Life in the Amazon

Walking down to Pike Place Market a few weeks ago, I noticed they finally took the fencing down from the first building in the new Amazon mega campus.  So I took a little stroll through.  Their selection of plants had me salivating.

My first thought was someone who really likes Dan Hinkley designed the landscaping.  I later found out that he was hired as a consultant for the project.

Looks like Holboellia coriacea, Beesia deltophylla, and Adiantum venustum

This Holboellia vine, located directly in front of a heat exhaust vent, was already strutting its fragrant flowers.

There were lots of nooks and crannies filled with interesting plants.  Because of the towering canopy of the skycrapers, all of the plants here are adapted for shade.

This looks like Disporopsis, Disporum, and Beesia.  

Evergreen hydrangea relative Dichroa febrifuga

Close up of Dichroa febrifuga's metallic-purple berries

Can't wait to see how these plants naturalize together

Not a doggie toilet!

I can't say it's all good.  I want to like this plant's blackness but seeing it here finally made me realize it's just not black enough to qualify as a black plant.  I guess it's still slightly better than an azalea.

Coprosma 'Black Cloud'

Just across the street, construction is well underway for the greenhouse that will house more tropical plants.  I have been told that some plants that are outgrowing the conservatory at the Rhododendron Species Garden in Federal Way will move here.  At the rate it's going I'd say they should be done with it by summer.

Now look alive!

As the garden settles into winter mode there are a few plants that are determined to defy the impending hostility brought forth by old man winter, showing no signs of slowing down.  In fact, the plants in this post look more alive now than they did a month ago.

Case in point, the growing season for this plant is the winter.  It goes dormant during the heat of the summer.  I hardly believed that when I bought it, but now that I've seen it, it's true.  It's called Arum italicum 'White Winter' and supposedly makes a great companion plant to hostas since their growth/dormant periods are reversed.

Arum italicum 'White Winter'

New growth like this is typically only seen in the spring...not on November 25th:

Arum italicum 'White Winter'

It's also hardy to Zone 5 (-20F/-29C) so just about anyone can enjoy it.

One genus that has a 99.99% fail rate in Seattle are aloes.  I've tried several "hardy" aloes, giving them perfectly draining soil in a nice sunny spot, only to find a gooey mess after an arctic outbreak.  I bought this aloe, labeled Aloe 'Johnson's Hybrid' last spring and was very happy to see it essentially quadruple in size over the summer.  This will be its first winter in the ground and so far so good - it's even starting to bloom!

Aloe 'Johnson's Hybrid'

Luckily the aloe is far from the only plant in bloom right now.  This next one actually starts blooming in mid-fall and carries through to at least Christmas.  It is sometimes confusingly referred to as Kaffir lily, but its botanical name is Hesperantha coccinea.  In the background is the venerable Schefflera taiwaniana.  Two outstanding plants...there's a reason they're right by the front door!

Hesperantha coccinea

This Camellia sasanqua 'Apple Blossom' is really starting to grow into a nice espalier and conveys a subtropical look quite well even though it was only a few degrees above freezing when this picture was taken.

Camellia sasanqua 'Apple Blossom'

I believe there's a lifetime supply of bird food on this Pyracantha coccinea (firethorn).

Pyracantha coccinea

And finally...the least hardy of the lot (except perhaps the aloe) but well worth the attempt in Seattle: Dichroa febrifuga.  It's an evergreen hydrangea relative with lavender flowers followed by metallic purple or blue berries.  I'm guessing I need to add some aluminum sulfate to the soil here to acidify it and turn the berries blue as I would for a hydrangea flower.  It's on the to do list for next year...

Dichroa febrifuga