Plants ..in tha 'Hood, ...Take #2.. The Usual suspects, and some pleasant ..and not so pleasant.... Surprises

[Silas_Sancona]

Onward to the other  good stuff  ...for the most part.. 

Fall flowering thingss...

Orange Tecoma, and Orange-y-er Tecomaria





Standard yellow Tecoma flowering it's head off over a fence ( uhh, wall )



" Cascalote Season '23 " under way..













Leucophyllum ..not sure which cultivar(s).. Horribly over trimmed, but still flowering..





Canna around the corner ..Still blooming.. Yes, that is a Ficus benjamina behind them.





One of the few BIG Eucs left in the neighborhood.. If you look closely, the " brown " spot in the background between the lower first two branches on the left side of this kid is a dying pine... Notice a lot of Pines planted in nearby apartment complexes showing obvious signs they may not be around too much longer



Post - summer look at the nicest Lysiloma watsonii / thornberi specimen i've seen anywhere..





A sign of changing times.. Ash planted all over town headed toward their death beds, ..or already there ( shot #2 ) There was a recent news story regarding a noted increase in Sooty Canker Disease after this summer's torch fest ...which will likely accelerate the rate at which the Ash, Elms and some other trees not properly adapted to the desert  disappear from neighborhoods.  Once a susceptible tree is infected, there is no cure, except removal.

One example of ...several dozen... in the immediate neighborhood showing lots of die-back.






............>>>>

[Silas_Sancona]

...Conundrums..

I mentioned how Carob trees don't seem to handle the heat here all that great.. Well, here's two specimens, basically across from one another.

As you can see, this one is half dead( west facing side of it ), like the Carob in a neighbor's yard across the Alley ( it's mostly dead now, lol )



The other, across from " Half n' half "  ..looks un-touched ..although you can see where someone tried to butcher it into some weird, non plant shape.




..Same idea among neighborhood Brachychiton populneus specimens..  dying specimen in a yard around the corner..



Pretty healthy one in another yard another block away..  🤷‍♂️ Randomness perhaps, though these are highly susceptible to Cotton / Texas Root Rot, which hot summers like this years' help increase infection from..



How about some cooked cypress, lol....






Some desert-y stuff... ( will be checking on other stuff i'd noted earlier, later )

Pair of nice Y. rigida specimens



..And an old 'Nanner ( Yucca )



Big Organpipe.. Stenocereus thurberi




A check on the old Saguaro across from the hospital: 

Top looks like it weathered this summer's heat well, but...



A different story when examining it's base unfortunately..  Hard to tell in the pictures but the entire area on the west/ northwest facing side of it is completely rotted, all the way to it's core..  ..so it's just a matter of time before this impressive specimen topples, or has to be taken down.  Bummer.





Not sure if it was related to damage suffered this summer but, there were several, large Cholla specimens planted in this bed.  Gone now.  Maybe that was the source of the " Large Dead thing " smell in the air at times shortly after the worst stretch of heat in July.




......>>>>

[Silas_Sancona]

..Survivors,  Superstars,   ..and Surprises....


Checking on stuff in the immediate part of the 'hood that was torched ..or looking rather unhappy... after the worst of the heat in July, can say most that stuff has recovered pretty well.

House surrounded by Ficus microcopa

Before..
Appears this Ficus specimen, and another near it that also got completely torched were cut down to the trunks.. We'll see if they regrow.






Currently..



Neighbor's Cassia fistula  and Ficus benjamina specimens:

Cassia fistula before..


Currently:  Still skinny and thirsty looking, but better looking than right after July's torch fest. A few flowers still hanging on the specimen closest to the street (  Shot #2 ).






F. benjamina before



Currently.. Tamarind towering above it looks perfect, as always..





Sum' Superstars...

Large Live Oak..  Looks a little thin, but seems alright otherwise.



Yellow Mex. Bird of Paradise






..And the one tree ..aside from the natives.. that did not flinch through the heat.. Texas Ebony.  These particular specimens are planted near the hospital. My spiny stick will look like these someday, haha..










