All leaves are extraordinary in a basic, photosynthetic sense, and then there are those that push the point even further. Leaves perform infinite adaptive riffs and improvisations on variegation or curve, curl, and flounce. A couple examples in my garden today. Pam at Digging collects tributes to leaves the 16th of every month.
Cut-lace leaves of Glaucium flavum look amazingly pristine for mid-September, especially when compared to the battered leaves of a sweet potato in the upper left. I recently cut the bloomed-out flower trusses off this one, which carried tissue-thin poppies in a delicious shade of peach all summer.
Another glaucium in the front garden, possibly G. grandiflorum. No bloom as of yet, and there’s no hurry with leaves like that.
Echium simplex is probably the one plant in the garden whose looks improve with the heat. This is a biennial, blooming in its second year, with rumored triennial tendencies. In any case, when it feels the urge, tall white spikes will appear.
You have such wonderful foliage going on in your garden. The Glaucium flavum and Echium simplex are very interesting to look at and I enjoy seeing foliage that is different from here in the northeast.
That Glaucium flavum is a real beauty. Again you present me with something I’ve not seen before. Love it
That Echium is well worth growing for the foliage alone, inflorescence a bonus!
I’m finding Glaucium popping up everywhere, I’d forgotten that I sprinkled seeds around this spring …nice surprise !
@Lee, I can’t get over how good these plants are looking after this protracted heat wave. They definitely needed a shout-out.
@Deanne, happy to return the favor!
@M&G, maybe not as good as wildpretii, possibly a little more coarse, but still a keeper.
@Linda, I hope mine seed around too!
Mmm, lovely, silvery goodness to beat the heat and the drought.
Glaucium flavum is something I’ve meant to try. I just added it to my Annie’s wish list.