chamise

species: Adenostoma fasciculatum

common name: chamise

family: Rosaceae

where & when encountered: Pinnacles NM - 1998

Another true California chaparral shrub. I remember working around it when it was in flower, as seen above, and the pollen just got all over me - pants, shirt, hair and down my sweaty neck.

tree peony

species: Paeonia suffruticosa

common name: tree peony

family: Paeoniaceae

where & when encountered: Old Westbury, NY - 2004

These plants have a long history of being cultivated in China, where they have cultural and medicinal value. In America they are grown more as a curiosity and for their ornamental beauty.

agapanthus

species: Agapanthus africanus

common name: agapanthus

family: Amarylidaceae

where & when encountered: King City, CA - 2004

This relative of onions is a good example of a South African plant that has been successfully introduced to California, which has a similar climate.

trumpet vine

species: Campsis radicans

common name: trumpet vine

family: Bignoniaceae

where & when encountered: Louisiana - 2010

This beautiful vine is native to the southeast U.S. but has spread all over the country. Since it was brought to my attention in 2010, I have seen it growing on fences in California and New York. The plant is simultaneously in demand and considered invasive. The ones shown here were in Louisiana and therefore in their native habitat.

star magnolia

species: Magnolia stellata

common name: star magnolia

family: Magnoliaceae

where & when encountered: Old Westbury, NY - 1960's

These small magnolias are of Japanese origin but popular in North America and Europe for landscaping. I grew up around them and their famous "pussy willow" buds and weird fruits made an impression on me. Those trees have been around a long time, maybe as long as I have.

manzanita

species: Arctostaphylos genus

common name: manzanita

family: Ericaceae

where & when encountered: Monterey county - 1998

The name means "little apple" in Spanish because that is what the fruit resembles. This is a true California chaparral shrub - drought resistant and adapted to fire. It has smooth, copper-colored bark like its larger relative, the madrone.

Confederate rose

species: Hibiscus mutabilis

common name: Confederate rose

family: Malvaceae

where & when encountered: Covington, LA - 2012

I had never encountered anything quite like this: a flower that starts the day white, then gradually turns pink, and by the end of the day is red. It sounds like science fiction, but in the Deep South it is a fact of life. There are chemical explanations for this phenomenon that are too complex for my little brain to summarize here.