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| Fall Flower Show |
The beautiful sun is shining bright today. This bodes well for having a nice day at the
Conservatory. More visitors seem to come
when the air temperature is cold (right now, the outside air temp is 25 degF)
and the sun is shining. So I was pleased
to see that there were a large number of folks walking through the
conservatory.
Almost immediately, walking into the Palm Dome, I note that
the humidity levels are high. I know that they strive to keep humidity levels
up in the conservatory, but I’m wondering if I notice it more today because
outdoor humidity has fallen. The
humidity levels in my house are also lower, so I might be more sensitive to
feeling the higher humidity in the Conservatory. Whichever it is, let me tell you that it feels great! As a transplanted southerner, I definitely miss
the higher humidity levels!
There’s much to see in the Conservatory. The Fall Flower Show is still ongoing and
looks really nice. The gardeners have
planted new mum and chrysanthemum plants.
These all have flower buds getting ready to burst open with beautiful
colors. The varieties of ornamental
grasses planted around the Sunken Garden are really exquisite and they accent
the flowering plants really well.
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| Bromeliad |
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| Bromeliad |
The bromeliads are becoming one of the most interesting group of plants to examine in the Palm Dome. I love this amazing specimen that captures water in its center. It appears to grow flowers in this water-logged micro-environment. If you know more about this plant, I'd love to hear from you! I'm going to do more research on it as well. I'll post more information when I find it.
In the North Garden, more plants have been pruned. I discovered that the cotton plant, which I
thought had been taken out of the North Garden completely, had merely been cut
way back to where no one could see it.
It is now growing much taller and I hope to see a flower on it within a
few months. A previous blog of mine has
a couple of pictures of the beautiful yellow flower that is produced on the cotton plant.
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| Dragon Tree |
In addition to enjoying the plants that I see each volunteer
session, I enjoy noticing and learning about new plants that I “discover” on my
walks through the Conservatory. In the
Palm Dome, I found two different plants indigenous to Madagascar. The first is the Madagascar Dragon Tree, Dracaena marginata. This plant grows as a shrub or small tree to
20’ tall (like the one you see in the picture). Although it is toxic to cats
and dogs, it is popular as a houseplant or an ornamental.
The Plant of the Day is another interesting plant from
Madagascar - the Triangle Palm, Dypsis
decaryi. This plant is an important
keystone species in Madagascar, providing fruit sustenance for parrots, lemurs,
and wild pigs. The seeds and other parts
of the plant are not considered eatable by humans. There is an estimated 1,000 species of
triangle palms left in the wild. Because
the habitat of this palm is being destroyed by grazing animals, humans and
fire, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the
Triangle Plant as vulnerable. It is also
listed in Appendix II from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES) indicating that any international trade of this palm will be
regulated and monitored.
For more information
(all websites accessed November 11, 2013):
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