...And lastly,   them' surprises

Autumn Check on the neighborhood royal Poinciana..



Full of seedpods, and new ones to come..



Younger ones in the same yard, looking great..  What's that on the left of picture #2?







...That " Green Blob " hanging in the background, behind some chunky CA. Fans i'd mentioned in the " palmy " portion of the overall thread?  ...A Royal Poinciana.. bauhinia - someone in the lower left hand corner of shot #1.




Turn a corner and  ..how about that, another ..pretty big Royal Poinciana..  First time observing either specimen.  Residents living in the house on the left had just finished installing a Plumeria as i was passing.. Spent a few minutes discussing what to do with it to get it through the winter ahead, and suggesting somewhere to pursue other Plumeria cultivars -if interested in doing so in the future.





Big Moringa and Castor Beans in the same yard..





How about that, ..another good - sized Plumeria ...exposed to quite a bit of sun, looking ..pretty happy.. Same residence has another hiding under their entryway.  While hard to say exactly which.. this one appears to be a standard, white flowered rubra cultivar.






...Some growing along the north facing side of a house further down the street. Leafless one on the left may or may not make it.. Might have to take a closer look.




Euphorbiaceae / Jatropha-esque NOID off the top of my head..







..What is it.. First thought was ..Could this be a young Scarlet Geiger, ..or Ziricote? ..Too wire-y- looking ( trunks ) ..so i doubt it. second thought is Dombeya ..Perhaps.. Leaves don't look quite right for Sea Hibiscus, ..to my eyes anyway.. but..  Guess i'll have to watch and see what kind of flowers it produces come spring.


Btw: Dwarf Papaya in this yard did not make it through the summer.







That's it,  Until the next stroll around the 'hood...

[Peter]

Love the Texas Ebony!  Trying to get some other members here to grow it....

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 11/10/2023 at 4:03 PM, Peter said:

Love the Texas Ebony!  Trying to get some other members here to grow it....

Expand  

Let me know if you need seed.. Have plenty.  Probably start some more myself  soon..

[Silas_Sancona]

More stuff observed while wandering down to one of the neighborhood big box some Nemophila menziesii  seed,  and checking on various cacti / other succulent stuff specimens in the 'Hood along the way...


Perfect trained Yellow / Mex. Bird of Paradise ( Erythrostemon mexicana ) specimen.. May be replacing one of the annoying Bougainvillea w/ one of these.  Desert Willow may replace the other.
Because the Ficus is close, would be inappropriate / overkill  to try and stuff something that will end up getting massive in the desired space(s) Both trees mentioned will provide some height / shade -in the summer- but not get massive ..and not generate too much litter, let alone compete with the Ficus, or cause issues w/ the walls ( roots, later ).



Tipuana...



One ..of several larger Cascabela ** Formally Thevetia **  specimens in this section of the 'hood..



Surprisingly large ( ..And healthy, ..from this angle at least ..Oh my! ) Carob Tree specimen i've noted here.. 



Excellent Mariosousa willardiana  specimen. Carob noted above behind it..



More nicely grown / trained Lysiloma watsonii / thornberi specimens utilized as perfectly adapted, small / medium - sized shade tree options for the space provided.




Popcorn Senna ..Surprised these aren't moving ( out of the nursery dept. )



Plenty of " Celadine " Plumeria left on the shelf ...Some nice,  ( for a big box offering ) Hamelia patens  on the far left too..




Why you should be aware of purchasing Citrus from a big box.  Note that they have allowed the root stock variety ( probably Flying Dragon ) to grow ( Branches below the purple band, where the desired Citrus variety graft ..Satsuma in this case.. is located < Red / Orange Arrows >  rather than regularly removing any sucker growth seen as it appears on their plants while in their care..  Several specimens on this shelf had rootstock growth that was taller than the desired varieties.   I get it, it's a big box ..not everyone working in the nursery there may be aware of...  ..or care to.. maintain the stock but, even the most minimally plant- savy person should have knowledge about maintaining Citrus,  and do so..  




