Caesalpinia pulcherrima

Caesalpinia pulcherrima (sez-al-PIN-ee-uh  pul-KAIR-ih-muh) is a highly attractive shrub or small tree that blooms throughout the summer and fall (June through December).  It is also known as Peacock Flower or Pride of Barbados.  It is sometimes known as Dwarf Poinciana, but that is a poor choice for a common name because this plant is not a Poinciana!  There are over 70 species of Caesalpinia and at one time they were all lumped into the Poinciana genus, but that is no longer the case.

Large clusters of flowers appear on the tips of every branch, putting on a spectacular show.  The individual flowers open with a bright yellow edge which turns orange by the second day, to match the rest of the flower.  Long stamens jut out in a graceful curve from the center of the bloom.  As the individual flowers age, they turn a reddish-orange before shriveling and falling off the plant.  Each flower is about 1.5 inches in diameter and the stamens are 2 inches long.

There is also a yellow-flowered form that is less common.

This plant is attractive to several types of butterflies, including Swallowtails, Fritillaries, and Sulphurs. Hummingbirds also visit the flowers. If pollinated, a flat 3 inch long pod will develop.  Although it's a legume, its nitrogen-fixing abilities appear limited, and root nodules seldom form.

This Caesalpinia grows to around 8-10 feet tall.  The 1.5 foot long leaves are bipinnately-compound so the foliage has a very delicate, ferny texture. 

The stems have thorns similar to a rose.

It can freeze to the ground when temperatures reach the upper 20°F range, but will usually grow back quickly in the spring.  It is recommended for USDA Zones 8-11.  In colder parts of its range, it behaves almost like a perennial, regenerating from the base each year.  In warmer spots, it can be trained into a small tree form.
Caesalpinia pulcherrima is believed to be native to the West Indies and tropical America, but it has become established in tropical regions around the world.  It blooms best in full sun, and is drought-tolerant once established.

Portea petropolitana

Portea petropolitana is a large summer-blooming bromeliad that is great to plant in the landscape. 

The plant foliage grows about three feet tall, but when the flower spikes emerge in late spring, they reach heights of 5-6 feet!  The colors on the bloom spike include shades of rose, pink, purple, blue, teal, and lavender.  Like many bromeliads, the actual flowers are small and dark blue.  They barely open at the tip.

By early summer the flowering has finished, but colorful fruits start to develop in their place.  These enlarge throughout the summer, adding their own purple splash of color to the garden. 

Eventually, by late fall, the fruits start to shrivel and dry up, but by then they've provided a stunning eight month display!
Portea petropolitana will grow in sun or shade equally well.  In sun, the foliage will be a bright yellow-green, and in shade it will be a deep rich green.  The papery, reddish bracts hanging from the flower spike have more vivid color in sun.  The top photo above is of a plant in sun, the second photo was taken in the shady garden.
In the winter, plants under the canopy of trees will suffer little cold damage during freezes.  Exposed plants will be burned where frost settles on the leaves.
There are a few variations within this species.  The variety featured in this post is Portea petropolitana var. extensa.
This is one bromeliad that can't be beat for stunning color combinations and a long-lasting display!

What's New - July

Here's what's new this month:
The Papaya that froze back last winter is starting to bloom again.

Also, the first banana to bloom since the freeze is popping out a bud.

The Starfruit are sending out lots of blooms.  The fruit should be ready by September.
Sabal palms are also ready to burst into bloom with their nectar-laden flowers.
Bamboo is sending up new shoots.

The squirrels have discovered the Macadamias and they're consuming lots of the green nuts, leaving only the empty hulls for me!

What's New is my monthly roundup of miscellaneous small things happening in the garden.  What's New is published right here on the first Wednesday of every month.

For miscellaneous happenings in gardens everywhere, visit An Oregon Cottage for the Tuesday Garden Party!

Harvest Monday - July

I'm picking the last of the peaches this week.

I still have plenty of Sweet Lemon and Valencia Oranges.

The Persian Limes, White Sapote and Elderberries are just starting.

There are a few Glycosmis fruits as usual.
In the vegetable garden I'm picking yellow squash, Cherry tomatoes, Okinawa spinach, Parsley, and Basil.

To see what other gardeners are harvesting today, visit Daphne's Dandelions (the host blog of the Harvest Monday Meme).

Creature Feature - Mantis

This is a Mantis hanging on the underside of a small twig.  The Mantis is a beneficial, carnivorous insect, feeding on other insects in the garden.  There are about 2000 different species of Mantids in the world, ranging in size from 1/4 inch to 6 inches in length!

The First Friday Creature Feature happens monthly only on this blog!

Mother Nature's Artistry

This is the inner networking of a papaya plant.  The trunk froze and the outer layer of the stem sloughed off, leaving behind this intricate pattern.  Many types of plants show a similar structure inside.  In nature, beauty is NOT only skin deep!

Mother Nature's Artistry is featured here on the last day of every month.

