The name Saritaea magnifica implies something special, and, indeed, ‘magnificent’ is an appropriate word to describe the flowers of the Glow Vine. This native of Colombia and Ecuador produces large clusters of showy mauve-purple, trumpet-shaped blooms up to 2½ in. wide, accentuated by white throats. Even when not in flower, S. magnifica is ornamental, bearing…
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We at Richard Lyons’ Nursery never cease to be amazed over the arcane logic behind the common names of plants. Just recently we learned that Swiss Chard is native to . . . the Mediterranean. And today we were driven into an even deeper funk by news that the beautiful Hawaiian Sunset Vine hails from…
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When it comes to the New Guinea Trumpet Vine, the world temporarily returns to its senses. This very attractive liana really is native to New Guinea! Known botanically as Tecomanthe dendrophila (and formerly called T. venusta), it is related to the genera Tecoma and Tecomaria from other parts of the world, but produces larger and…
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Words such as ‘spectacular’ and ‘stunning’ have been used to described Petrea volubilis, and that’s not hype. This woody plant, also known as Queen’s Wreath and Sandpaper Vine, produces impressive masses of blue-purple flowers displayed above paler star-shaped calices several times a year and bears a similarity to the wildly-popular temperate vine, Wisteria. The springtime…
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Charles Whited was the longtime local columnist for The Miami Herald. One of the best pieces of advice he provided to recent arrivals in southern Florida was to appreciate subtleties in the climate. Because annual temperatures here don’t vary as much as those in the rest of the U.S., Whited recommended appreciating even the slightest…
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