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.

Frozen, Part 3

All good things must come to an end, especially when they are not in your hardiness zone.  This final installment documents some of the more miserable-looking plants after a week of subfreezing temps with lows reaching down to 10 degrees F (-12C).

Just melt already!!!

Once again, the survival scale:

1 = Dead

2 = Severely damaged and may never fully recover

3 = Severely damaged but will probably fully recover eventually

4 = Severely damaged but will probably fully recover in less than a year

5 = Moderate cosmetic (e.g. leaf) damage but no known structural damage

6 = Minor leaf/flower damage

7 = No damage

Melianthus major (Honey bush) = 4 (But it will quickly regrow from the roots in the spring)

Hebe x andersonii 'Variegata' = 1 or 2 (It's not good when leaves turn lighter or darker after a frost - this plant did both)

Lavatera × clementii 'Rosea' (Tree mallow) = 5 (Normally evergreen.  Oh well)

Acanthus mollis (Bear's breeches) = 4 (Maybe the seaweed look will catch on)

Francoa sonchifolia = 5 (Normally this is perfectly and unsuspectingly evergreen)

Rubus lineatus = 5 (The leaves are dead but the stems seem to be undamaged)

Stauntonia leucantha = 7

Bignonia capreolata 'Tangerine Beauty' = 7 (Still fully evergreen...the tag says it can be semi-evergreen & hardy to -10F)

Musa basjoo (Hardy banana) = 3 (They have been frozen back too far to reach their max height this year)

Holboellia coriacea 'Cathedral Gem' = 6 (Bronzed foliage, otherwise looks ok)

Ceanothus 'Tuxedo' = 5 (Larger leaves were dessicated but smaller leaves look ok)

Cordyline australias = 1 or 2 (Dead or mostly dead)

Citrus ichangensis x C. reticulata = 7 (Leaves curled a little during the frost, but now looks perfectly happy)

Daphne bhoula = 3 (Time will reaveal how badly damaged it is)

And finally...

Pachyphytum hookeri = ??

So far this pachyphytum is still alive - much to the amazement of the neighbors walking by (and me).  It is in full sun, protected from rain overhead by a tree, and is in very well-draining soil.  I was never really expecting it to survive the entire winter, but if it looks this good after the frost we just had, I'm beginning to think it stands a chance!