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homernoy

Butia palm and Eucryphia blooming

homernoy
13 years ago

Today I took a few pics of a huge flowering Eucryphia tree a few doors down, and my Butia feather palm flowering. Kind of surprised the latter has such a nice scent. I have never seen so many different species of flying insect converge on such a small area. Weird.


















Comments (6)

  • Embothrium
    13 years ago

    Did the college cut part of it away to make room for that building?

  • homernoy
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    No. It might look that way, but the building is 30ft away from the tree. I went and talked to the college people way before this construction started, and they were well aware of the value of some of the trees on that property, including the very large Camellia sasanqua.

    Everyone there seem to have as much of an interest in preserving those plants as you and I have. How refreshing.

  • larry_gene
    13 years ago

    My Eucryphia lucida "pink cloud" bloomed in June.
    The E. intermedia peaked in late July and is still blooming.
    The E. lucida x milliganii is just starting to bloom.

    Insect visits per blossom type:
    pink cloud--ants only
    intermedia--bees only
    milliagnii--no insects

  • Embothrium
    13 years ago

    This one is E. x nymansensis 'Nymansay'. It is by far the largest publicly known one in the region. Others as tall were said to be present in a gated community next door to the Seattle arboretum prior to the decimating 1955-6 winter.

    Recently I discovered that a 'Pink Cloud' elsewhere in Seattle can be walked right up to and studied, the private garden being signed on the street as a casual sales yard for things like bird feeders (I think it was). I believe I had noticed the tree while driving by perhaps several years ago but was not prompted to stop and look at it until seeing it again, with flowers, maybe a month ago. I think it is about 18' tall.

    Although it is against a house wall it is a full eastern exposure, on a ridge so during Arctic periods it would be subject to morning sun (while still frozen, a murderous combination) and cold winds. I think its success (so far) is due to the neighborhood being a milder one.

    Other E. lucida attempted at the Seattle arboretum have frozen out eventually.

  • larry_gene
    13 years ago

    One of my Rostrevors is nearing 30 feet, was planted in 1993.

    The Pink Cloud (~15 feet) has shown no signs of winter damage, it is next to a Rostrevor that is half-barren in upper regions due to winter weather. The tiny-leaved milliganii hybrid is very hardy.

    I don't think we have had single-digit temps since 1993, it has been in the low teens 2 or 3 times. Plenty of east winds.

  • Embothrium
    13 years ago

    The last coldest-in-thirty years, killer winter was in 1990. Nothing planted since then has had the full treatment.