenuata, arguably the most common agave in Santa Barbara cultivation, but lacks the upright stem and blue, glaucous coloration to the leaves.
Growing Requirements:

Agave ellemeetiana is hardy to USDA Zone 10 and prefers full sun in coastal habitats and part shade when grown inland. Individual plants will reach 2-3’ tall and wide. It is one of the more shade tolerant agave species and grows on rocky cliff faces in cloud forest habitat alongside orchids and bromeliads. Consistent watering is recommended.
Features:

The specific epithet honors Jonkheer Willem Cornelis Mary de Jonge van Ellemeet (1811-1888), Dutch landowner, mayor, and holder of an extensive Agave collection at his estate near Oostkapelle in the Netherlands.
Where at Lotusland:

Agave ellemeetiana ‘Satina’ can be found at Lotusland near the Sycamore Canyon Road gate mixed in with the glaucous blue Agave franzosinii.
Anemopsis californica

yerba mansa, lizard tail

Highlight Month:
July
Nativity:

A. californica has a widespread distribution across the western and central United States and south into Mexico.
Growth Habit:

This California native plant makes a great addition in the spring and summer to wet areas of the garden. It is a low-growing groundcover spreading via stolons, similar to a strawberry plant. Individual plants only reach one foot tall and are composed of rosettes of aromatic elliptic leaves. Flowers are held on an upright cone-shaped spike subtended by creamy white bracts from March to September. In the fall, A. californica will take on a reddish hue as it begins its dormancy period. It may look a bit scraggly and can be cut back at this time or left to die back completely to the ground before it emerges again the following spring.
Growing Requirements:

This species prefers moist to wet environments along marshes and creek edges, is tolerant of saline and alkaline soils, and grows best in part shade to sun. It is hardy to USDA Zones 4-10.
Features:

Anemopsis californica is the only species in its genus and is a member of the Saururaceae, or lizard tail family. The genus name comes from the Greek, meaning anemone-like, referencing the inflorescence. The common name, yerba mansa, translates to “calming herb” in Spanish but this plant was never used medicinally for such purpose. However, it was used to treat conditions of the skin and blood and as a disinfectant.
Where at Lotusland:

Anemopsis californica can be found in the Insectary Garden at Lotusland where it thrives next to a large stone bird bath. Other related family members in the Garden include: Houttuynia cordifolia in the Japanese Garden and Saururus chinensis in the Water Garden bogs.
Tetrapanax papyrifer

rice paper plant, tung-tsao, bok-shung

Highlight Month:
June
Nativity:

Tetrapanax papyrifer is a fast-growing, sub-tropical shrub or tree from Taiwan and southern and central China. It is difficult to pinpoint its exact location of origin as it is widely grown across Asia for both ornamental and medicinal uses.
Growth Habit:

Check out our new Tetrapanax papyrifer next time you enter the Tropical Garden from the Main Drive at Lotusland. A small specimen was planted in January of this year, but it will quickly attain heights of 10 feet and can form a many-branched colony. In our climate, this species is semi-deciduous to evergreen, and our plant recently leafed out again after its brief winter dormancy.

The genus Tetrapanax is a member of the aralia or ginseng family (Araliaceae) and contains only one species. Other well-known genera in this family include: Aralia, Cussonia, Fatsia, Hedera, Pseudopanax, Heptapleurum, Schefflera, and Trevesia. The genus name refers to the flowers being held in groups of four (tetra) and its resemblance to the genus Panax. The inflorescence is a terminal panicle of round umbels holding creamy-white flowers and develops in late fall/early winter. T. papyrifer leaves are palmately lobed and covered in pale brown stellate hairs.
Growing Requirements:

T. papyrifer is hardy to USDA Zone 7b. When grown north of Zone 8 it may die back to the ground but will resprout from root suckers. It prefers full sun to partial shade.
Features:

Pith extracted from the branches is utilized in traditional Chinese medicine and was historically used to manufacture a paper-like substance. Small sheets of this pith-paper were carefully cut for watercolor paintings and artificial flower-making and, when introduced to Europe in the 1820’s, became known under the misnomer “rice paper.” Many of the pith paintings were sold as souvenirs to European tourists and depicted plants, animals, and scenes of life in China.
Where at Lotusland:

Tropical Garden
Kniphofia northiae

broad-leaved poker, giant red-hot poker, octopus torch

Highlight Month:
May
Nativity:

This species grows in steep areas and high elevation sub-escarpment savanna of the Eastern Cape of South Africa where it receives year-round rainfall.
Growth Habit:

This Kniphofia makes a statement in the garden with broad green leaves resembling a floppy aloe. Its evergreen leaves can reach 2’ long and are 6” wide at the base, forming a clump 4-6’ wide and 5’ tall. Plants in this genus are referred to as “red-hot pokers” because of their upright, brightly colored inflorescences. In the spring, Kniphofia northiae displays pink/red flower buds that open orange and fade to light yellow before senescing. The flowers are popular with nectar-feeding birds: sunbirds in South Africa and hummingbirds in the Americas.
Growing Requirements:

This species is drought tolerant but requires additional summer water. It is hardy to USDA Zone 6a (-10 °F), prefers full sun to light shade, and clumps of this plant can be divided every 5-7 years.
Features:

The genus Kniphofia contains 71 accepted species, all native to Africa, and is part of the Asphodelaceae, or asphodel family. The genus was named after Johann Hieronymus Kniphof (1704-1763), a German botanist and physician. Kniphof’s herbarium at Erfurt University in Germany was well-known for using a technique known as “nature printing” to imprint details of botanical specimens on paper using ink. The specific epithet, northiae, references Marianne North (1830-1890), an English botanical artist who would often travel solo to paint plants in naturalistic settings. The initial botanical description of this plant was based upon North’s painting of this species and a specimen in the Cactus House at Kew Gardens in London. Over 800 of her oil paintings are currently housed at the Marianne North Gallery at Kew.

Kniphofia northiae was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit in 2006, a designation granted annually to plants of “outstanding excellence for garden decoration or use.”
Where at Lotusland:

Nursery
Halleria lucida

African honeysuckle, tree fuchsia, white olive, umbinza, notsung

Highlight Month:
March
Nativity:

The range of H. lucida extends from South Africa to Ethiopia and into Yemen. The genus Halleria belongs in the Stilbaceae family and contains five accepted species with two endemic to Madagascar.
Growth Habit:

Halleria lucida is a small evergreen tree/multi-stemmed shrub. It produces masses of red to orange bilabiate (2-lipped) flowers borne cauliflorously on the trunk and in the leaf axils of younger branches. Watch out for hummingbirds vying for access nectar when this plant is in bloom from late winter to summer. The fruits are green, marble-sized, and mature to a purple-black color. They are edible but have a sickly-sweet astringent quality. This species produces trailing branches with arching stems and the bark is greyish brown with shallow longitudinal fissures.
Growing Requirements:

H. lucida can reach heights of 8-15 feet in the garden but can be coppiced to maintain a shrubby appearance. It is hardy to USDA Zones 9a to 11 and grows best in full to part sun and with regular water.
Features:

In habitat, it is pollinated by sunbirds, other nectar-feeding birds, and insects. The Zulu people use the plant for treating skin and ear conditions and it is believed to have protective properties against evil and witchcraft. They drive stakes of Rhamnus prinoides (shiny-leaf buckthorn) covered with a mixture of H. lucida ash and crocodile fat around their village perimeters. Carl Linnaeus named the genus Halleria in 1753 in honor of 18^th century Swiss scientist Albrecht von Haller (1708-1777). The specific epithet, lucida, comes from the Latin adjective lūcidus, meaning bright and shining, in reference to the glossy green opposite leaves.
Where at Lotusland:

Lotusland’s plants were propagated from seed donated by Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in 1993. H. lucida can be found at the perimeter of the Cycad Garden and in the Tropical Garden.
Salvia ‘Carol’s Delight’

Carol Terry’s sage

Highlight Month:
February
Nativity:

Garden Origin
Growth Habit:

Salvia ‘Carol’s Delight’ is a late season bloomer with a tall stature. Mature plants can reach heights of 6-10’ and 6-8’ wide and display bright crimson flowers from September to March in Santa Barbara.
Growing Requirements:

Salvia ‘Carol’s Delight’ is hardy to 27°F but will resprout from the base if exposed to colder temperatures. It prefers full to part sun and is tolerant of dry conditions once established.
Features:

This salvia is a presumed hybrid of Salvia karwinskii and S. wagnerianum that arose as a chance seedling in the garden of Carol Terry in the early 90’s. She didn’t notice the plant until it bloomed above the canopy of the apple tree it had germinated under. Both suspected parents are native to southern Mexico into Central America and have pink flowers. This hybrid strongly resembles S. wagnerianum and has a longer blooming time than either of these two species.

Salvia ‘Carol’s Delight’ is named after Carol Terry, current Lotusland Bromeliad Garden volunteer. Carol was previously the Santa Barbara City Parks Gardener of Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden for 12 years and former President of the Santa Barbara Horticultural Society. The genus name, Salvia, comes from the Latin, salvus, meaning “to make safe or healthy” in reference to the healing properties of many sages.
Where at Lotusland:

This plant can be found in the Insectary Garden at Lotusland where it is loved by pollinators, including hummingbirds.
Dacrycarpus dacrydioides

kahikatea, white pine, New Zealand dacryberry

Highlight Month:
January
Nativity:

New Zealand
Growth Habit:

The evergreen foliage of kahikatea can vary with age. Juvenile leaves are flat and resemble those of Taxodium spp. (bald cypress), while adult leaves are small, waxy, and appressed to the stem, similar to mature Juniperus spp. (juniper) needles. Trees often display a mixture of the two different foliage types. Young D. dacrydioides, like the specimen at Lotusland, are conical and bushy but mature into tall trees with a buttressed trunk and few lower branches. The bark is dark grey with large ovoid scaly flakes.
Growing Requirements:

This conifer is endemic to the North, South, and Stewart Islands, and is found in alluvial terraces in lowland and montane forests. It can reach over 160 feet in the wild and is a host for many epiphytes. Hardy to USDA Zones 8-11.

