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Plant Highlights
Plant Highlights
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Fockea edulis
Highlight Month:
October
Nativity:
South Africa
Growth Habit:
Fockea edulis is a caudex-forming succulent with vining stems and is native to South Africa. It is a member of the Apocynaceae (which includes the dogbanes and milkweeds) and will produce a characteristic milky sap when cut. Growth slows down in the winter months and plants may lose most of their leaves but will reawaken in the summer growing season. This species is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. Flowers have yellow-green calyces with small white petals. The sex of the flowers is difficult to tell apart, but when pollinated, female plants will produce large milkweed-like fruits with seeds attached to silky filaments.
Growing Requirements:
Fockea edulis prefer full sun to partial shade, but the caudex may need protection from direct sun, especially if recently lifted. Many growers leave the caudex buried until it starts to split or misshape the pot as an indicator that it is ready to be revealed.
Features:
The scientific name honors Charles Focke (1802-1856), a Dutch botanist. The specific epithet, edulis, refers to the edibility of the caudex when carefully rid of dangerous alkaloids after cooking.
Where at Lotusland:
Succulent Garden
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Nematanthus ‘Christmas Holly’
Christmas Holly goldfish plant
Highlight Month:
September
Nativity:
Nematanthus are members of the Gesneriaceae (gesneriad or African violet family), a large family with over 3500 species and over 150 genera. The genus Nematanthus contains 32 species, all native to eastern Brazil.
Growth Habit:
Nematanthus ‘Christmas Holly’ is a charismatic year-round bloomer with puffy, goldfish-shaped orange flowers.
Growing Requirements:
Easy to grow as a houseplant or outside, this evergreen plant is a great candidate for a hanging basket or as a trailing specimen. It is hardy to USDA Zone 10 and prefers shade and regular water. There are no references to the hybrid origins of the cultivar ‘Christmas Holly’, but it likely contains N. gregarius in its parentage.
Features:
The genus name comes from the Greek nema, meaning “thread or hair,” and anthos, meaning “flower.” This references the thin pedicel, or flower stalk, on many species in the genus.
Where at Lotusland:
Look for Nematanthus ‘Christmas Holly’ in the Pavilion Patio where it has resided since 1991. Other gesneriad genera in the collection include Sinningia and Streptocarpus.
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Impatiens niamniamensis
parrot plant, Congo cockatoo
Highlight Month:
August
Nativity:
Native to Central Africa (Cameroon to South Sudan and Angola), it grows terrestrially near rivers and streams in montane forests.
Growth Habit:
This 2-3 foot tall multi-stemmed plant has succulent stems which mature to a grey-brown color. The tri-colored flowers form near the growing tip of each stem but also in clusters at the lower nodes. Each flower is brightly colored with light green petals and lateral sepals, and a yellow to scarlet gradient on the lower sepal and spur. They resemble small beaks, birds, or cornucopias.
Growing Requirements:
Impatiens niamniamensis is a delightful plant for a shady and moist part of the garden. This species is hard to find in cultivation and is hardy to USDA Zone 10.
Features:
The genus name, Impatiens, is derived from Latin, meaning “impatient” or “hasty,” in reference to the explosive nature of the seed capsules. The specific epithet references the Azande people of Central Africa who inhabit the area where this plant was first collected in 1909. The term “niam niam,” means “great eaters,” and is now considered a disparaging expression formerly used by neighboring tribes and European colonizers and explorers.
Where at Lotusland:
Look for Impatiens niamniamensis in the Fern Garden at Lotusland near the entrance off the Main Drive. This area also houses the cultivar ‘African Queen’, a selection displaying larger and more richly colored flowers.
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Oscularia deltoides
pink ice plant, deltoid-leaved ice plant, dassievygie
Highlight Month:
July
Nativity:
Native to South Africa’s Western Cape, it grows in rocky habitats from Ceres to George in sandstone outcroppings east of Cape Town.
Growth Habit:
Oscularia deltoides is a member of the ice plant family (Aizoaceae) and produces showy light pink flowers from late spring to early summer. This succulent groundcover produces a one-foot-tall mat of blue green, toothed, triangular leaves on pink young stems. The profuse flowers carpet the entire plant, opening in the afternoon, and smell of almonds.
Growing Requirements:
Oscularia deltoides prefers full sun to light shade and can be grown as a groundcover, in a rock wall, or even cascading over the edge of a pot. It can handle light frosts and is hardy to 15-20° F. Propagation is easiest by cuttings, which are slow to root.
Features:
The genus name, Oscularia, comes from the Greek, osculum, meaning small mouth. The specific epithet, deltoides, refers to the triangular leaves in the shape of the Greek letter delta. There are 22 recognized species within the genus Oscularia, and some authors suggest lumping them into the closely related and larger genus Lampranthus.
Where at Lotusland:
Look for this plant in the Succulent Garden to the right of the Echeveria Circle at Lotusland.
