Crocus are one of the most famous flowers of spring but most of us think about or photograph them open in the sun, Monday’s cloudy skies allowed me to photograph them closed up revealing the often highly patterned  or colorful reverse.  

Above are Crocus korolkowii,  and a cultivar of Crocus sieberi.  Crocus chrysanthus ‘Fuscotinctus’ below is another favorite of mine when closed.

Hopefully these photos show a  different side of Crocus, or at least portrays them in a different light.  Moving on to another “Bulb” or corm is Cyclamen alpinum.  People are surprised to find out there are Cyclamen hardy in Denver, but 10 species are currently living in the Rock Alpine Garden.  I would say about five of these are very good performers, the others need a really special spot. 

Cyclamen alpinum is always the first to open the Cyclamen season each year, followed shortly by Cyclamen coum.  This year C. alpinum is late, some years it starts as early as the beginning of February.  In addition to Cyclamen, more Helleborus are opening with the warmer weather.  Now Helleborus viridis has joined H. vesicarius and H. niger which has been going since November and was the only flower blooming on Christmas!

Lastly I leave you with a photo of Jasminum nudiflorum.  Most people think of Jasmine as another tender genus but two species live in the rock garden.  Both are yellow and lack  the famous fragrance.  J. nudiflorum earns its keep by flowering in late winter often a few weeks before the Forsythia.

Freycinetia cummingiana

Without a doubt, today was one of those days that the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory really made me take a step back and cherish my “office”. The amount of obscure and unique plants in bloom right  is almost overwhelming, and not to mention, some of our fauna have been showing themselves in sunny spots on warm days. That’s right, I said fauna, there’s more than just flora here!

Before I go into more on our small, green, tropical friends, I need to point out a few must see plants currently in bloom. Firstly, the Brownea ariza that I have previously blogged about, is still stopping visitors in their tracks…be sure to come in while it’s still in full bloom. On the far West end of the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory, you will see our glorious Freycinetia cummingiana in full, spectacular bloom. Freycinetia is a genus of around 170 tropical, flowering plants. The genus is mostly found in Southeast Asia and the Pacific and belongs to the Pandanaceae family. The flowers, pictured above, have very showy bracts that hold their color for quite some time, and are thought to be strictly bird and bat pollinated depending on which species of Freycinetia is in question. As the flowers age, the small berries start to appear from inside, and right now ours is just getting to the point where the berries are visible. As always, when meandering through the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory, be on the lookout for all of the blooming bromeliads. The lovely and unique Pitcairnia corralina is blooming just at the top of the steps across from the elevator. Also, be on the lookout for Aechmea mulfordii in bloom just West of the frog tank on the top level.

One of the twenty-five green anoles released into the Conservatory last fall.

Now, to introduce some of our fauna. Every once in a while as we deem necessary, my team releases Anolis carolinensis, or the green anole lizard into the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory. We like to have them around as they help with insect control as well as add yet another important tropical element to the scenery. Last year we released twenty-five more in the fall, and over the last couple of weeks we have been seeing more and more of them sunning themselves. In order to see them, be sure to look carefully in all of the spots where the sun in shining brightest, and remember, they can change color, so if you see one on a tree trunk it may be more brown than green.

Next time you are here, be sure to keep an eye out for one of our insect-eating friends and enjoy the scenery too. There is always so much to take in on each visit, so be sure to take your time in the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory and enjoy every small intricacy presented to you before you make your way outside to enjoy the beauty of the Gardens awakening for the spring. Cheers!

Freycinetia

This time of year, my house plants start sending out bright green leaves and cheery flowers. They recognize the longer, sunnier days and, since I don’t heat my house excessively, they revel in the warmth pouring through my south-facing windows. In the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory, the tropicals are responding to the same signals, with new growth and blossoms in plenty just now. A few tongue-twisters for you this week:

• Freycinetia cumingiana, a native of the tropics of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, is currently covered in orange flowers. Find it at the western apex of the building. The triangular buds open to display three tiny round seed pods. This plant—in the Pandanus family—is related to the huge screw pine with its gigantic pendulous stilts just across the Conservatory to the north.

