View allAll Photos Tagged droughttolerant
This Flower Carpet Red closeup with a sundial shows the beauty of the drought-tolerant, easy-care, low-growing family of Flower Carpet roses.
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Stapelia asterias
Common Name(s): Carrion Plant
Synonym(s):
Native Habitat: South Africa
Flower: Burgandy, Purple
Cultivar Availability: Rare
R. Porch's Private Collection
A showy species of purslane is shown in bloom at Plants for All Seasons, a nursery in Klein Texas (6610 Louetta Rd‎ Spring, TX 77379). According to the Horticulture folks at Texas AM University "Purslane is a heat-tolerant, drought-tolerant flower which is sometimes referred to as the Dolly Parton flower because it blooms from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The new, larger-flowered Eubi-type purslanes are just as spectacular and show- stopping as Miss Dolly's personal attributes." Shown here is one of the showy varieties Portulaca grandiflora which is native to Brazil. The great thing about this flower is it is easy to grow in the hot and sometimes dry summer conditions in Houston where I live. The only annoying thing is it does take direct sun for the blossoms to open up and the plant looks pretty ragged on a cloudy day, in the evening and, of course, at night. Another great thing about this species and other species in the Purslane family is that they are edible. Not only can you eat the plant but turns out that it is good for you. Purslane has a high content of alpha linolenic acid, a type of the omega-3 fatty acids. According to Texas A&M, "It may affect human health directly, but the most intriguing possibility is that the human body might be able to convert into other, related kinds of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) found in fish oils. Researchers see evidence that these substances lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as make the blood less likely to form clots. But ages before this scientific finding, purslane was eaten as treatment for arthritis, inflammation and heart disease and to promote general good health." Pursalane has been used for centuries in cooking in Europe, The Middle East and Asia and is part of the culinary culture in places like Turkey, Greece, Albanian, Portugal and even Aboriginal Australia. It is used as a vegetable (prepared like spinach), in soups, in casseroles, in stir fries; as a garnish, in stews and in salads.
About its uses in cooking Texas A&M reports "Purslane is a succulent low-growing plant and is very tasty and crunchy. The entire plant can be used, the stems being most succulent. Purslane grows all over the world, often in disturbed soil. Purslane can be used as the main salad ingredient, lightly seasoned with diced onion, vinegar, and oil. The plant is good cooked with soups, steamed, sautéed, or pickled. Try adding it to omelets."
Many know purlane as a weed. Some of the less showy species of the family are called nuances by most gardeners in the US. One of the biggest culprits is Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), which is also called as Verdolaga, Pigweed, Little Hogweed, Pursley, and Moss Rose. I have spent years pulling it out of my flower beds and garden. Who knew I could eat it. I should have been making salads!
Thoreau reportedly used and enjoyed purslane, and he wrote of the plant, "I have made a satisfactory dinner off a dish of purslane which I gathered and boiled. Yet men have come to such a pass that they frequently starve, not from want of necessaries, but for want of luxuries."
Lampranthus aureus.
An iceplant native to South Africa.
In California, this and similar iceplants are popular. They are tough, drought-adapted, and fire-resistant, and they feature big displays of brilliant spring-time color.
Streetside planting in San Diego, California.
March 2, 2010.
Family: Aloaceae
Genus: Aloe juvenna
Common Name(s): Aloe, Tiger Tooth Aloe
Synonym(s):
Distribution: Kenya - Africa
Flower: Pink
Cultivar Availability: Common Locally in Some Areas
R. Porch's Private Collection
Gorgeous native agave in bloom, stunning to see in person
Interesting en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_shawii
Look at the large size and check out the eyes of the bee on the right (in focus). You can see the blue sky reflected in the eye on our right, and the pink coneflower petals reflected in the eye on our left.
Creeping Thyme (left)
Pink Creeping Baby's Breath (center)
Silver Edged Horehound (right)
These plants live well together in the hot rock garden on the south side of the house. They grow around the edges of the flagstone stepping stones. The horehound is the tallest, about 6-7 inches, and is a favorite food source of native mason and bumble bees. It is also evergreen, while the thyme and baby's breath go dormant in the fall.