Neighbor's Barbados Cherry

 

...And Plumeria specimen, post-Summer-from-hell.. ( Awful shot, Gees Nathan!,  lol )



.....>>>>>

Edited November 13, 2023 by Silas_Sancona
edit

[Silas_Sancona]

Various thorny " desert " thingzz...

Monster Trichocereus candicans specimen. Firesticks buddy in the corner sayin' ...He'ller!, how ya durin? 



Perfect Senita ( Lophocereus schottii )



Handsome Montose Totem Pole





One ( really ) Tall Ocotillo...


Mamm a' Grahams... or 'da 'utter one..   Biggest specimens i've seen planted in a residential 'yaah'd to date.






Gold Barrels  ..Alive.. Yay!





...'N killed by this summers hell fest.. No Bueno!



Not quite sure what these two are  ..err',  were..  Yard in shot #2 has some Gold Barrels ( may be these ) and some other Barrels ..that also got killed this year..  Dumb Lawn gettin' sprinklurr'ed -during the day- ( bad, bad, bad, lol ) behind it.



Up close and personal w/ the neighborhood, monster Y. rigida ..i think.. Hey you, ..Yea you, over there..  Come a little closer, will ya.. I'm in the mood for drawin' blood.







Dasylirion longissimum  ..or that them' there' quadrangulatum  fella. Yea',  that one..


...>>>

[Silas_Sancona]

...A few Flowerin'  thingzz..

Baja / California Ruellia







Baja Fairyduster



...And sum' Texas Sage varieties ..99% sure the first 5 shots are two L. frutescens cultivars.  Last is either Silver ...or Thunder-cloud ..both selections of Leucophyllum candidum..


















Australia's " Texas Sage " wanna' be,  Blue Emu Bush, Eremophila hygrophana  ..Tricky little devil are ya'






They rarely get the respect they deserve ..but not for long..   One ( of many ) great native / near- native Grasses..

Aside from a very few, no need for planting ornamental Grasses from elsewhere when there are so many great options to choose from in our own back yaah'ds.

Muhlenbergia capillaris  looking great with some back light..

[Tom in Tucson]

  On 11/13/2023 at 9:02 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

More stuff observed while wandering down to one of the neighborhood big box some Nemophila menziesii  seed,  and checking on various cacti / other succulent stuff specimens in the 'Hood along the way...


Perfect trained Yellow / Mex. Bird of Paradise ( Erythrostemon mexicana ) specimen.. May be replacing one of the annoying Bougainvillea w/ one of these.  Desert Willow may replace the other.
Because the Ficus is close, would be inappropriate / overkill  to try and stuff something that will end up getting massive in the desired space(s) Both trees mentioned will provide some height / shade -in the summer- but not get massive ..and not generate too much litter, let alone compete with the Ficus, or cause issues w/ the walls ( roots, later ).



Tipuana...



One ..of several larger Cascabela ** Formally Thevetia **  specimens in this section of the 'hood..



Surprisingly large ( ..And healthy, ..from this angle at least ..Oh my! ) Carob Tree specimen i've noted here.. 



Excellent Mariosousa willardiana  specimen. Carob noted above behind it..



More nicely grown / trained Lysiloma watsonii / thornberi specimens utilized as perfectly adapted, small / medium - sized shade tree options for the space provided.




Popcorn Senna ..Surprised these aren't moving ( out of the nursery dept. )



Plenty of " Celadine " Plumeria left on the shelf ...Some nice,  ( for a big box offering ) Hamelia patens  on the far left too..




Why you should be aware of purchasing Citrus from a big box.  Note that they have allowed the root stock variety ( probably Flying Dragon ) to grow ( Branches below the purple band, where the desired Citrus variety graft ..Satsuma in this case.. is located < Red / Orange Arrows >  rather than regularly removing any sucker growth seen as it appears on their plants while in their care..  Several specimens on this shelf had rootstock growth that was taller than the desired varieties.   I get it, it's a big box ..not everyone working in the nursery there may be aware of...  ..or care to.. maintain the stock but, even the most minimally plant- savy person should have knowledge about maintaining Citrus,  and do so..  