Pseuderanthemum

• Wrap your tongue around the lovely Pseuderanthemum reticulatum—well, not the plant itself, but that name! It means “netted false eranthemum”— the netting being the veined pattern on the golden and green leaves. Just now it sports delicate blossoms, white with a sprinkling of purple. See it on the right-hand side of the left-most path, just short of the top of the building.

Spathoglottis

• Spathoglottis plicata is a delicate purple orchid, springing up from slightly ragged and non-descript leaves. The blooms, however, cascading like fireworks from a central stem, will take your breath away. “Spathoglottis” means “spathe-like tongue”, while “plicata” refers to the pleated look of the leaves. This plant appears in several places towards the top of the Conservatory.

Pitcairnia

• Finally, take a peek at Pitcairnia corallina, as you descend the stairs from the elevator-tree. Its deep red bloom snakes along the ground, catching your eye as you look down. This plant, a member of the Bromeliad family, in just one of hundreds of Bromeliads we display. Learn more about Bromeliads from the informative signage currently found in the Conservatory.

A great quote I heard lately,   “ The first person served by Service is the Server,”   perfectly exemplifies the impact the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi has had on our decades-long volunteer, Rosa-Lee Brace.

Sam Mitchel, the founder of our mycology herbarium in l965, inspired Rosa-Lee to study fungi during those early years and to become an expert and teacher of the Ascocmycetes and other mushrooms.  Later along with her husband Bob, this dedicated pair repowered the mycology collection by spending thousands of volunteer hours retroactively and meticulously going through thousands of specimens in the collection, boxing, assessing photos and correcting errors and updating the taxonomy.  The needs of a mushroom collection that they knew and loved provided this goal for them in their later years to do this great work.  They both felt valued.  They both knew they were doing a work that would be here for decades and decades.  They honored their friend Sam Mitchel.

In their intense investigation of the mycoflora of the Wheat Ridge Greenbelt, Bob and Rosa-Lee discovered a very unusual puffball.  After years of collecting and studying this unusual mushroom, they showed it to world-renowned specialist Dr. Orson Miller who declared it a new subspecies of Mycenastrum.  The discovery was announced to the world in a fine article in Mycologia, a peer-reviewed journal in 2005, with Rosa-Lee as co-author; it was highlighted by Rosa-Lee’s amazing photomicrographs of the taxon.

After the passing of Bob last year, our herbarium still provides a place where Rosa-Lee is honored for her expertise and sought after for her wisdom.  She considers it a sanctuary as well as a place to express her need for service.

Rosa-Lee was honored last year with the prestigious Bernice “Pete” Peterson Award for exceptional volunteer service to the Gardens.  Her contributions equal over 7,500 hours, and between her and her husband Bob, were the equivalent of over 5 1/2 years of full-time service.

If you are interested in the academic study of mycoflora, please contact us to explore volunteer opportunities.

Oh dear…I am longing for spring. It is that time of year when it is just beginning to warm up – but not enough to discard the coat and hat just yet. I have been looking for anything that will remind me that warmer weather, buds on trees and spring blooms are a mere month or so away. My wish was granted when I walked into Denver Botanic Gardens’ retail store, Shop at the Gardens.  Hundreds of new items that bring on the flavor of springtime are appearing daily on the floor of the store. A french-style gazebo holds charming, robin’s egg blue plates and mugs, glimmering blue glass bud vases and fresh, flowering plants in popular Wolff flower pots. Many of the hundreds of items are well under $25. It is worth a peek to move you toward “getting your springtime on.”  Stop by and remember there is plenty of free parking and no admission is required to visit Shop at the Gardens. Horray for spring!

Iris reticulata

An early morning, early March walk reveals surprising delights.

• Colors: the muted greys and browns of late winter are ever-so-slowly giving way to hints of green and glimpses of brighter colors. How can you see purple Iris reticulata next to brilliant yellow crocuses, and not feel a surge of hope? The Water-Smart Garden is one of the first places to show new color, with the Rock Alpine Garden not far behind. You’ll also want to admire Sedum angelina, one my of all-time favorites. This time of year it really shines in red, orange, lime green and yellow. Find it in the middle of the Lilac Garden, as well as along the paths in the Romantic Garden.