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Aechmea nudicaulis ‘Flavomarginata’
Highlight Month:
June
Nativity:
Aechmea nudicaulis is a bromeliad with a large native range from central Mexico to northern South America and southeast Brazil.
Growth Habit:
There are five recognized varieties of this species, with varying geographical ranges and morphological differences. Many bromeliads exhibit phenotypic plasticity, meaning their observable morphology is shaped not only by genetics, but also by environmental factors such as light intensity and water availability. Some Aechmea nudicaulis are stout with silvery striations and grow on rocks in full sun, while others are tubular with dark green foliage growing amongst shady tree canopies.
Growing Requirements:
Consequently, this species can survive in a wide range of horticultural conditions, growing epiphytically or terrestrially and tolerating shade to sun in a garden setting.
Features:
Aechmea nudicaulis ‘Flavomarginata’ is a selection cultivated for its striking yellow leaf margins. It typically grows best in full to part sun to achieve the strongest coloration. It reliably flowers from May to June with a bright red inflorescence sheathed in red scape bracts and contrasting yellow flowers. The genus name, Aechmea, comes from the Greek, aichme, meaning spear point, in reference to the primary pointy bracts on some species in the genus. The specific epithet, nudicaulis, refers to the lack of floral bracts. Aechmea are in the bromeliad subfamily Bromelioideae, a diverse group with serrated margins and berry-like fruits.
Where at Lotusland:
Look for Aechmea nudicaulis ‘Flavomarginata’ growing on a stump in the Upper Bromeliad Garden near the edge of the lawn and on Happy’s Terrace in pots. Another selection of this species, with the reverse variegation (yellow leaves and green margins) grows nearby on the edge of the lawn.
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Mackaya bella
forest bell bush, blouklokkiesbos
Highlight Month:
May
Nativity:
South Africa
Growth Habit:
Mackaya bella is a handsome evergreen shrub that erupts in bell-shaped, lavender flowers in mid-spring to early summer.
M. bella has the potential to reach 6-8 feet tall and wide but can be pruned hard to control its size. It grows as an upright multi-stemmed shrub and makes a great backdrop plant or screen in the garden.
The specific epithet, bella, refers to the beautiful secund flowers borne upright on one side of the terminal raceme. The flowers are pale lavender, funnel-shaped, and have fine dark purple lines directing pollinators to the nectar. After pollination, the fruit develops as an upright club-shaped dehiscent capsule with two seeds. The evergreen leaves are dark green and glossy with small tufts of hair on the undersides at the vein axils. These hairy spots are called domatia and are thought to serve as “little houses” for symbiotic insects and mites.
Growing Requirements:
It prefers shade, regular summer water and is hardy to USDA Zones 9a-11. It can be grown in slightly colder climates but may die back to the ground in areas with freezing temperatures.
Features:
It is a member of the acanthus family (Acanthaceae), a large family of 209 genera and about 2500 species. The genus Mackaya contains five species, all native to Asia, except for Mackaya bella, from South Africa. In habitat, it grows as an understory shrub or small tree along streams. The Afrikaans name, blouklokkiesbos translates to bluebell bush/forest.
Where at Lotusland:
Fern Garden
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Schotia afra var. afra
Karoo boer-bean, Karoohuilboerboon
Highlight Month:
April
Nativity:
Namibia and western South Africa
Growth Habit:
Schotia afra is a small evergreen tree native to Namibia and western South Africa. It blooms in the spring and summer with masses of fucshia-red flowers dripping with nectar, a popular stopover for bees and birds. The leaves are pinnately compound and lack a terminal leaflet. S. afra develops a rounded dense canopy, reaching 15-25 feet tall and 15-30 feet wide.
Growing Requirements:
It prefers full sun, is hardy to 20-25° F, and is very drought tolerant, requiring little to no supplemental irrigation water once established.
Features:
Schotia afra is a member of the legume family (Fabaceae) and produces beaked pods with large, rounded seeds inside. The seeds are edible and are called boerboon in Afrikaans which translates to “farmer’s bean.” Another common name, Karoohuilboerboon, references the Karoo region. Huil translates to crying or weeping, describing the copious nectar.
There are four species in the genus Schotia, all native to southern Africa. The genus name honors Richard van der Schot, head gardener of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. The specific epithet, afra, denotes its nativity in Africa. There are two varieties of this species; var. afra with a coastal distribution, and var. angustifolia which is found inland and has narrower leaflets.
Where at Lotusland:
Lotusland’s Cycad Garden is home to S. afra var. afra, originally from the UCSB Biology Greenhouses. This specimen was planted on July 15, 1992. S. afra var. angustifolia can be viewed in Santa Barbara at both Orpet and Franceschi Parks. Francesco Franceschi is credited with introducing this species into cultivation in the United States.
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Lecanopteris scandens
fragrant fern
Highlight Month:
March
Nativity:
New Zealand, eastern Australia, and Lord Howe Island
Growth Habit:
It can grow either terrestrially or epiphytically as seen in Lotusland’s Fern Garden where it ascends the trunk of an Australian tree fern (Cyathea cooperi) and equally thrives in the soil below.
