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Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

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Since we're coming up on the one year anniversary of my 2017 trip to Los Angeles (a point driven home when reading Gerhard's post on Piece of Eden and remembering I was there at about this time last year) I guess it's time I finally write about the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden...

There's a nursery on site, unfortunately it was closed on the day of my visit.

That didn't stop me from peeking through the fence (and wishing I could shop!).

I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this garden, especially since I mentioned my fondness for succulents, Agaves and "desert plants" to the fellow at the entrance and he warned me there wouldn't be much of that here. Oh well, I'd spent the morning wandering the Pitzer College campus so I'd gotten my fill there, whatever I discovered here would just be icing.

Turns out there was a lot of icing to discover...

Opuntia x vaseyi

This patch of Agave shawii alone was worth the price of admission ($9).

I adore this Agave and just don't see it very often.

Yucca baccata

I can't even imagine how old this plant must be to have such a lengthy trunk.

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. coloradensis

Opuntia erinacea var. ursina, the "grizzly-bear cactus".

Nolina parryi

Opuntia ramosissima

Opuntia chlorotica

Cylindropuntia x fosbergii, the pink teddy-bear Cholla.

Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris

The pattern of dots is mesmerizing.

I wanted to pick this up and take it home. I did not.

Ferocactus cylindraceus var. lecontei.

Why let a little thing like falling over, and looking dead, stop you from growing?

Cylindropuntia echinocarpa, the silver Cholla.

Yucca schidigera

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. coloradensis

The most surreal asparagus-looking Agave bloomspike I've ever seen (might be Agave deserti).

Dudleya hassei, aka Santa Catalina live-forever.

There was an entire upper section of the garden with shrubs and perennials ("California Plant Communities") but by the time I made it up there the light was fading and my camera finger was tired.

So I just wandered and enjoyed.

I previously shared my photos from stunning The Palm Oasis at the RSABC (here) and can definitely recommend a visit if you find yourself in Claremont, California.

Weather Diary, Jan 8: Hi 45, Low 35/ Precip .07"

All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

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