Nidularium leprosa

Nidularium leprosa is a beautiful bromeliad that is great for shady areas. 

The plant has dark green leaves and the new growth is marked with attractive purple spots.  It has a somewhat upright growth habit and will reach about 12-14" tall, but the leaves are long and the plant has a 30 inch spread. 

As bloom-time nears, the new growth turns lavender with purple spots.  Eventually red buds emerge from the center of the plant, which turn pink as they open. 

The lavender coloration on the bracts will darken slightly and remain vivid for about two months, and then start to fade.

Nidularium leprosa prefers full to dappled shade and they appear to be fairly cold hardy.  Mine in pots under the canopy of a large tree were not damaged by temps in the upper 20°F range, but if they were in an exposed area, I would expect frost damage on the leaves. 

I have not tried these in the ground yet, but they would seem to be an ideal candidate for shady, somewhat protected areas.

Do butterflies REALLY like that plant?

That is a question we should all be asking when planning our butterfly gardens.  Lately there is a trend among commercial plant growers to claim just about any flowering plant will attract butterflies. 
One Florida grower that sells to the big box retailers actually prints a big butterfly on the side of their pots and a whole ring of little butterflies all the way around!  It doesn't actually say this is a butterfly plant, but who could blame a novice gardener for being misled?

What does "Butterfly Plant" or "Attracts Butterflies" really mean anyway?  Those phrases give no indication of whether the plant provides nectar for adults or if it is a larval food plant.  Many an uninformed gardener has no doubt purchased a plant that "attracts butterflies" only to later find the plant consumed by voracious caterpillars!  That probably wasn't what they had in mind when they made their purchase.
Another question we should be asking is "WHAT butterflies does the plant attract?"  Many common garden plants are native to other parts of the world, and have been propagated and moved around by avid gardeners.  The butterflies that were attracted to the plant in their native habitat may not even exist in your garden.

Some butterflies prefer to feed on the nectar of specific plants.  They are even more specific about where they lay their eggs.  Some caterpillars are only able to feed on a single species of plant!
So, ask lots of questions before you make your purchase.  Unfortunately, the largest plant retailers rarely have knowledgeable people on their staff.
So what's a butterfly lover to do?  You could do some research online, but here again lots of misinformation is circulating, getting copied and pasted from one website to another.

The best solution is to zero in on your local community.  Visit a neighbor who has a butterfly garden.  Go to a local park or botanical garden and watch where the butterflies spend their time.  Make your observations at various times during the day; some flowers release their nectar at specific times.  Also be aware of which butterflies you already see in your yard.  Planting the right flowers could bring more of them.  Above all don't forget to include some larval food plants.  Your butterfly population can multiply exponentially if they can live out their entire life cycle without leaving your yard!

Quisqualis indica

Quisqualis indica is a very vigorous, fast-growing vine that blooms throughout the warm months of the year.  In my garden, that is May through October.  The flowers open white in the evening, are pink by the next afternoon, and red the following day.  The clusters of blooms usually open a few flowers at a time, so multiple colors are always visible on the plant.  The blooms have a delicious, fruity, ripe-melon scent that perfumes the air for a considerable distance from the plant.

There is a very interesting study on Quisqualis flower orientation and color change here.  Apparently the flowers open white at night to attract pollinating moths and turn red to attract daytime pollinators.  The angle of the flower also changes.

New growth will reach out, twine around, and climb up anything within reach.  I've had one as high as 50 feet up in the top of a Camphor tree.  Others have reported heights up to 70 feet. 

They bloom on new growth and can be maintained as a large shrub with vigilant pruning of the tendrils.  I've also seen them trellised and loaded with blooms.  The trunk of the plant becomes very woody with age.
Quisqualis indica is sometimes known as Rangoon Creeper.  It is native to Africa, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia.  It is hardy for USDA Zones 9-11.

Large plants of Quisqualis can spread by root suckers and the species is listed as invasive in some parts of Australia.  Flowers are reported as edible and contain strong antioxident properties.  I've sampled them and they really have no flavor.  They would probably be okay mixed into salads to add color.
One other interesting feature is that as the leaves age, the petioles thicken and curve downward.  After the leaf drops, a thorn-like spur remains. 

Fathers: Plant Something!

If you are a father, always be sure and make time to plant something with your children.  The younger they are when you start planting, the better!
One of the earliest specific memories I have of my father was when we planted sweet corn together one spring. As I recall, we were planting a little patch by hand at the edge of a large field. It was a sunny, dry spring day and as we planted I could hear the plaintive cry of a bird. When I asked my father what it was, he explained that it was a "rain crow" and that it was crying for rain. I later learned that the bird crying for rain was actually a Mourning Dove. You can hear the call of the rain crow on this page.

That day in the corn field may have been the seed that started my life-long passion for planting things and watching them grow.
I had to be four years old or less when we planted that corn, because we moved from the farm when I was five.  To this day, whenever I hear the call of the rain crow, I think of planting sweet corn with my dad all those years ago.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!  Thanks for the memories!