|Hakea archaeoides flower in shadow|

Color me curious.  Look at this sculpturally sumptuous ornament of scarlet surrealness!  It almost reminds me of some sort of crazy curling brush or an eccentrically colored cuddly echidna.  Check out all those curvaceous curlycues…what in the world?!  Let me introduce you to the evergreen shrub/tree known as Hakea archaeoides.  It comes to us from Australia, is a cousin of the Grevillea genus, and is a member of the Protea family.  Hakea, pronounced hey-kee-uh, which are not seen so much in cultivation, usually sport fairly noticeable flowers but in the case of Hakea archaeoides they are extraordinary.

|Hakea archaeoides floral detail|

The cone-like flowers present themselves in spring and summer displaying supercool scarlet styles that extend from glowingly golden perianths.  They look like intricately designed chandeliers of color. The perianths, at the base of the red styles, serve as little honey pots that hold a sweet store of nectar that hummingbirds and bees adore. In my opinion, a truly delicious design!

Hakea archaeoides grows up to 18 feet tall and 12 feet wide if left to its own devices. However, Hakea don’t mind some tip pruning, so if you’re vigilant, you could keep Hakea archaeoides reined in a bit.  It’s extremely cool as a screening shrub or specimen small tree because it seems very unassuming with its handsomely elliptical, narrow green, pinstriped foliage, and calmingly mottled elephant-like trunk(s).  Then when spring comes…BAM!…it produces outrageous ornaments of floral fantasy. Added bonus…new stem growth appears as reddish stems sprouting luxurious new foliage blushed in gorgeous bronze tones.

|Hakea archaeoides foliage + flower + color|

Hakea archaeoides likes part sun situations, well-draining average to poor soil, regular water, becomes drought tolerant once established, and is hardy down to 25 degrees fahrenheit/-3 degrees celsius.  Oh, and since it’s in the Protea family it doesn’t like to be fertilized.  Fertilizer can damage or kill this plant.   So why not, like the athletic shoe ad says, think different when it comes to what you plant in your garden.  Yeah, there are Japanese Maples and Elm trees but why not go all punk rock on your garden and get the neighbors talking about what’s growing next door. Something like a Hakea would certainly make things more interesting.  Go on then…find one…plant it.  You know you want to.

|Calceolaria tomentosa floral profile|

When it comes to flowers that are freaky-deaky-funky-cool, the Plant Provocateur can’t seem to get enough!  Are you seeing what I’m seeing?  Are you turning on your heart light?  ’Cuz it looks like the color lemon has gone extraterrestrial.  All the way from Peru comes the perennial known as Calceolaria tomentosa.  It is commonly referred to as Lady’s Purse, Pocketbook Flower, Slipper Flower, or Slipperwort.  I need this growing in my garden!  Calceolaria tomentosa tends to thrive in shade, part-shade, morning sun/afternoon shade situations where its lemony luminescent flowers can light up the night, so to speak.

|Calceolaria tomentosa foliage + bud|

Calceolaria tomentosa has got some serious plant class.  Even though it tends to ramble and roam like a vine or ground cover, something about its velvety perfoliate foliage (leaf base is united around its stems) and downy flower buds give it a lusciously luxe look.

|Calceolaria tomentosa form + flower detail|

Once Calceolaria tomentosa gets growing, it really kicks its beauty into high gear when it produces its 2″ otherworldly opulent flowers of flare!  Blooming can occur most of the year but really pops late spring through autumn.  This particular species is considered a rare find for the garden.  It’s not as easy to come by as some of its cousins which you can find at most nurseries, but if you do find it, don’t just stand there, get it while the getting is good!

Calceolaria tomentosa likes part sun/shade conditions, well-draining soil, regular water, and is hardy down to temperatures around 30 degrees fahrenheit/-1 degree celsius.  It’s also not a fan of climates where temps remain above 80 degrees fahrenheit/26 degrees celsius at night.  It likes things on the temperate side.  One thing to remember about this amazingly cool plant is that it gets about 3 to 6 feet long.  It looks really cool when it’s grown at the base of a supporting plant that can provide it with a structure to weave its way around and through.  So beautiful, bright, and unusual!

|Pseudobombax ellipticum ‘Album’ floral profile|

I love when adaptation results in unexpected beauty.  Let me set the scene for you…it’s a fashion shoot for mother nature and today, on set, she’s pulling out all the stops.  In this case, the beauty she’s giving us is so hot that it explodes with an exquisite ivory elegance!  Let me introduce you to Pseudobombax ellipticum ‘Album’ commonly known as the Shaving-Brush Tree.  This tree comes to us from Mexico and Guatemala.  On a recent visit to the California Cactus Center in Pasadena I was able to witness this deciduous semi-tropical tree live and in concert. They have a 40 plus year old specimen Pseudobombax ellipticum ‘Album’ in the ground at their front entrance that, in bloom, will make you fall to your knees in worship.  In winter, this tree’s bare branches are not much to look at, but in late winter/early spring large, velvety, cigar-like buds emerge.

|Pseudobombax ellipticum ‘Album’ floral stamens and bud sepal curl|

Then under the cover of darkness, in the stillness of the night, mature buds burst open revealing 5-6 inch long stamens.  After daybreak, the stamens relax into a willowy, brush-like form, while bud sepals curl like white chocolate shavings on a luscious layer cake providing access to a floral calyx cup filled with rich nectar that both the birds and bees love.

|Pseudobombax ellipticum ‘Album’ foliage + form + bark|

Once the flowers of Pseudobombax ellipticum ‘Album’ begin to fade, plush, palmate elliptical leaves emerge for the rest of the growing season.  Younger stem and trunk growth exhibits some strikingly cool green, gray, and chocolate streaked coloration. Pseudobombax ellipticum ‘Album’ can be grown in the ground resulting in a tree that reaches a height around 35 feet tall and wider in maturity.

|Pseudobombax ellipticum ‘Album’ caudex bonsai|

This tree also makes for a super surreal bonsai specimen plant.  In a bonsai form its trunk is trained to exhibit more of its unique caudex form.  The look of a trained caudex can resemble that of a tortoise shell or an alien rock melon and is highly prized by plant collectors.

Pseudobombax ellipticum ‘Album’ likes full sun, well-draining, rocky soil, regular water, and is hardy down to around 25 degrees fahrenheit/-3 degrees celsius.  It makes an outstanding garden plant as well as a super cool indoor specimen.