Family: Portulacaceae
Genus: Anacampseros karasmontana
Common Name(s):
Synonym(s):
Native Habitat: Southern Namibia; Northern Cape Province, South Africa
Flower: Pink
Cultivar Availability: Unusual
R Porch's Private Collection
Flower Carpet White roses look heavenly in the border and make your landscape really pop. Low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, easy-care landscape or groundcover roses. www.tesselaar.com
Echeveria 'Topsy Turvy, believed to be a variant of Echeveria runyonii, forms upswept rosettes to 6" or more in diameter. The leaves are tubular with widened tips, and icy silver blue in color. 'Topsy Turvy' is considered by some to be a monstrose form, as the leaves are tubular, whereas the leaves of Echeveria runyonii are somewhat flattened, fleshy and have rounded tips. A very easily grown plant that is excellent for windowsill culture, in the rock garden or as a patio plant. In habitat, many Echeverias grow on rocky outcroppings at higher altitudes. In this habitat, the water drains quickly away from the roots of the plant, never allowing the plant to remain waterlogged. For this reason, it is essential in cultivation to use a very porous soil, which will allow quick drainage. Bright light is required to prevent "stretching" of Echeverias ("stretching" occurs when a moderately fast growing plant such as an Echeveria, is grown in dim light or over-fertilized, which causes overly lush growth that contributes to weak, pallid plants). Water thoroughly when soil is dry to the touch. Protect from frost.
www.gardenamerica.com/store/Crassulaceae-Echeveria-hybrid...
A showy species of purslane is shown in bloom at Plants for All Seasons, a nursery in Klein Texas (6610 Louetta Rd‎ Spring, TX 77379). According to the Horticulture folks at Texas AM University "Purslane is a heat-tolerant, drought-tolerant flower which is sometimes referred to as the Dolly Parton flower because it blooms from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The new, larger-flowered Eubi-type purslanes are just as spectacular and show- stopping as Miss Dolly's personal attributes." Shown here is one of the showy varieties Portulaca grandiflora which is native to Brazil. The great thing about this flower is it is easy to grow in the hot and sometimes dry summer conditions in Houston where I live. The only annoying thing is it does take direct sun for the blossoms to open up and the plant looks pretty ragged on a cloudy day, in the evening and, of course, at night. Another great thing about this species and other species in the Purslane family is that they are edible. Not only can you eat the plant but turns out that it is good for you. Purslane has a high content of alpha linolenic acid, a type of the omega-3 fatty acids. According to Texas A&M, "It may affect human health directly, but the most intriguing possibility is that the human body might be able to convert into other, related kinds of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) found in fish oils. Researchers see evidence that these substances lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as make the blood less likely to form clots. But ages before this scientific finding, purslane was eaten as treatment for arthritis, inflammation and heart disease and to promote general good health." Purslane has been used for centuries in cooking in Europe, The Middle East and Asia and is part of the culinary culture in places like Turkey, Greece, Albanian, Portugal and even Aboriginal Australia. It is used as a vegetable (prepared like spinach), in soups, in casseroles, in stir fries; as a garnish, in stews and in salads.
About its uses in cooking Texas A&M reports "Purslane is a succulent low-growing plant and is very tasty and crunchy. The entire plant can be used, the stems being most succulent. Purslane grows all over the world, often in disturbed soil. Purslane can be used as the main salad ingredient, lightly seasoned with diced onion, vinegar, and oil. The plant is good cooked with soups, steamed, sautéed, or pickled. Try adding it to omelets."
Many know purslane as a weed. Some of the less showy species of the family are called nuisances by most gardeners in the US. One of the biggest culprits is Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), which is also called as Verdolaga, Pigweed, Little Hogweed, Pursley, and Moss Rose. I have spent years pulling it out of my flower beds and garden. Who knew I could eat it. I should have been making salads!
Thoreau reportedly used and enjoyed purslane, and he wrote of the plant, "I have made a satisfactory dinner off a dish of purslane which I gathered and boiled. Yet men have come to such a pass that they frequently starve, not from want of necessaries, but for want of luxuries."
This is a beautiful cold hardy palm that is very easy to grow. It is also drought tolerant, inexpensive and readily available at nurseries and discount stores. Like many palms, the pindo produces an elaborate flowering structure called an inflorescence - the orange fruit forms on these structures after the female flowers have been pollinated. In the deep south, a jelly is made from these fruits. They have a terrific taste that starts out like apple and tranforms to tart tropical flavors as it tantalizes the tongue. Too bad the fruit has a large seed and stringy fibrous flesh or I would eat them by the handful!