Neighbor's Barbados Cherry

 

...And Plumeria specimen, post-Summer-from-hell.. ( Awful shot, Gees Nathan!,  lol )



.....>>>>>

Expand  

A few comments on your last few posts.

The large Yucca thompsoniana trees are becoming the ones of choice here in the Oro Valley area, possibly because they're so easy to acquire in west Texas.

I can never get enough of the Palo Blanco (Mariosousa willardiana). The ones by the Tohono Chul parking lot are the largest I've seen. I think eventually the other Palo Blanco (Lysiloma candidum) will be used more. My 2 largest ones are only 3' high, and I'm hoping they'll be producing seed next year.

That Lophocereus schottii with the whiskered top growth is well grown. Although the ones that are seen the most are the mutated types, I prefer the normal forms.

Hi 84°, Lo 51°

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 11/14/2023 at 4:06 AM, Tom in Tucson said:

A few comments on your last few posts.

The large Yucca thompsoniana trees are becoming the ones of choice here in the Oro Valley area, possibly because they're so easy to acquire in west Texas.

I can never get enough of the Palo Blanco (Mariosousa willardiana). The ones by the Tohono Chul parking lot are the largest I've seen. I think eventually the other Palo Blanco (Lysiloma candidum) will be used more. My 2 largest ones are only 3' high, and I'm hoping they'll be producing seed next year.

That Lophocereus schottii with the whiskered top growth is well grown. Although the ones that are seen the most are the mutated types, I prefer the normal forms.

Hi 84°, Lo 51°

Expand  

Have to dig out the pictures again, but, biggest willardiana specimen i've seen anywhere to date, was located in front of AZ Cactus Sales..

He also had the largest Bursera ( B. fageroides in this case ) specimen i've seen anywhere outside CA.





Hopefully you're right and L. candidium becomes much more commonly encountered in bot residential and non - residential landscapes.. Great tree w/ lots of potential.

[Peter]

Nice willardianas!!

 

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 11/14/2023 at 3:32 PM, Peter said:

Nice willardianas!!

 

Expand  

The pictured " beastie " in my last post is Bursera fageroides..

& @Tom in Tucson

Here's the BIG willardiana that was / is? ( i need to check again ) in front of AZ Cactus Sales old location.








From what i remember, the owner told me that he'd had a water line ( ..irrigation i'm assuming ) that had broke and gone un- noticed for several weeks one summer a year or two after this thing was planted.. All that extra water helped this kid get chunky, fairly fast compared to other big, older specimens around town ( Which are just starting to catch up to this kid now )

If i were planting any of these atm, i'd be turning the hose on them for an hour long deep soak, 2X a week during the summer ( up until Monsoon season kicks in at least ) to get this kind of growth / size.

Pictures are from 2016..


He also had the largest Pseudobombax ellipticum ( white form in this case < shots from the same visit >  ) specimen i've noted anywhere here.  Not sure if it is still there, or was sold / moved when the nursery moved to a lot behind this one a year or two ago. Regardless, he claimed it, the willardiana, and Bursera survived the last major freeze here several years ago where that part of Chandler bottomed out in the low 20s /  areas closer to San Tan Park, ..which was far less developed than it is now,  may have bottomed out at something like 18F on one of the nights.

No clue how big it was when he planted it.

[Tom in Tucson]

  On 11/14/2023 at 4:29 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

The pictured " beastie " in my last post is Bursera fageroides..

& @Tom in Tucson

Here's the BIG willardiana that was / is? ( i need to check again ) in front of AZ Cactus Sales old location.








