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Climbing
Onion, Sea Onion Bowiea volubilis syn. Schizobasopsis volubilis
This is a strange little decorative plant I would not
recommend trying to eat and it is not generally considered
'edible.' I have seen it in gardens as far
north as Rhode Island in the US and as far south as Guatemala
in Latin America. I think it is one of those oddities serious
garden folks just can't resist.
Benefits: The climbing onion is still widely
used in Africa for a substantial variety of medicinal ailments.
From: The Bowiea volubilis is
native in and between
Kenya
and South Africa.
Planting
and
Care: The climbing onion is a perennial that thrives in dry and desert regions of eastern and southern Africa. Plant it outdoors in well draining gritty, sandy soil in a place that receives full sun. As an alternative, plant this strange little plant in a pot that will reside in the sun or
in a semi shady place. Don't give it too much water and you can sit back, watch
it grow and wonder at nature's peculiarities.
Text
and Photographs ©KO 2010 and ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013/2018 |
Photographed: In
the Blithewold Garden in Bristol, Rhode Island 2013.
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Photographed: At
the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, 2010.
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Cow Tongue Gasteria
armstrongii Schönland
Benefits:
From: South Africa
Photographed: In the Botanic Garden in Wellington, New
Zealand, 2013
Planting and Care: In its native habitat this little plant
grows in rocky soil.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013
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ECHEVERIAS |
**Echeveria
Setosa Echeveria
setosa sp.
This is a very sweet small plant that we now have
growing in a turtle shaped clay pot. It does very well with
a lot of sun or in a semi shady garden spot too.
From: South America
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden
at the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and Care: Plant these interesting
succulents in a sunny or semi shady place where they will
generally do fine with infrequent, but routine rainfall.
If you live in a place with a wet rainy season, keep this
plant in a pot on the terrace where you only have to water
it every few days.
Text & Photograph ©KO 2012 and ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2018 |
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Echeveria Echeveria
nodulosa sp.
From: Mexico
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden at the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan
in Guatemala.
Planting and care: This 8" plant prefers to be in a place
in the garden where it receives either morning or afternoon sun. It is not frost
hardy.
Text & Photograph Copyrighted ©KO
2010 |
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Fire
and Ice, Red Tide Echeveria subrigida
Benefits:
From: Mexico
Photographed: In the Blithewold Garden in Bristol, Rhode Island
2013.
Planting and Care: This plant will grow to be about 1 foot high
and 1 to 2 feet wide. It will grow in sun or shade and is tolerant of both drought
and even some frost. This sounds to me like a plant made in heaven.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013 |
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**Hens & Chicks Echeveria
elegans or Sempervivum Sp. or Sempervivum soboliferum or Graptopetalum or Aeonium
arboreum
This is a lovely plant with circular rosettes of fleshy ice green leaves. This
plant thrived in a pot on our Taxco, Mexico, apartment terrace and we had small
one growing in a pot in Montserrat, but it never seemed healthy and it finally
succumbed. We now have one growing in our new cactus garden in Panajachel, Guatemala.
From: The Mediterranean
Photographed: In a pot on our terrace in Taxco, Mexico, 2008.
Planting and Care: It likes some shade from the hotter mid-day sun and
a medium amount of water. It multiplies wonderfully as its name implies so there
are large, medium, and tiny rose like sets of leaves at all times. It benefits
greatly from a twice yearly cleaning of the old leaves and stems; it will look
scraggly for a short while then be twice as beautiful as before.
Text & Photograph ©Krika.com
2008, 2010 |
Photographed: In
our garden at our former home in Montserrat, 2008.
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Photographed: In
the Blithewold Garden in Bristol, Rhode Island 2013.
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Hens
and Chicks Sempervivum
Benefits:
From: Europe and the northern part of Africa
Photographed: In the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens,
Boothbay Maine, 2013.
Planting and Care: Plant these easy folks in rocky well
drained soil in a sunny or partially shaded area and they should do just
fine. They will make an excellent addition to any xeriscape garden.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013 |
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Photographed: In
the Palermo Botanical Garden in Sicily, Italy, 2012.
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Houseleek
Tree, Black Rose Aeonium arboreum syn.
Sempervivum arboreum
This is a family of plants that closely resemble the rosette pattern
of hens and chicks which has had me going in circles trying to figure
out what they all were. Maybe you've had the same problem so here's the
solution. These plants grow on stalks while hens and chicks remain on
the ground. Sounds easy now, but I've spent a lot of time on this one.
From: The
Canary Islands
Text
and Photograph Copyrighted ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013
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Photographed: In
the Botanical Garden in Naples, Italy, 2012.
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Photographed: In the Blithewold Garden in Bristol, Rhode Island 2013.
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The Rose Echeveria x hybrida
I found the icy green with tinges of pink on the edges especially appealing.
