Gardening : New Plants to Debut at Arboretum
“This is the granddaddy of plant sales,” promises Francis Ching, director of the Los Angeles State and County Arboretum.
He is referring to the 19th annual Baldwin Bonanza at the Arcadia facility, where new and unusual plants will be sold Sunday.
“We specialize in things that the nurseries don’t sell,” Ching says.
Take, for instance, the staghorn fern, with its antler-shaped fronds. About a dozen varieties not available in commercial nurseries are propagated in steamy greenhouses at the arboretum.
For this year’s sale, though, the emphasis is on food and water: consumption of the first, and conservation of the second.
Gardening Chance
Citrus, artichokes, 12 kinds of tomatoes, avocados, squash, figs, cucumbers, herbs, beans and watermelon will be among the edible plants on sale. While some have been field-tested at the arboretum, others have not--and home gardeners willing to take a chance on untested varieties will find them at bargain prices.
Also for sale will be papaya “Babaco,” one of the few papayas that will produce in the Los Angeles area despite the smog and winter cold.
In conjunction with its 25,000-square-foot water-conserving garden, dedicated last September, the arboretum will sell a wide range of plants that can live and bloom in a garden with little more than rainfall to sustain them. Yarrow, rockrose, scarlet paintbrush, blue hibiscus, rosemary, sage, oleander and California fuchsia are some of the hundreds that will be offered.
New at this year’s sale are four plants recently introduced to nurseries after field tests at the arboretum. “Royalty” is a shrubby, spring-blooming variety of the bauhinia tree that produces reddish-purple, orchidlike flowers. The summer-flowering vines of the lemur creeper will flourish on sunny walls. A sturdy Australian tea tree, “Horizontalis,” will crowd out weeds and will grow up to 6 feet tall and 10 feet wide. The “Mountain” bottlebrush, with its bright red flowers, will join other bottlebrushes that come in a variety of colors.
Plant Introductions
Getting new plant species out of the lab and into home gardens is the arboretum’s specialty. Over the past 30 years, the arboretum has introduced in Southern California more than 100 plants, including the ubiquitous freeway daisy and the increasingly popular blue hibiscus.
The winnowing process is long: About 1,500 new kinds of seeds are planted at the arboretum each year. Only about 300 of those make it out of pots and into the ground, where they are observed for up to 15 years.
Before offering a plant to the public, Ching says, the arboretum staff wants to know: Will it become a nuisance? Is it a weed? Will it be poisonous and a danger to children and pets?
Though it provides some specimens to botanists and collectors, the program’s main goal is to “find new material for the Southern California landscape,” Ching says.
Volunteers Available
Plants that don’t adapt well to local conditions--and some that become widely available in commercial nurseries--are removed to make way for newcomers.
For those who seek new material for their home gardens, 300 volunteers will be on hand at the arboretum Sunday to answer questions and help load plants into cars. In addition, any questions that come up after buyers bring their plants home can be directed to the facility’s horticultural hot line, open 9 to 11:30 a.m., (818) 446-8251.
Proceeds from the sale, the year’s major fund-raiser, go toward operation of the arboretum. Last year’s Baldwin Bonanza netted about $40,000, said John Provine, arboretum superintendent.
The sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia (across from Santa Anita Race Track). Admission is $3 for adults, $1.50 for students and seniors, and 75 cents for children ages 5 to 12.
A preview party will be held tonight, 5 to 7 p.m., where California Arboretum Foundation members and guests can enjoy wine and snacks while getting first dibs on plants for sale. Tickets are $7.50 for members and $12.50 for guests.
For reservations and additional information, call (818) 447-8207.