This palm produces a large quantity of fruit, which can be a nuisance, as ripening fruit attracts wasps and other insects. Remove flower stalks to avoid messy cleanups.
mobile.floridata.com/Plants/Arecacea/Butia%20capitata/15
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Stapelia asterias
Common Name(s): Carrion Plant
Synonym(s):
Native Habitat: South Africa
Flower: Burgandy, Purple
Cultivar Availability: Rare
R. Porch's Private Collection
Finally! Two months after the closed buds appeared, the flowers are just starting to peep out of their bracts (the neat little boxes that give this succulent its common name). We're supposed to have a big rainstorm all week, so I thought I'd get in a shot now in case they look beat up later.
These were shot from underneath, looking up, because the flowers are otherwise so inconspicuous. Most of the petals don't even open as much as the one on the left does. The profuse clusters of boxy green bracts are the main attention-getter on this plant. As the blooms mature, dozens of new plantlets enlarge along the stems (see the note on the picture--the bokeh area shows one).
Bryophyllum, from the Greek for "bryo-" (sprout or swelling) plus "phyllon" (leaf), is the newer classification for Kalanchoes that propagate by little plantlets or bulbils along their leaves or stems.
Lythraceae Punica granatum 'Nana'. Spotted this shrub in one of the oddest places: right in the middle of The Fremont Street Experience. The shrub is part of an ornamental xeriscape at downtown Las Vegas, Nevada.
Because of water restrictions in Southern California, my wife and I are converting our garden to one that needs less water. We saw these beautiful plants at the Water Conservation Gardens located at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon. The botanical name is Echium candicans.
Matilija poppy large bush- Romneya coulteri growing at Las Pilitas Nursery, Escondido CA. It is even more impressive in person. Matilija poppy stands out among the landscape. This time of year the flowers are abundant and long lasting.
California native plant, saw one of these girthy flowers with 5 of the most exited bees I ever saw crawling all over in the giant pollen centers. These impressive 'fried egg' flowers shine like golden beacons to pollinators.
The plant may grow up to 8 feet tall and very wide, definitely an outstanding show when in bloom. Romneya coulteri is endemic to California and Baja California in Mexico. Thrives in full sun and well drained soil. Plant can vigorously sprout from creeping rootstock.
Matilija poppy (ma-TIL-i-ha or ma-til-EE-ha) is named after Chief Matilija of the Chumash Tribe. In the stalk, there is a clear to yellowish liquid substance that the Cahuilla used to drink. The plant is used medicinally for skin and gum problems and stomach upset. The Chumash people believed the petals of the flower are like the soul of a maiden, who died of a broken heart. Their Chumash gods transformed her into the pure white petal. This plant grows from the Sespe Creek Drainage in Ventura county south to Temescal canyon and into Baja California. This poppy shares its name with Matilija Canyon north of the town of Ojai, where the beautiful plants are said to protect the grave of the daughter of the Matilija Indian tribe's chief.
I am on a mission for the native wildlife, this photo is part of the collection. Check it out: WestcoastWildlife.com
After our visit to the succulent cafe and walk on the pier, we consulted Yelp for a burger joint close by (the wait for Ruby's on the pier was almost an hour) and chose Ty's Burger House. To my surprise they had an awesome outdoor garden with tons of succulents and a great spot to chill and eat what turned out to be fantastic hamburgers!!
The fruit of Stinking Gourd can be cooked like a squash when very young. It becomes quite bitter as it matures. Spreading perennial to 25' with yellow flowers June through August. Commonly found in chaparral and coastal sage scrub in southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico. Odor comes from the foliage of Cucurbita foetidissima. Drought tolerant and takes full sun.
A sub-tropical steady bloomer that is very drought tolerant. We grow this shrub in several parts of the garden. Full sun is best but does fine with partial.
Flower Carpet Red roses as landscaping at Ladera Ranch, CA. Easy-care Flower Carpet roses are low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, sustainable landscape roses (also called shrub or groundcover roses). www.tesselaar.com
Another fun week at Sarah's SoCal Succulents, lot's of fun succulent arrangements made using vintage, upcycled and thrifted pieces.
You can find me on facebook: www.facebook.com/SarahsSoCalSucculents