Viewing comments posted by valleylynn

From Iran east to the western Himalaya. It is one of the only species that can naturalize in Mediterranean climates that do not have cold winters. Ref: Pacific Bulb Society http://www.pacificbulbsociety....
Introduced in 1802

Dwarf rock garden tulip. Said to be a cross between T. hageri and T. aucheriana. However, each of those species is itself in question, with T. hageri thought to be a distinct garden clone of Tulipa orphanidea complex, and T. aucheriana is a dwarf rose-pink tulip thought not to be a true species but probably a clone or hybrid with T. humilis. At any rate, this has a true "species look" to it, with brilliant copper-orange flowers on 3" (7.5 cm) stems and a light fragrance. There's a bold yellow zone at the center, with striking blue-black or green-black flares at the base, and black anthers. The outside of the flower is a lighter melon color, tinged with green. From Pacific Bulb Society: http://www.pacificbulbsociety....

Black Jack is a sport of Matrona and was the Bronze Medal winner at Plantarium 2005 in the Netherlands.
The foliage is green and light purple in the spring when it first breaks dormancy, but quickly turns a very dark purple that almost appears black.
Has think strong leaves and stems that remain upright and don't flop over.

Sprekelia formosissima is native to Mexico. They do best in well-drained alkaline soil kept dry during their winter dormancy. However, in my very wet winter and spring here in the Pacific Northwest, it has survived and bloomed two years in a row before succumbing to a gopher. I am going to try it again and plant euphorbia beside it.
They benefit from a feeding in the growing season the same as, say, tulips and daffodils.

Requires genetic material from two different clones to set seeds. Once you have mature seed it takes about 7 years for the plant to mature and bloom.

This sedum is native to the United States and can be found in it's native habitat in the AL, AR, GA, IL, KS, KY, MO, MS, OH, OK, TN, TX.
Areas of flat rocks, especially openings in cedar glades, ledges of cliffs, and bluffs, in shallow soil or in living mats of moss on rocks, often on limestone, sandstone, and chert.

It can behave as a perennial, but is mostly considered to be an annual. It reseeds readily and blooms the same year from seed.

An amazing medium sized semp that goes through wonderful color changes throughout the seasons. From a deep/dark green with a velvety texture, to an amazing red that appears to have been sprinkled with rubies when it is wet from rain and then in the fall to a lovely soft green with pink leaf tips.
I love this little sempervivum. This is my first year with it so not sure how well it will produce offsets.

This one really puts on a show in the spring with mildly fuzzy leaves, looking like they are mimicking flickering flames.

Purple Haze should have been named Chameleon. The photos say it all, just look at the color changes this heuffelii goes through.
A beautiful heuffelii that produces rosettes of beautiful color and form.
It does very well here in the Pacific Northwest. I wouldn't be without this beauty.
A must have for anyone wanting to grow heuffelii.

Mystique is one of my most productive heuffelii. Not only is it productive, but nothing seems to bother it. Not drought or our long rainy season.
In it's darker phase the leaves appear to be polished and have a nice patina to them.
It has a lovely form to the rosettes, even as they multiply the individual rosettes have a pleasing open appearance.

This Jovibara heuffelii is a cross betwee J. sobolifera and J. heuffelii 'Bronze Ingot'. I find it a very interesting plant.
Most of the year it is a very dark red color with a little green at the base of the leaves. In Oct (here in the Pacific Northwest) beautiful watermark patterns appear on the leaves. It is a stand out amongst the other heuffelii at this time of year.
What really makes this plant fun is observing the characteristics of both J. sobolifera and J. heuffelii play out in the individual plants.

Kapo is one of the few really small heuffelii. It is a good producer and makes small tight clumps.
The color range goes from mostly green with pale brown tips to bright green with very red tips. Winter months into early spring they close up fairly tight and are bronze colored.

Jade is one of my favorite heuffelii. It is one of the few heuffelii that is green year round, so breaks up all the darker colors from the other heuffelii.
It goes from an olive green in the winter to an outstanding jade green in the summer, thus the name Jade. : )
This one can be a bit fussy when it comes to our rainy season (winter into spring), but with extra care in providing it fast draining soil in the raised bed and putting extra chicken grit around the base of it, it came through without too much damage.
Slower to produce more rosettes, at least for me in my growing conditions.

I have had this heuffelii for a year now and it has not produced more rosettes.
It did struggle with our drought season last summer and did not have a chance to recover and grow a strong root system before the rainy season arrived.
It is now a healthy plant, so hope to see it flourish and reproduce spring of 2012.
As of Oct 2011 it is a beautiful, symmetrical heuffelii.

Bronze Ingot is a good producing heuffelii and has nice color changes throughout the year. From mostly green with pale red tips to mostly dark bronze with bright green at the base of each leaf.
Seems to handle all weather conditions easily here in the Pacific Northwest.

Heuffelii 'Blaze' could not have received a more accurate name. Starting in the spring the colors start intensifying and continue through the summer, until they look like they are ablaze. It is really outstanding if they are back lit by the sun.
This is another heuffelii that produces well and seems to hold up to all types of weather conditions. It has done very well in our extremely long, wet rainy season.
I do incorporate chicken grit into the soil in the raised beds, that helps keep them well drained and helps prevent rot.
Once established they are very drought tolerant.

I find this to be a very productive and sturdy heuffelii. Here in my Pacific Northwest climate it seems to stay dark colored almost year round.
My favorite month for this plant is June. I love the way the leaves elongate and become narrower and the color at that time of year is very pleasing to me. At times the leaves appear to be frosted, as the silvery cilia lining them becomes more pronounced.
A great heuffelii.

In 2005, based on molecular DNA sequence evidence, Belamcanda chinensis, the sole species in the genus Belamcanda, was transferred to the genus Iris and renamed Iris domestica.

David Tristam branch sport selection of Euphorbia x martinii, its unique features are a rosette of bright red bracts during winter.
Remove flower heads after blooming.

Easy to grow in well draining soil. I planted it next to my lilies and it truly did keep the gophers away. For two years now I have been able to grow lilies.

This is a very easy plant and does not require much care.
It won't do well if you over water; it is very drought tolerant.
It is a very compact plant that is considered to be a hybrid of C. x portulacea by some experts. (a supposed cross between Crassula argentea and C. lactea).
Leaves are tubular, trumpet shaped, each of them tipped with a "suction cup" and are glossy green in color with very light spotting usually with bright red leaf margins; the new growth is red.
Blooms are small, star-like, white or pinkish-white, with pink stamens.
Can be bothered by mealy bugs during the winter when it blooms.

I have not had any problems with this plant in any way.

Echeveria runyonii 'Topsy Turvy' is one of the true monstrose forms of Echeveria that "breeds true" and won't revert back to its natural form.

Echeveria runyonii is a Mexican native to rocky cliffs, discovered in the wild by Yucca Do Nursery in 1990 and named in honor of Dr. Runyon, who brought a Mexican garden specimen into the US in the early 1900s. Echeveria 'Topsy Turvy' is a unique form, named by former Huntington Gardens Director Myron Kimnack.

Dry soil and good drainage in winter are keys to survival in cold climates.

S. 'Ali' is one of my favorite arach. type semps. Nothing seems to bother it, not our rainy season or our 2 months of drought. It forms wonderful colonies of small (up to 2" across) web covered rosettes. It is also a prolific producer of offsets.
When it blooms it forms beautiful clusters of bright pink flowers that the bees find very attractive.