Australian and Succulent Garden at UC Santa Cruz Arboretum (summer 2016 edition)

Two weeks ago I made a quick trip to the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum. I’ve already posted about the beauties in the South African Garden. Now it’s time to take a look at what caught my eye in the Australian Garden. I’ll also show you a few photos from the small Succulent Garden, and we’ll end our visit at Norrie’s, the gift and plant shop near the parking lot. Yes, I did buy a few goodies to bring home.

In contrast to the South African Garden, which had a ton going on even in the middle of summer, the Australian Garden was a bit more subdued. Fall seems to be a better time, based on my limited experience.

Now that doesn’t mean the Australian Garden was boring. Far from it. Many grevilleas were blooming (when aren’t they?), and the gum trees are spectacular year round.

Let’s take a look.

Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’

Grevillea ‘Austraflora Fanfare’

Grevillea ‘Red Hooks’

Grevillea ‘Red Hooks’

Baeckia densifolia, a shrub in the myrtle family

Banksia marginata seed pods

In Australia, banksia seed pods are very popular in woodworking

Banksia marginata, emerging inflorescence

Banksia marginata, fully open inflorescence

Darling Range ghost gum (Eucalyptus laeliae)

Darling Range ghost gum (Eucalyptus laeliae)

Candlebark (Eucalyptus rubida)

Snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora)

Snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora)

Snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora)

NOID eucalyptus

Weeping snow gum (Eucalyptus lacrimans)

NOID eucalyptus

Weeping form of Oven’s wattle (Acacia pravissima ‘Golden Carpet’)

Weeping form of Oven’s wattle (Acacia pravissima ‘Golden Carpet’)

Lilly pilly or brush cherry (Syzygium australe)

Strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum). I had no idea strawflowers were from Australia! My mother used to grow these annuals when I was little.

Tassel cord rush (Baloskion tetraphyllum), an Australian member of the restio family

Grevillea ‘Boongala Spoonbill’

Grevillea ‘Boongala Spoonbill’

Grevillea ‘Boongala Spoonbill’

Grevillea ‘Superb’, probably my favorite grevillea hybrid

Grevillea ‘Superb’ (with strawflower)

Grevillea ‘Superb’

Grevillea ‘Superb’ with pearl bluebush (Maireana sedifolia)

I don’t remember seeing Maireana sedifolia before but now I want one. San Marcos Growers says it thrives in alkaline soils—perfect for Davis! Now I just to find one.

Kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos flavidus). This is what kangaroo paws should look like: tall and stately.

Cordyline ‘Festival Grass’. I remember this spectacular plant from my previous visits. I tried one once but it died a slow, miserable death. Clearly it prefers the mild climate of Santa Cruz where temperatures rarely climb beyond the mid 80s.

Cordyline ‘Festival Grass’

The cordyline above is on the edge of the Succulent Garden located across the road from Norrie’s, the gift and plant shop.

Compared to the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley, and especially the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, the UCSC Succulent Garden is tiny. Essentially, it’s just a small hillside. But it’s still a good way to show Santa Cruz residents which succulents flourish in their cool-ish coastal climate.

Aloe arborescens

Five years ago I bemoaned the fact that the Succulent Garden looked neglected and poorly maintained, an unfortunate result of budget cuts. It looks much better now, especially the newly planted beds (next two photos).

In what has become a tradition, my last stop was at Norrie’s. For a gift shop, it has a nice selection of plants, especially California natives and shrubs from South Africa and Australia.

Norrie’s as seen from the Succulent Garden

South African shrubs

LEFT: Leucadendron argenteum  RIGHT: Leucadendron ‘Jester’

Norrie’s as seen from the parking lot. The Succulent Garden is right behind the building. The South African Garden is to the right.

I brought home three plants from Norrie’s:

• Banksia grandis ‘Compact Coastal Form’. In contrast to the regular form of Banksia grandis, which can easily top 25 feet, this compact cultivar should stay below 8 feet. It’ll go in the far corner of the backyard. It’s a beautiful shrub.
• Xanthorrhoea preissii, an Australian grass tree that grows to 20 ft. in its native habitat. That, however, takes many decades. The plant I bought is in a 1-gallon nursery pot and is about 10 inches tall. A general rule of thumb says that xanthorrhoeas grow at a rate of 1 inch per year so even under optimal conditions it’ll take another 20 years to reach 3 feet.
• Adenanthos cuneatus ‘Coral Drift’, a UC Santa Cruz Arboretum Koala Blooms introduction. This low-growing Australian shrub (2x3 ft.) is perfect for the front of a flower bed. New growth is a pinkish purple. It has tiny red flowers reminiscent of grevilleas.

It’s still too hot for planting here in Davis so I have some time to decide where it want to put my new additions.

RELATED POST:

South African splendor at UC Santa Cruz Arboretum (summer 2016 edition)