UCSC Press Release: Arboretum Plant Sale on April 29

UCSC NAV BAR

April 19, 2000
Contacts: Tim Stephens (831) 459-2495; stephens@cats.ucsc.edu
Stephen McCabe (831) 427-2998; smccabe@cats.ucsc.edu
UCSC Arboretum and California Native Plant Society intertwine for Spring Plant Sale on April 29
For Immediate Release
SANTA CRUZ, CA--The UC Santa Cruz Arboretum is holding its annual Spring Plant Sale in conjunction with the California Native Plant Society Sale on Saturday, April 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale will take place at the Arboretum Eucalyptus Grove on High Street near the intersection with Western Drive.
A South African "Pom Pom," an Australian shrub with crimson flowers eight inches wide, and California native plants highlight this year's offerings by the two prominent horticultural organizations. The annual spring plant sale brings gardeners and nursery buyers from as far away as Sonoma and Santa Barbara.
One of the most sought-after plants at the Arboretum in recent years is Leucadendron discolor "Pom Pom," which will be among the new offerings at this year's sale. This Leucadendron is a selection made in South Africa and imported to Santa Cruz in 1994. It is a male plant with cheerful, bright-red pollen "cones" surrounded by white to pale-yellow, petal-like bracts. According to Protea grower Dennis Perry,
"Pom Pom" is the best selection of the large-flowered, long-stemmed Leucadendron discolor and makes a wonderful cut flower. It requires acidic, well-drained soil, sun, and protection from hard frost. "Pom Pom" will grow to about seven feet tall, but Perry and the Arboretum recommend hard pruning at the time of flower harvest to maintain the vigor of the plant and to control its size. This showy, drought-tolerant Leucadendron blooms in late spring to early summer and is fairly easy to grow.
The sale will also feature a brand new manzanita from northern Monterey County: Arctostaphylos pajaronensis "Brett"s Beauty," grown by Sierra Azul Nursery. It was named after Brett Hall, the Arboretum's assistant director, who made the original selection. Another California native that will be available is a barbless barberry from Santa Cruz Island. The plants, which are extremely rare in the wild, are being propagated at the Arboretum and distributed to botanic gardens and to the public to increase the number in cultivation.
Among the other offerings is Telopea, an Australian shrub with huge red flowers that is the floral emblem for the state of New South Wales. It grows well in light shade. Eutaxia obovata "Dwarf Form" is a wild-looking pea plant, a small shrub with apricot-yellow petals, red centers, and hebe-like foliage.
There should also be plenty of Protea, Banksia, pincushion Protea, and kangaroo paw plants available from the Arboretum. The California Native Plant Society will be offering choice iris species and other natives, including bleeding hearts, stream orchids, and coral bells.
The Arboretum specializes in plants not readily available in nurseries. Several of Sunset magazine's "best of the new plants" have been selections made or imported by the Arboretum staff. At the Arboretum's plant sales, the public has the opportunity to buy selections that may be on the "best of the new plants" lists several years from now. Several local nurseries, such as California Succulents, Monterey Bay Nursery, Sierra Azul, and Suncrest Nursery, often donate additional plants to the sale.
The sale will be open to Arboretum and CNPS members only from 10 to 11 a.m. and to the general public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nonmembers may join the Arboretum Associates on the day of the sale.
Visitors are welcome to tour the gardens and see the abundant hummingbirds while they are at the Arboretum. The Arboretum is open 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.
#####
Images of Leucadendron discolor "Pom Pom" and Eutaxia obovata "Dwarf Form" can be downloaded from the Web at http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/download/.
Press Release Home | Search Press Releases | Press Release Archive | Services for Journalists

UCSC nav bar

Maintained by:pioweb@cats.ucsc.edu



April 19, 2000 Contacts: Tim Stephens (831) 459-2495; stephens@cats.ucsc.edu Stephen McCabe (831) 427-2998; smccabe@cats.ucsc.edu UCSC Arboretum and California Native Plant Society intertwine for Spring Plant Sale on April 29 For Immediate Release SANTA CRUZ, CA--The UC Santa Cruz Arboretum is holding its annual Spring Plant Sale in conjunction with the California Native Plant Society Sale on Saturday, April 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale will take place at the Arboretum Eucalyptus Grove on High Street near the intersection with Western Drive. A South African "Pom Pom," an Australian shrub with crimson flowers eight inches wide, and California native plants highlight this year's offerings by the two prominent horticultural organizations. The annual spring plant sale brings gardeners and nursery buyers from as far away as Sonoma and Santa Barbara. One of the most sought-after plants at the Arboretum in recent years is Leucadendron discolor "Pom Pom," which will be among the new offerings at this year's sale. This Leucadendron is a selection made in South Africa and imported to Santa Cruz in 1994. It is a male plant with cheerful, bright-red pollen "cones" surrounded by white to pale-yellow, petal-like bracts. According to Protea grower Dennis Perry, "Pom Pom" is the best selection of the large-flowered, long-stemmed Leucadendron discolor and makes a wonderful cut flower. It requires acidic, well-drained soil, sun, and protection from hard frost. "Pom Pom" will grow to about seven feet tall, but Perry and the Arboretum recommend hard pruning at the time of flower harvest to maintain the vigor of the plant and to control its size. This showy, drought-tolerant Leucadendron blooms in late spring to early summer and is fairly easy to grow. The sale will also feature a brand new manzanita from northern Monterey County: Arctostaphylos pajaronensis "Brett"s Beauty," grown by Sierra Azul Nursery. It was named after Brett Hall, the Arboretum's assistant director, who made the original selection. Another California native that will be available is a barbless barberry from Santa Cruz Island. The plants, which are extremely rare in the wild, are being propagated at the Arboretum and distributed to botanic gardens and to the public to increase the number in cultivation. Among the other offerings is Telopea, an Australian shrub with huge red flowers that is the floral emblem for the state of New South Wales. It grows well in light shade. Eutaxia obovata "Dwarf Form" is a wild-looking pea plant, a small shrub with apricot-yellow petals, red centers, and hebe-like foliage. There should also be plenty of Protea, Banksia, pincushion Protea, and kangaroo paw plants available from the Arboretum. The California Native Plant Society will be offering choice iris species and other natives, including bleeding hearts, stream orchids, and coral bells. The Arboretum specializes in plants not readily available in nurseries. Several of Sunset magazine's "best of the new plants" have been selections made or imported by the Arboretum staff. At the Arboretum's plant sales, the public has the opportunity to buy selections that may be on the "best of the new plants" lists several years from now. Several local nurseries, such as California Succulents, Monterey Bay Nursery, Sierra Azul, and Suncrest Nursery, often donate additional plants to the sale. The sale will be open to Arboretum and CNPS members only from 10 to 11 a.m. and to the general public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nonmembers may join the Arboretum Associates on the day of the sale. Visitors are welcome to tour the gardens and see the abundant hummingbirds while they are at the Arboretum. The Arboretum is open 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. ##### Images of Leucadendron discolor "Pom Pom" and Eutaxia obovata "Dwarf Form" can be downloaded from the Web at http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/download/. Press Release Home \| Search Press Releases \| Press Release Archive \| Services for Journalists
	Maintained by:pioweb@cats.ucsc.edu