Sedum angelina

• Textures: Dryland Mesa never ceases to amaze, with an astonishing array of form and color.

Opuntia aurea

Check out Opuntia aurea which, despite its name—aurea means gold—is a rich, crinkly purple this time of year. Also see the cactus labeled Opuntia sp., with its long spine and pale green body. Numerous other hardy cacti and succulents await your inspection in this garden.

Texas Rainbow Cactus

• Favorite lunch spot this week: On a cool, sunny day, there is no better lunch spot then a bench on the Green Roof. Bask in the rays and enjoy the view. The Green Roof Garden is great looking this time of year, with its mix of xeric succulents, grasses, and spreading groundcovers.

• Couples: A pair of geese look like they are ready to make a home here at the Gardens. We discourage geese, since they eat a lot of plants! Ducks, on the other hand, are welcome. Crow couples are collecting grasses for their nests, and leafy squirrel nests stand out in the bare trees. I always hope to see our foxes, but so far this year, I’ve caught only one glimpse, back in December.

• Gardens to spend time in: Wander out to the west end of the Gardens, and enjoy the tranquility of the Gates Montane Garden and pond, and, of course, the Japanese Garden. Be sure to stop by Dryland Mesa, and pause to watch our new greenhouses rise.

Spanish draba (Draba hispanica)

Poor drabas! Such a colorless name…and they have other image problems too–that acid yellow color and their general similarity to one another. Oh well: some of us look beyond these superficialities. We have a welter of alpine drabas we must wait until June to see in the alpine, but if you are lucky enough to have a rock garden, you can have drabas blooming early indeed. Spanish draba (Draba hispanica) is always my first to bloom. I admit most drabas wait till April to come out, but these specimens, on this hot wall, have been known to bloom in February! Right now they are in peak form and buzzing with bees.

Wise gardeners know that microclimate in our fierce steppe climate is everything: I like to say that the south side of our homes are like Arizona and the north side like Alaska. On this toasty Sonoran wall the draba is precocious, but in my shady home rock garden you can find the same species still blooming in May, three months later (Alaska). In Colorado, there are no green thumbs. Just clever gardeners with compasses!

Aaaah! Spring!

P.S.: Just found this touching quote: “So our human life but dies to its root, and still puts forth its green blade to eternity.” (Henry David Thoreau, Walden)

Medinilla magnifica

If you haven’t been able to swing in and check out the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory in the last couple of weeks, now is a great time. We have just recently finished a bed renovation that is sure to please all who come to enjoy it. My teammates and I decided to not hold anything back on this one and included some of our favorite plants that weren’t previously on display to the public.

As the focal center point of the newly planted bed is the gorgeous Medinilla magnifica. As the name hints, when in flower, this plant is magnificent! Medinilla magnifica is native to the Philippines and belongs to the Melastomataceae family. While our new addition is not in bloom right now, be sure to visit frequently throughout the year; you won’t want to miss this one.

My teammate, Conservatory Horticulturist, Alan Schroder can barely hold back his excitement about the addition of two more plants to the new planting: the wavy-leaved Anthurium brownii and the unique Begonia ‘Pigskin’. Anthurium brownii will surely grow into quite the specimen plant with its bright red venation and symmetrically wavy leaves and not to mention the unique spathe and spadix produced by the plant. Anthurium brownii has a native range from Costa Rica to Colombia and it really adds a nice aroid-ean touch to the bed.

Begonia ‘Pigskin’ is a unique rhizomatous begonia with a rough leaf texture. One of the nicest aspects of the plant is how when light hits it just right, the green leaves take on a bronze-ish appearance. This begonia stays low to the ground and makes quite a nice ground cover with white to pale pink flowers, be sure to take a good long look at this one.

One of my favorite additions to the new bed is the new bromeliad display we designed. Just in the front of the bed is a small embankment of lava rock that will serve as an area to rotate blooming bromeliads and orchids in and out of as we please, so that we are able to make more of our rare and beautiful plants available for public enjoyment….as well as our own!

There are many other interesting plants in the bed, so be sure to come in and see for yourselves! The newly renovated bed in just inside the doors to the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory to the right of the pond…there’s no way it could be missed. Hope to see you soon as the days are lengthening and warming!