October 10, 2014 - October in the Garden

Discussion in 'Talk about UBC Botanical Garden' started by wcutler, Oct 11, 2014.

  1. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Here are some photos of plants Douglas Justice mentioned in his October 2014 in the Garden | UBC Botanical Garden blog.

    I agree that the leaf show this year seems to be abbreviated - so many leaves have already fallen or shrivelled. Douglas says the focus should be on fruit, so that's what's in this posting.

    Starting with what I saw first, here is Magnolia sargentiana, with its orange seeds peeking through the "weird fruits".
    MagnoliaSargentiana_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150068.JPG MagnoliaSargentiana_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150070.JPG

    Staphylea pinnata leaves are just starting to turn their great colours to show off the light-coloured fruits. I've never thought to taste them, will have to remember to keep checking when they're ripe.
    StaphyleaPinnata_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150193.JPG StaphyleaPinnata_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150197.JPG

    Douglas mentions that Decaisnea insignis pulp is edible. I got close to a pod elsewhere last week, was surprised to find it soft, not at all the hard shell I was expecting. The stuff inside looked most unappetising. I was trying to gear myself up for giving it a taste, but too bad, it was out of reach. The ones in the third photo were within arms reach, but unfortunately (ha!), were not ripe.
    DecaisneaInsignis_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150074.JPG DecaisneaInsignis_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150081.JPG DecaisneaInsignis_20141010_UBCBG-Ludlow-UpperAsianWay_Cutler_P1150126.JPG

    The quinces, Cydonia oblonga, are getting over-ripe, but many of them still look so beautiful with their pale yellow fuzzy fruits against the dark green leaves.
    CydoniaOblonga_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150301.JPG CydoniaOblonga_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150302.JPG CydoniaOblonga_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150298.JPG

    Here's a crab apple, Malus sargentii.
    MalusSargentii_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150259.JPG MalusSargentii_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150260.JPG

    I've finally learned to distinguish crab apples from hawthorns. Hawthorn flowers are in inflorescences (so fruits in infructescences), as you can see in this photo, whereas apples hang as single fruits, as seen in the above photos.
    Crataegus x grignonensis
    CrataegusXgrignonensis_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150211.JPG CrataegusXgrignonensis_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150213.JPG

    These hairless kiwi fruits look a lot like the crab apples. Actinidia arguta 'Ananasnaya'.
    ActinidiaArgutaAnanasnaya_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150308.JPG

    Here's a sumac bob (really, who knew those things were called "bobs"?) - Rhus typhina.
    RhusTyphina_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150145.JPG

    So what the heck are "sparkleberries"? I won't say which two people I asked at the garden who had no idea. One person looked it up for me, came up with something we don't have in the garden, so I photographed some plants I thought could merit that name. In addition to that crabapple, here is Sorbus hybrida 'Gibbsii' (with some separate leaflets from the Rowan part of the cross).
    SorbusHybridaGibbsii_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150185.JPG SorbusHybridaGibbsii_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150187.JPG

    Sorbus macrantha and Sambucus cerulea.
    SorbusMacrantha_20141010_UBCBG-UpperAsianWay_Cutler_P1150130.JPG SambucusCerulea_20141010_UBCBG_P1150323.JPG

    Hippophae rhamnoides.
    HippophaeRhamnoides_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150244.JPG HippophaeRhamnoides_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150245.JPG

    Euonymus europaeus and Berberis thunbergii.
    EuonymusEuropaeus_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150218.JPG BerberisThunbergii_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150251.JPG

    Celastrus scandens. These will shed their covers to reveal slightly sparkly fruits - Here is Nadia's posting from last year.
    CelastrusScandens_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150176.JPG CelastrusScandens_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150180.JPG
    [Edited]The Botany Photo of the Day for November 5, 2014 is about this plant, and it's such fun to read, particularly the comments (Tamara's and the responses) about twining direction.

    Viburnum x burkwoodii and Ilex verticillata.
    ViburnumXburkwoodii_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150295.JPG IlexVerticillata_20141010_UBCBG_Cutler_P1150181.JPG

    Should we vote for the "sparkleberry"? Is one of these even it?
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2018

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