October 8, 2001
Arboretum sale featuring Australian plant introductions
By Tim Stephens
The UCSC Arboretum is holding its annual Fall Plant Sale on Saturday, October 13,
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. As in previous years, it is a joint sale with the California
Native Plant Society (CNPS). For Arboretum and CNPS members only, the sale starts
at 10 a.m. It will take place at the Arboretum Eucalyptus Grove, near the intersection
of Western Drive and High Street.
 |
| The Banksia spinulosa, or Schnapper Point, is one of the plants developed by Australian growers to be available at the Arboretum. Photo: Ray Collett |
The Arboretum imports and tests the plants, and distributes them in conjunction
with wholesale nurseries in California.
The first three plants from this partnership are Correa pulchella 'Pink Flamingo,'
a fuchsia-like Australian native; Banksia spinulosa 'Schnapper Point,' a banksia
with flowers arranged in a cylindrical spike; and Grevillea lanigera 'Coastal
Gem,' a groundcover shrub. These new Australian plant introductions from the Arboretum
and Koala Blooms will be available for the first time in the United States at the
Arboretum's Fall Plant Sale, and shortly thereafter at nurseries throughout most
of California.
Correa pulchella 'Pink Flamingo' is a compact evergreen shrub with
shiny deep-green leaves and hanging, bell-shaped, deep salmon-pink flowers. This
shrub looks like a fuchsia, but is a drought-tolerant citrus relative that flowers
well through the winter. It requires little care and blooms well under oaks and eucalyptus.
Banksia spinulosa 'Schnapper Point' has dramatic four- to five-inch-long spikes
of honey-yellow and red flowers. Banksias have been coveted and, until now, hard
to find in California. Although many forms are too big for small gardens, this one
is much smaller, reaching a height of two to four feet and a diameter of four to
five feet.
Grevillea lanigera 'Coastal Gem' is a low, evergreen groundcover with a profuse
flowering of pink-red and cream flowers. Plants grow a foot high by 3- to 5-feet
wide with a long blooming season. This low plant makes an excellent low-maintenance
groundcover for borders or mass plantings.
Several wholesale nurseries in California are participating in the Arboretum's partnership
with Koala Blooms: Suncrest Nursery, Rosendale Nursery, Monterey Bay Nursery, San
Marcos Growers, and Perry's Panorama. The partnership is structured to return some
of the profits to the Australian nurseries that developed the plants, and some of
the profits to the Arboretum for importing, testing, and distributing the plants.
This is in keeping with the goal of "equitable sharing of the benefits"
contained in the international Convention on Biological Diversity. Local growers
also benefit by having new plants to sell, and gardeners can enjoy the results and
add new color to their gardens.
The UCSC Arboretum is open for visitors from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Norrie's
Gifts is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to
4 p.m. The Jean and Bill Lane Horticultural Library is open Wednesday through Sunday
from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, call (831) 427-2998.
Return to Front Page
