date palm

species: Phoenix dactylifera

common name: date palm

family: Arecaceae

where & when encountered: Amargosa Valley, CA - 2014

I had previously seen date plantations in the Coachella Valley, but this was my closest and most memorable encounter. The farm was situated somewhere between Death Valley and Nevada. Date palms have a very long history of cultivation and are native to Mesopotamia. The bags protect the fruit from birds.

rainbow eucalyptus

species: Eucalyptus deglupta

common name: rainbow eucalyptus 

family: Myrtaceae

where & when encountered: Costa Rica - 2015

I had seen many eucalyptus trees in my life, but did not know this one even existed until I came face-to-face with it on a coffee plantation in Costa Rica. This is one of the rare species not native to Australia, but rather Southeast Asia - Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines. It is the only one whose range extends north of the equator. It's a very unusual tree on multiple levels, the most obvious being the unbelievably bright colors of the bark, which sometimes look like paint.

rock purslane

species: Calandrinia grandiflora

common name: rock purslane

family: Montiaceae

where & when encountered: King City, CA - 2012

These popular succulents can grow stalks over two feet high with lovely magenta flowers. They are native to Chile and are commonly known as rock purslane. There are many related species which can cause confusion: Calandrinia spectabilis and Calandrinia umbellata are close relatives, also from Chile. Other species hail from Australia. To add to the confusion, the Calandrinia genus is sometimes called Cistanthe.

silver wattle tree

species: Acacia dealbata

common name: silver wattle

family: Fabaceae

where & when encountered: Greenfield, CA - 2011

Yet another Australian import to California, the yellow flowers are unforgettable once you've seen them. I was also fortunate enough to see them in their native habitat in southeastern Australia. This one lives behind a gas station is the Salinas Valley.

purple starthistle

species: Centaurea calcitrapa

common name: purple starthistle

family: Asteraceae

where & when encountered: Monterey County, CA - 2009

Although this is considered to be an invasive, unwelcome weed species, having traveled all the way from the Mediterranean, it looks quite nice here on the prairie. It is also not nearly as common as its relative, yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis). Members of this genus are sometimes called knapweeds.

Moreton Bay fig

species: Ficus macrophylla

common name: Moreton Bay fig

family: Moraceae

where & when encountered: Santa Barbara, CA - 2010

Another Australian import to California, this one is named for a bay in Queensland but native to much of the Australian east coast. The specimen seen here, located near the Santa Barbara train station, is said to be the largest in the U.S. with a width of 176 feet and a height of 80 feet. The story goes that the seedling for this tree was given to a girl by a sailor in 1876. In addition to its impressive size and age, it is a particularly striking tree.

red-flowering gum tree

species: Corymbia ficifolia

common name: red-flowering gum tree

family: Myrtaceae

where & when encountered: Pacific Grove, CA - 2013

Actually I had seen these trees for years before learning their name around 2013. It's a classic Australian import in the same family as Eucalyptus. The term "gum tree" refers to trees that exude a sticky sap-like substance. Their native range in the southwest corner of Australia is actually quite small.

hollyhock

species: Alcea rosea

common name: hollyhock

family: Malvaceae

 where & when encountered: Salinas, CA - 2012

Specifically this variety is called "nigra" or "Danish Black" hollyhock. It was pleasant to discover them growing alongside our house; the stalks get between six and ten feet tall. Hollyhocks were introduced to Europe from Asia over five hundred years ago and the original English name for them was "holyoke".