Benefits:
From: This is a hybrid done I think by a German fellow
Photographed: In the Blithewold Garden in Bristol, Rhode Island
2013.
Planting and Care: Plant this in full sun and never in
a place that will receive frost. Keep it relatively dry and it should do
just fine.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013 |
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Large
Mediterranean Spurge Euphorbia-cespugliosa
Benefits:
From:
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden in Naples, Italy, in 2014.
Planting and Care:
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2015 |
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Mediterranean
Spurge Euphorbia characias
Benefits: Its
toxic sap has been used to treat skin disorders for
many centuries.
From: Southern Europe,
the Balkans and Turkey
Photographed: In the Palermo Botanical
Garden in Sicily, Italy.
Planting and Care: I found this plant growing in both
full sun and in the shade. It seemed to be doing fine either
way. It does like it rather dry
and it doesn't mind salt too much so it would be a good plant for properties
near the ocean.
Text
and Photographs ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2012/2018 |
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Medusa's
Head Euphorbia caput-medusae L.
Benefits:
From: S. Africa
Photographed: In the Palermo Botanical Garden in Sicily, Italy.
Planting and Care: Looking much like a cactus, it also has similar
preferences. It likes to grow in full sun or bright partial shade, it likes it
dry and warmer
than 45 degrees F.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2012 |
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Resin
Spurge, Moroccan Mound Euphorbia resinifera Berg.
Benefits:
From: Morocco
Photographed: In the Palermo Botanical Garden in Sicily, Italy.
Planting and Care: This cold hardy succulent grows naturally
on mountain slopes. Given good conditions, including full sun and limited water,
it will
grow to be 1 to 2 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2012 |
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Please Contact Me If You Know What This Plant Is Called.
Succulent Mystery #1
This may be some type of Euphorbia.
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Green
Lady, Tree Houseleek, Irish Rose Aeonium arboreum
Benefits: Except for its appealing qualities,
I didn't find any other benefits.
From: The Canary Islands
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden in Palermo, Sicily, in
Italy in 2012.
Planting and Care: The green lady will normally grow to be about
3 feet tall and will produce lots of yellow flowers on the tops of its stems.
It likes pretty poor soil with sand and even rocks. A place in the garden with
full sun most of the day will be just fine. It does appreciate some afternoon
protection from hot sun. Watering these plants correctly really is the only tricky
thing about them, but if you think 'sparingly' you'll do just fine. It is not
frost free. If you live in a warm climate this may be a good plant for your garden.
Text
and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2012/2018
This
green plant has a black fraternal twin called Houseleek Tree or Black
Rose. See it on the "H" Page. |
Haworthia Haworthia
coarctata
Benefits:
From: South Africa
Photographed: In the Carlos Thays Botanical
Garden in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Planting and Care: As with most succulents, Haworthia likes
to settle into well drained slightly gritty soil. They commonly prefer shade
from burning afternoon sun and a little more water than many other succulents.
When you see the red color as on the right it is sunburn. Even though it is considered "attractive" by
plant shoppers, I doubt the plant likes it very much.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2014 |
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HYLOCEREUS |
**Hylocereus,
Pitaya Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) BRITT. and
ROSE or Selenicereus sp.
We found one of these growing in the forest on
the way to Tenerillas a small village outside of Taxco, Mexico.
We took a piece and brought it to plant at our former home
in Montserrat where it was doing just fine when we sold the
property. Here at the lake we walk early in the morning and
discovered a very large pitaya plant growing by a wall in
an abandoned property. As luck would have it, the next day
there were workmen there and we asked for a small piece of
the plant. He climbed the tree and cut a huge branch for
us which was big enough that we had to put it on the roof
of a tuk tuk to get it home. We quickly planted it and in
short order had a flower bud and then our first fruit that
you'll see in the photographs below.
From: Mexico and Central America
Planting and Growth: Liking sun or semi shade and routine
rainfall or watering, the hylocereus is easy to care for and appears to be
resistant to most insects. It does appreciate fertilizer now and then. Its
flowers and fruit are fabulous!
To
see a magnificent wall of hylocereus click here Oaxaca
Botanical Garden.
Text and Photographs Copyrighted ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013 |
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**Hylocereus,
Pitaya, Red Pitaya, Dragonfruit, Night Blooming Cereus,
Belle of the Night Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) BRITT.
and ROSE or Selenicereus sp.
We found one of these growing in the
forest on the way to Tenerillas a small village
outside of Taxco, Mexico. We took a piece and brought
it to plant at our former home in Montserrat where
it was doing just fine when we sold the property.