From what i remember, the owner told me that he'd had a water line ( ..irrigation i'm assuming ) that had broke and gone un- noticed for several weeks one summer a year or two after this thing was planted.. All that extra water helped this kid get chunky, fairly fast compared to other big, older specimens around town ( Which are just starting to catch up to this kid now )

If i were planting any of these atm, i'd be turning the hose on them for an hour long deep soak, 2X a week during the summer ( up until Monsoon season kicks in at least ) to get this kind of growth / size.

Pictures are from 2016..


He also had the largest Pseudobombax ellipticum ( white form in this case < shots from the same visit >  ) specimen i've noted anywhere here.  Not sure if it is still there, or was sold / moved when the nursery moved to a lot behind this one a year or two ago. Regardless, he claimed it, the willardiana, and Bursera survived the last major freeze here several years ago where that part of Chandler bottomed out in the low 20s /  areas closer to San Tan Park, ..which was far less developed than it is now,  may have bottomed out at something like 18F on one of the nights.

No clue how big it was when he planted it.

Expand  

That's a large Palo Blanco. That's an interesting tale about how it got that large so fast (I'll water mine more next summer). The ones at the Chul I remember as being taller, but with possibly thinner trunks (they tend to water more than me). There are 4-5 large ones, and a few shorter ones (weeds?) along the northeast side of their main parking lot. I've captured a few images of them, so I'll try to post them here tomorrow.

As far as the Bursera is concerned, some of the older B. microphylla specimens at the Chul are roughly as large. I haven't discovered any B. fagaroides there yet, which is odd considering the fact that many of their forms are more hardy to 9a conditions than most forms of B. microphylla.

Hi 86°, Lo 56°

 

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 11/15/2023 at 3:26 AM, Tom in Tucson said:

 

As far as the Bursera is concerned, some of the older B. microphylla specimens at the Chul are roughly as large. I haven't discovered any B. fagaroides there yet, which is odd considering the fact that many of their forms are more hardy to 9a conditions than most forms of B. microphylla.

Hi 86°, Lo 56°

 

Expand  

Width-wise, Tohono Chul's largest specimens come close, same w/ those at DBG ..but not height-wise..  That one was easily over 15Ft. Only specimens -of any- Bursera ive seen here that would equal it would be some of the big microphylla i've observed along the Telegraph trail on South Mountain.

I thought there was a fageroides in the Nacapule Canyon area at T.C. but, maybe it was something else.

[Peter]

Ok, now I'll say it then-nice willardiana!!  Ditto that Bursera

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 11/15/2023 at 3:17 PM, Peter said:

Ok, now I'll say it then-nice willardiana!!  Ditto that Bursera

Expand  

..No worries..

 

[Silas_Sancona]

A couple of the " Bursera Beasties " in training:  Pink Pseudobombax ellipticum  trials hanging out in between, for now..

B. filicifolia ..or cross involving...



B. fageroides ..that produces viable seed on it's own..

[Tom in Tucson]

Here are a few images taken at Tohono Chul of Mariosousa willardiana in June '18.

 

Out by the main parking lot

Closeup of the trunk by the parking lot with 6" ID placard

In a courtyard

Closer view of trees in the courtyard

Hi 86°, Lo 58°

Edited November 16, 2023 by Tom in Tucson

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 11/16/2023 at 2:44 AM, Tom in Tucson said:

Here are a few images taken at Tohono Chul of Mariosousa willardiana in June '18.

 

Out by the main parking lot

Closeup of the trunk by the parking lot with 6" ID placard

In a courtyard

Closer view of trees in the courtyard

Hi 86°, Lo 58°

Expand  

Here's the same group from April of last year.

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 11/16/2023 at 3:00 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Here's the same group from April of last year.

Expand  

 beast in front of AZ Cactus Sales former location ( moved to a lot behind this one.  .. June this year..


 

[Tom in Tucson]

  On 11/16/2023 at 3:05 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

 

Expand  

Evan though the trees are taller since I snapped a few pics. it looks like the "arborists" hired by the Chul were trained at a school of Texas Sage butchering techniques.

Hi 86°, Lo 58°

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by Tom in Tucson