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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Monday, June 1, 2015

Rare Plant Research Part One: Plant Porn

This was my second year to attend Rare Plant Research's spring open house. Although I'd purchased plants from RPR at Jungle Fever and Dig, I'd not gone to the open house until last year.  Primarily a wholesale nursery, on one magical weekend each spring, Burl Mostul throws open his greenhouse doors to the public.  See previous posts here.  

Dasylirion wheeleri were so large and handsome.  If I only had space...

 Agave utahensis v. kaibabensis

Scadoxis puniceus just past blooming.


Love them or hate them, one must admit they're interesting!


Sinningia leucotricha.  Beautiful color combination!


Euphorbia  with tiny succulents.  (Kalanchoe daigremontiana?)

Alluaudia montagnacii.  Gorgeous!


Interesting stick looking plant whose tag I couldn't read. 

Dig that cool orange hat!


Pachypodium fabulously weird! 

Dudleya brittonii gets nearly two feet across.  Can you imagine a chalky white succulent rosette that large?  This had to come home with me.

A few bromeliads. 

A mountain of tropical foliage.

Bromeliad tree.

Aeonium somethingorother

Field of Lewisia

Field of Opuntia

 Field of dreams, I mean neoregelias.

There are always lots of great plants but what one wants to arrive early to see is Burl's new concrete creations.  This year he did these pumpkin planters and also great concrete colored rectangular planters which he made using old towels.  Cool stuff!



Echeveria


Aloe polyphylla (spiral aloe)  I will not kill it this time!


 Musa 'Ai Ai,' the rarest, most sought-after banana in the world is readily available at RPR!
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A couple more bromeliads.  Mine sailed through the winter nicely in the greenhouse!

Furcrea is a beautiful agave cousin.

Caladium 'Poison Dart Frog'

 Field grown Eucomis and hardy Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)

 Some all potted up and ready to go home. 

Aeonium 'Zwartkop' and 'Silk'

Canna Stutgart with leaves much like that very rare tropical banana!

It wouldn't be the Pacific Northwest without a bit of glass.


Lunch anyone? 


Tomorrow we'll stroll the grounds!  Happy new week!

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24 comments:

  1. Mark and GazJune 1, 2015 at 6:26 AM

    We so nearly made it to this place, if only time wasn't lacking at the end of the fling last year...

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    1. outlawgardenerJune 1, 2015 at 4:00 PM

      You'll just have to make another trip to the Pacific Northwest!

      Delete
  2. chavlinessJune 1, 2015 at 6:56 AM

    If I ever move to Arizona, my garden would be filled with Dasylirion wheeleri, Aeonium 'Zwartkop' and a few Furcrea sprinkled here and there: their variegation is out of this world.

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    1. outlawgardenerJune 1, 2015 at 4:03 PM

      With sharp enough drainage, Dasylirion wheeleri will grow here. I agree with you about the spectacular variegation of Furcrea!

      Delete
  3. AlisonJune 1, 2015 at 7:17 AM

    Oh, those spiral Aloe! I want one bad. I wish I'd thought to ask you to buy me one. I'll keep my fingers crossed that he still has them next year.

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    1. outlawgardenerJune 1, 2015 at 4:05 PM

      Or you could hit their special one day end of spring sale on June 20. See more here: http://www.rareplantresearch.com/

      Delete
  4. danger gardenJune 1, 2015 at 8:46 AM

    Interesting that our cameras saw fit to point at some of the very same things...

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    Replies
    1. outlawgardenerJune 1, 2015 at 4:07 PM

      Beautiful plants are beautiful plants! Great minds think alike? You've influenced me?

      Delete
  5. rickiiJune 1, 2015 at 10:29 AM

    You came all the way down here for this? I am such a slacker.

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    1. outlawgardenerJune 1, 2015 at 4:13 PM

      Sometimes it seems like more of a bother to attend something local than it does to drive to a destination. Although, it looks like it would take you a little over an hour to get there. There's always next year or June 20.

      Delete
  6. HannahJune 1, 2015 at 11:16 AM

    I love the Caladium Poison Dart Frog, so cool. So many cool plants, I would kill most of them but could probably manage the gorgeous bluish Echeveria with the pink edges. The Scadoxus flowers are incredible, how interesting that they turn into tiny green balls.

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    1. outlawgardenerJune 1, 2015 at 4:17 PM

      That's a great Caladium which I admired last year and finally bought this time. I'm hoping to keep most of the ones I brought home alive. None of last year's plants died. Yet.

      Delete
  7. Kris PetersonJune 1, 2015 at 12:46 PM

    That's one fabulous buying opportunity. I loved that pumpkin container.

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    1. outlawgardenerJune 1, 2015 at 4:20 PM

      When you do your PNW 3 month plant buying vacation, you'll have to shop there as well. One of the pumpkins came home with me.

      Delete
  8. www.ravenscourtgardens. comJune 1, 2015 at 2:07 PM

    What an amazing collection of plants. The love or hate one reminds me of one of my favorite plants Baseball Jatropha, here are some pics http://ravenscourtgardens.com/2014/10/29/baseball-jatropha-wheres-my-bat/ So many wonderful and weird looking plants...I love it!

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    1. outlawgardenerJune 1, 2015 at 4:27 PM

      It sure is a special collection. I can surely see the resemblance between the plants! With apologies to Sir Mix-a-Lot, "I like big caudex and I cannot lie. You other plant geeks can't deny, when a plant walks in with an itty-bitty stem and a round thing then ahem, you get ..." I'll let you fill in the rest.

      Delete
  9. AnonymousJune 1, 2015 at 2:24 PM

    Fantastic! So many unusual plants - but the variegated ones (musa canna & furcrea) get me everytime

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    1. outlawgardenerJune 1, 2015 at 4:28 PM

      It's always fun to see what's going on at RPR! Those are three of my favorites too!

      Delete
  10. Linda ReederJune 1, 2015 at 4:58 PM

    This certainly looks like your kind of place, Peter!

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  11. Evan BeanJune 1, 2015 at 8:21 PM

    I'm beginning to think I missed a greenhouse. I don't remember that Sinningia or the field of Neoregelia at all. One of those dark purple neoregelia should have come home with me.

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  12. PaulineJune 1, 2015 at 11:29 PM

    Such a variety of plants in such a wonderful array of colours! I wouldn't know where to start, the car would be full when the time came to go home!

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  13. chlorisJune 2, 2015 at 12:40 AM

    What an amazing selection of plants. I can' t say I love them all, some are a bit too weird for my taste, still plenty to enjoy. I love the pumpkin you brought home.

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  14. UnknownJune 2, 2015 at 6:10 AM

    Fields of Gold by Sting popped into my head, so when you got to 'field of dreams' I cracked up. That banana - WOW! And love those red hats. And what were those things you said that you either love or hate? I don't know what they are but I'm in the love camp.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.

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