Here at the lake we walk early in the morning and
discovered a very large pitaya plant growing by
a wall in an abandoned property. As luck would
have it, the next day there were workmen there
and we asked for a small piece of the plant. He
climbed the tree and cut a huge branch for us which
was big enough that we had to put it on the roof
of a tuk tuk to get it home. We quickly planted
it and in short order had a flower bud and then
our first fruit that you'll see in the photographs
below.
From: Mexico and Central America
Planting and Growth: Liking sun or semi shade and routine
rainfall or watering, the hylocereus is easy to care for and appears
to be resistant to most insects. It does appreciate fertilizer now and
then. Its flowers and fruit are fabulous!
To
see a magnificent wall of hylocereus click here Oaxaca
Botanical Garden.
Text and Photographs Copyrighted ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013
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These
photographs were taken on the night of the bloom. We took our chairs
out to the garden and enjoyed the show. Not too long afterwards
we also enjoyed the fruit. |
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Ice
Plants -- Please see the I Page |
Jade
Plants -- Please see the J Page |
Jatrophas
-- Please see the J Page -- Jatropha |
Jelly
Bean Cactus -- Please see the J Page |
Kalanchoes -- Please see the K Page |
Madagascar Palm -- Please see the M page |
Mexican
Grass Tree Dasylirion longissimum
This could be the perfect dramatic centerpiece in a xeriscape garden.
Benefits: I didn't find anything except that it is deer resistant.
From: Chihuahuan Desert and other xeric habitats in Northeastern Mexico.
Photographed: On the right and at the bottom in the Wellington
Botanic Garden in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2013. Below on the left in the
Botanical Garden in Palermo, Sicily, in 2012, and on the right at the Botanical
Garden in Naples, Italy, in 2014.
Planting
and Care: This is an amazing succulent plant with long grass like leaves
growing from a stiff trunk that will reach as much as 15 feet in length as you
can see in the photographs below. The Mexican grass tree is a slow grower that
prefers a sunny location in a warm dry climate. They will grow faster with regular
watering, but take care as these plants are true lovers of the desert.
Text and Photographs ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2014/2018 |
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Night Blooming Cereus Cereus
epiphyllum oxypetalum
We had one of these growing in a large pot on our terrace in Taxco, Mexico,
and have now got a couple of plants growing in Montserrat. I have read
they can spread their branches to sixty feet and that doesn't seem extraordinary
when you see how fast they'll grow in a 12" pot. The cereus looks
much like a plant that should be growing in the sea with its long flat
succulent leaves. It blooms once a year usually in late spring, at night,
with a dizzying scent. The flowers fade by morning, but it is well worth
the wait. In Mexico, we always brought the plant in to the living room
on the night it was blooming and we enjoyed the flowering while sitting
comfortably on the couch. Now that they are outside in the garden here
in Montserrat, we'll have to venture out there around midnight to see
the show. Venturing out there is not so appealing when we think of the
many 3" tarantulas that roam the gardens after dark.
Photographed: In our terrace garden at our apartment
in Oaxaca, Mexico, and at the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and Care: This is a tropical rainforest plant
that thrives in semi-shade with regular rainfall or watering. In strong
sunlight it will burn and look very sad though it will probably still
produce a few blooms.
Text
and Photographs ©KO 2010 |
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As
you can easily see, these are two different varieties, but
they all seem to grow the same and give the same or very similar
exquisite flowers. |
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**Pencil
Tree Cactus, Indian Tree Spurge, Naked Lady,
Aveloz, Milk bush, Petroleum Plant Euphorbia
tirucalli
This cactus has relatively hidden spines, tiny leaves and looks very much like
it should be growing under water.
Benefits: Its
sap is said to be poisonous enough to be used on both rats and insects.
From: Africa
Photographed: In
our front border gardens at our former home in Montserrat.
Planting and Care: The
pencil tree cactus really is a tree and it likes to get to that size very
quickly. It is easily propagated; just stick a stem in the ground and soon
it will be off and running. Plant it in the sun and give it routine rainfall
or watering until it has taken. Then you can let it be pretty much on its
own and it will do just fine. It is tropical and would not take well to
a winter of any kind.
Text
and Photographs ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2008/2010/2013 |
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Pencil
Tree (2), Firesticks, Aveloz, Indian Tree Spurge, Naked Lady,
Sticks on Fire Euphorbia tirucalli rosea
It was interesting to see this pencil tree growing in Rhode Island, a small
state in the northeastern US, when my experience with one was in the Caribbean
at our former home in Montserrat. This one seemed sunburned which compared
to sunburns plants can get in the Caribbean seemed greatly overdone. As it
turns out this is a pencil tree of a different color so to speak.
Benefits:
From: Africa
Photographed: In the Blithewold Garden in Bristol, Rhode Island
2013.
