The Homestead Hobbyist

Continuing the California posts, here are a bunch of photos I took at the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley.

I posted about the plants I purchased already, as well as the gesneriads I found in various gardens and nurseries on Petal Tones, the blog of the local DC area chapter of the Gesneriad Society.

I could have spent hours and hours at UCBBG. The horticulturalists there were so friendly, and the grounds were quite vast. But after missing several buses to campus and hiking up a mountain to get there, a two-hour visit seemed more reasonable. It's definitely a place to stop by again next time I'm in the area!

Dorstenia gigas in the Arid House

NOID in the Arid House

Pachypodium lamerei in the Arid House. I'm falling in love with Pachypodium.

Pachypodium lamerei leaves

Adenium obesum flowers in the Arid House. I have a little thing for Adenium, too.

Dioscorea elephantipes in the Arid House. I'm also developing a thing for caudiciforms--I think it is an extension of my love for tuberous Sinningia.

Gasteria batesiana in the Arid House

Welwitschia mirabilis in the Arid House

Euphorbia obesa in the Arid House

Ariocarpus collection in the Arid House

Cactus flower in the New World Desert.

Protea cynaroides in Southern Africa

Hibiscus schizopetalus in the Tropical House

Heliconia rostrata in the Tropical House

Amorphophallus titanum in the Tropical House. This one is named "Malodora." There were two named "Odora" and "Odoardo" hidden behind the wet rock wall behind this A. titanum.

Restrepia hemsleyana flower in the Fern & Carnivorous Plants House. It was hard to photograph a lot of the carnivorous plants and orchids in this greenhouse, because they were behind glass.

Aglaomorpha heraclea in the Fern & Carnivorous Plants House

Sarracenia collection in the Fern & Carnivorous Plants House