Features:

Our tree at Lotusland is male and produces only yellow pollen cones. Female D. dacrydioides form seed atop a fleshy red receptacle. This berry-like structure, or aril, attracts birds who aid in seed dispersal and is a Māori food source called koroī. The genus name comes from the Greek: dacry (tear) and carpos (fruit), referring to shape of the female aril. The specific epithet describes its resemblance to Dacrydium, another closely related genus in the same family.

There are nine species in the genus Dacrycarpus, with a range from southern China to New Zealand (excluding Australia). All are members of the Podocarpaceae or podocarp family. Other species in this family found at Lotusland include: Afrocarpus gracilior, Nageia nagi, Podocarpus totara, P. elatus, P. henkelii, and P. macrophyllus.

Māori legend states this species is a child of Tane, god of forests and birds, and Hine-wao-riki, maid of small forests and protector of the white pine. It is used as a timber source for making waka (canoes), weapons, and tools. Soot from burned heartwood is used for tattoos and the resin is chewed as a gum. Because this species commonly grows in areas suitable for agriculture, many groves were cut down for dairy farming in New Zealand. Remaining populations survive in protected and remote areas. Harvested wood was used to make boxes for butter and cheese exports to Great Britain while a more modern use is for cake boxes, designed to prevent scorching of slow to bake fruitcakes.
Where at Lotusland:

Insectary Garden, to the right of the birdcage.
Aechmea recurvata v. benrathii

Highlight Month:
April
Nativity:

Santa Catarina, Brazil
Growth Habit:

This low-growing clumping bromeliad makes a great addition to a small area or rock garden. In habitat it grows on rocks near beaches.
Growing Requirements:

Most Aechmea grow easily in Santa Barbara and A. recurvata v. benrathii is no exception. It is not picky about soils and will grow epiphytically or in the ground. Water overhead once a week during dry periods. Hardy to 25°F.

Leaf size and color is highly variable, depending on light levels. When grown in full sun, plants are very compact (4” high) with black-spotted bulbous leaf bases and purple tips. When grown in shade, the leaves become lanky and dark green, but the plant will still flower.
Features:

When individual plants in the clump are ready to flower the inner leaf sheaths flush bright pink and hold a sunken inflorescence of pink flowers maturing to lavender. Flowering plants in the cluster eventually die but produce abundant offsets.

It was named and described by Carl Mez in 1919 as Aechmea benrathii in honor of Karl Benrath, a church historian from Königsberg, Germany, and later given varietal status in 1952. Aechmea comes from the Greek, aichme, meaning spear point, in reference to the pointy bracts and sepals of some species. The specific epithet, recurvata, refers to the backwards curving leaves.
Where at Lotusland:

Upper and Lower Bromeliad Gardens
Eucalyptus megacornuta

warted yate, big-horned eucalyptus

Highlight Month:
December
Nativity:

E. megacornuta has a very limited range in the southwest of Western Australia near the Ravensthorpe Range. The population is estimated at less than 1,000 individuals and is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
Growth Habit:

E. megacornuta is a great tree for small spaces, reaching only 30’ high and 15’ wide. The bark is smooth and mottled with grey, green-grey, and orange peeling strips. The leaves are evergreen, lanceolate, and contain oil glands. It is hardy to USDA Zones 9-10. This species is considered a mallet, a small form of eucalypt from Western Australia. Mallets are single stemmed, have steeply angled branches, and lack the regenerative structures of a lignotuber and epicormic buds.
Growing Requirements:

Full sun to partial shade, well-drained soils, drought tolerant once established.
Features:

This showy eucalyptus displays large chartreuse to yellow stamens over a long period from winter to summer. Flower buds are temporarily concealed by a two-inch warty cap called an operculum, resembling a monstrose fingertip. They are borne in clusters of 3-7 on a flattened woody peduncle. The flowers produce abundant nectar for pollinators and the fruits later mature into a woody capsule containing the seeds. Both the opercula and capsules can be used in dried arrangements or for art projects.

The genus name comes from the Greek, eu (well) and kalyptos (covered), referring to the operculum. The specific epithet, megacornuta, means large-horned, also referencing this same structure.
Where at Lotusland:

There is one E. megacornuta specimen at Lotusland in the Australian Garden, near the Cold Spring Gate entrance. The tree was grown from seed by Cameron Hannah-Bick, UCSB Greenhouse Manager, and donated to Lotusland in 2018.