Senna didymobotyra, or popcorn Cassia is a fun addition to any garden because the crushed flowers and buds have a strong scent of buttered popcorn. It is a robust plant that enjoys sun and heat. Note the large bumble bee closing in for a pollen snack. It is also a favorite of caterpillars of the large yellow sulphur butterflies so watch for eaten leaves in late summer. B. Bennett garden
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Desert RoseDesert Rose
Adenium obesum loves hot weather and full sun but requires protection from frost and rain in winter when it goes dormant.
Shilin Gardens PavilionShilin Gardens Pavilion
The Shilin Gardens surround the official residence of past President Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong Mei-ling (Madame Chiang) in Taipei, Taiwan. The gardens contain ponds, rose gardens, fruit trees, orchid houses and native forest. The home itself is now a museum.
Toyon and Hollywood?Toyon and Hollywood?
It appears to be a favorable winter for the fruiting of red Toyon berries as patches of red have appeared on our chaparral hills. The berries while technically edible are very unpleasant if eaten raw. Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon, or California Holly is native to coastal ranges of California and southern Oregon. Although it grows on the hills around Hollywood that is apparently not the reason for the name.
California Holly: How Hollywood Didn’t Get its Name | Natural History Museum (nhm.org)