Wahlenbergia aff. communis--Tufted Bluebell

AFF? What does that mean? Adult Friend Finder? Arab Film Festival? America's Future Foundation? Advanced Forensics Format? Affectionate? Affirmative? Affidavit? No, actually, it is "affinis" or "related to," used when a plant is very similar to, but doesn't quite match, a particular species. So even professionals have trouble identifying a plant. I'm glad I am not the only one!

I couldn't much about this plant except what you see here. But isn't it pretty? And blooming now at the UC Botanical Garden.

Helmholtzia glaberrima--Stream Lily

This plant is supposed to need shade and moisture, but it seems to be in a dryer area at the UC Botanical Garden and in the sun. It is in bloom now, and the flowers are white with dark markings, but sometimes the flowers are pink.

Tomorrow, Saturday, I will be at Strybing in San Francisco, enticing people to my booth by asking, " Do you want to see a butterfly egg?" Who can resist that? Then, after showing them the beautiful caterpillars in stunning display jars, I will talk them into buying caterpillar food plants. And coming to the UCBG to buy more plants!

Then, the day after tomorrow, Sunday, I am giving a class at UCBG: Butterfly Basics. I only have three signups so far, so tell you friends to sign up! It will be fun!

Honey bee on Liatris

A bee on the Liatris at the UC Botanical Garden. Honey bees are still foraging all over the Garden, even though the observation hive has no bees in it. Maybe they are the more private ones that don't like being observed when at home. Sometimes they even get irritated and go away when I try to take pictures when they are out. But this one stayed around for a bit. I guess the Liatris was just too good to give up.

Melaleuca linariifolia-Cajeput Tree

Aparently this small tree is very adaptable, able to grow in swamps, yet drought tolerant. The large trunk on this one indicate that it has been in the UC Botanical Garden a long time, and the plant label indicates 1965. It has lots of white flowers right now, which look more like sea creatures that blossoms. They are small petals with bundles of stamens according to what I read. I am going to have to take a closer look. Although it is called a "paperbark" the bark has apparently never been used for paper. It has been used as a sleeping mat, bandage, and to cover branches to make a shelter. Another kind of paperbark, Melaleuca alternifolia, also known as the tea tree or ti tree, is used to create tea tree oil. The oil is an antibiotic and antifungal, but it is also an endocrine disruptor, so it is best not to use it on a regular basis.

Calliandra californica--Baja Fairy Duster

Those highly divided leaves look like a plant in the pea family, which Calliandra is. But the flowers don't look anything like sweet peas, they are mostly stamens, so they resemble "fairy dusters." Flowers on the bottle brush, Callistemon, are also mostly stamens, and also red, but that is in the Myrtaceae family. Interesting. Then there is mimosa, that tree with the pink puffs that is also blooming now. That is in the pea family. Although the species epithet is "californica" this species is native to Baja California. So the common name is more accurate than the scientific name, in a way.

Penstemon

Ahh, such a pretty purple flower! And drought resistant, too. Many penstmons are native to desert or alpine area, so have little need of water. Many will die if subjected to normal garden water. Penstemon laevigatus root was used by native Americans to reduce the pain of toothache.

Monardella odoratissima-Mountain Monardella

There is a reason this plant is called "ordoratissima." It has a strong wonderful fragrance. Sometimes it seems to be a very clean mint smell, much like pennyroyal, other times it seems lemony. It is in the mint family, so having a strong smell is expected, but this one is especially nice. Grows in full sun to part shade. Easy to grow evergreen perennial sprawls on the ground in a picturesque manner. In bloom and for sale now at the UC Botanical Garden.