Lecanopteris scandens is referred to as the fragrant fern because the fronds emit a musky odor when crushed. The evergreen fronds are pinnatifid (cut half to three-fourths of the way to the rachis) with deep u-shaped sinuses. Fronds on juvenile plants may be entire (lacking lobes). Ferns reproduce by spore, produced in sporangia, which are held in clusters called sori. The sori on L. scandens are round. The genus name comes from the Greek lekane, meaning basin or dish, referencing the concave sori found in some species in the genus, and pteris, meaning fern. The specific epithet, scandens, references its climbing habit.
Growing Requirements:
Lecanopteris scandens has medium light and moisture needs and can also grow in a hanging basket.
Features:
The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group lists this species under the genus Lecanopteris, but it was previously listed under Microsorum, Dendroconche, and Polypodium. The genus Lecanopteris previously only included the “ant ferns” that house colonies of ants in inflated rhizomes, but it was expanded in 2021 to include 24 accepted species.
Lotusland’s accession of L. scandens was acquired in 1998 as Microsorum scandens from Barbara Joe Hoshizaki (1928-2012), co-author of the Fern Grower’s Manual and former professor of biology at Los Angeles City College and curator of ferns at the UCLA herbarium.
Where at Lotusland:
Fern Garden
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Hardenbergia violacea ‘Happy Wanderer’
lilac vine, purple coral pea, false sasparilla
Highlight Month:
February
Nativity:
Hardenbergia is a genus of three species, H. violacea, H. comptoniana, and H. perbrevidens, all endemic to Australia. H. violacea is from eastern Australia. This cultivar originates from the Australian National Botanic Garden in Canberra and was selected in 1978 for its vigorous climbing habit and large leaves.
Growth Habit:
Hardenbergia violacea ‘Happy Wanderer’ is a delightful climbing vine with small purple pea flowers appearing in winter/early spring. Individual stems may reach over 16 feet in length. There are several cultivars of Hardenbergia violacea, some growing as clambering groundcovers and others selected for flower color.
All Hardenbergia are members of the pea family, Fabaceae, and have typical pea flowers with five petals – a “standard’ (upper petal), the “keel” (two fused lower petals), and two “wings” on either side. The pea family is the third largest plant family in the world, after the sunflower family (Asteraceae) and the orchid family (Orchidaceae). Normally, plants in the pea family have compound tri-foliate leaves, made of three leaflets. H. violacea differs from the two other Hardenbergia species because the two lower leaflets are reduced to vestigial leaflets at the base of the middle leaf, making the leaves appear simple. Botanists describe this as a unifoliate compound leaf.
Growing Requirements:
This species prefers sun to light shade, is tolerant of a wide range of soil types, from sand to clay, and is relatively drought tolerant once established.
Features:
Lilac vine blooms from late winter through early spring with dense, cascading clusters of small pinkish purple flowers. It makes a good screen for fences, or for an impressive winter flower display on a trellis.
Where at Lotusland:
Hardenbergia grows on the Kiosk in the Australian Garden.
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Magnolia × alba
white champaca, white sandalwood
Highlight Month:
January
Nativity:
Asia
Growth Habit:
Lotusland’s Japanese Garden houses many winter-fragrant plants including Osmanthus fragrans, Camellia ‘Yume’, Camellia ‘Minato-no-akebono,’ and Chimonanthus praecox. Another to add to the list is Magnolia × alba, a presumed cross between Magnolia champaca (yellow champaca) and M. montana. This hybrid produces pleasingly fragrant white flowers from mid-winter to early summer. M. champaca differs in having yellow flowers with wider tepals and famously used in manufacturing the 1929 Joy perfume by Jean Patou, the world’s second best-selling perfume after Chanel No. 5. M. champaca is native from southern India to central China and southeast Asia. While the hybrid rarely makes fruit, M. champaca is known to produce viable seed, and both can easily be propagated from cuttings.
Both white and yellow champaca are commonly grown in California as far north as the Bay Area and were likely brought to the United States by Asian immigrants because of their cultural significance; the flowers are commonly floated in dishes of water at Buddhist temples. They are hardy to USDA Zones 10-11, are slow growing, but will reach 25-30 feet tall and wide with age.
Growing Requirements:
Well-drained soils, sun.
Features:
The specific epithet champaca is derived from the Sanskrit word campaka.
Many nurseries continue to list both trees under the genus Michelia, which was incorporated into Magnolia in 2004. The Magnoliaceae, or magnolia family, now consists of only two genera, Magnolia and Liriodendron. Michelia were formerly distinguished due to their evergreen leaves and production of flowers along the leaf axils instead of only at the branch tips.
Where at Lotusland:
Magnolia × alba can be found in between the Japanese Garden and Arboretum at Lotusland, north of the Wisteria Pavilion. Another closely related and banana-scented species, Magnolia figo, also formerly in the genus Michelia, grows nearby.