Planting and Care:
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013
Note: "E.
tirucalli is a hydrocarbon plant that produces a poisonous latex
which can, with little effort, be converted to the equivalent
of gasoline. This led chemist Melvin Calvin to propose the exploitation
of E. tirucalli for producing oil. This usage is particularly
appealing because of the ability of E. tirucalli to grow on land
that is not suitable for most other crops." From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia. |
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PEPEROMIA
Apparently
this is a large family of plants, but to me they appear
to be very distant cousins. That being said, a lot of them
are very attractive and I've had many living happily as house
plants. |
Photographed: At
the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. |
**Peperomia,
Radiator Plant Peperomia
polybotrya
Until a recent visit to Guatemala, I had never
seen Peperomia growing outside in a garden as in the
photograph on the right. They were always house plants.
Their thick shiny leaves are very appealing.
From: South America
Planting and Care: This is not
an uncommon house plant where it will live in
a partially sunny window just fine. Water it
when the soil feels dry and try to avoid getting
the main stem wet. In a warm climate garden plant
them where they will receive bright light, but
not direct sun. Give them a rich organic soil,
watering occasionally if it doesn't rain.
Text and Photographs ©KO
2010 and ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013/2018 |
Photographed: At
the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
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Photographed: In
the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney, Australia, in 2013.
As you can see this is a tolerant plant handling deep shade to partial sun
with equal ease.
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Pincushion
Peperomia Peperomia
ferreyrae
This pretty plant will remain small growing at maturity
to be only about 12 inches in height.
Benefits:
From: Peru
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden at the Hotel Atitlan
on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Planting
and Care: This plant is not frost hardy,
but it requires little care to be at its best as it prefers rather less water
rather than more and it likes a semi shady situation in the garden. I think
because of its small size in colder climates it lives permanently as a potted
plant.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013/2018
No
Longer a Mystery thanks to Peter at http:www/cactusjungle.com |
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Red
Edge Peperomia, Red Margin Peperomia Peperomia clusiifolia
It came as a surprise to me to learn that peperomias are in the same family as
the plant that gives us black pepper. These are relatively easy plants to care
for and their foliage is appealing all around the year.
Benefits:
From: Tropical Americas
Photographed: Badly, at the Winter Garden in
Auckland, New Zealand.
Planting and Care: These are sub-tropical
or tropical plants so they like it warm. They will do well in bright shade
or semi shady areas of the garden in a loamy soil with good drainage and routine
rainfall or watering. As indoor plants, they prefer to have a window setting
with bright light.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2014/2018
This
'Plant
Mystery' was solved by Glenn a visitor to my website who lives
in Brisbane, Australia. Many thanks, Glenn. |
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**Watermelon
Peperomia Peperomia sandersii or Peperomia
argyreia
This is a very appealing plant I think especially as a house plant for
its ease of care and attractiveness. I had one in my Beacon Hill apartment
when I was a university student in the area.
Benefits:
From: Warm places in South America
Photographed: In the Winter Garden in Auckland, New
Zealand
Planting and Care: This is a warm climate garden plant
that likes a semi-shady garden home or a northern climate house plant
that wants a bright window with no sun. Either way don't let it dry out
too much.
Text
and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2014/2018
As
I almost never can remember the names of plants this
Mystery was solved by Glenn a visitor to my website who
lives in Brisbane, Australia. Many thanks for your help,
Glenn.
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SEDUMS |
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Chinese
Sedum Sedum tetractinum
I first saw this plant as in the photograph
used as a hanging plant along an exterior corridor.
From: China
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden
at the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and Care: With a reasonable
amount of rainfall or watering this plant will
do well in full sun or in a semi shady place in
your garden. It will assume an upright growth habit
if given ample light, but will be as happy creeping
along the ground where it does not bask in the
sun.
Text & Photograph Copyrighted ©KO
2010
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SENECIOS |
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Senecio Senecio
serpens sp.
This is a member of one of those very large generic families of plants
whose members only rarely have a common name in general usage. The family
has something of a mishmash of plants from appealing succulents like
this to unappealing weeds.
From: South Africa
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden at the Hotel
Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and Care: Full sun with only moderate water
will keep this plant growing well. It will eventually reach about 3
or 4 feet in height.
Text & Photograph Copyrighted ©KO
2010 |
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Narrow
Leaf Chalksticks, Serpents-Blue-Chalk-Fingers Senecio
vitalis
This pretty plant will grow to be about 18 inches tall and 2 to 3 feet
wide when it is mature. I find its color particularly appealing even though
it is a little less blue than the family member above.
Benefits:
From:
Photographed: In the Blithewold Garden in Bristol, Rhode
Island 2013.
Planting and Care: Plant in partial to full sun
and water reasonably frequently until the plant takes, reducing water
to rainfall with an occasional sprinkling if experiencing a drought.
This plant is relatively hardy in the north.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2018 |
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