Santa Barbara has a rather rare distinction of being geographically located in a Mediterranean climate just where temperate meets tropical. So it has a fabulous mix of the two horticultures. To say nothing of an ideal climate.
Common among its trees are eucalyptus, pepper trees, palms, sycamores, olives, and coast live oaks. One street in the middle of town hosts magnificent Italian Stone Pines from seeds brought from the Riviera in 1908.
And this particular Moreton Bay Fig (below), planted in 1876, an Australian evergreen banyan, is the largest in the U.S.
 |
| Moreton Bay Fig |
 |
| This may be what's called a dragon tree (from the Canary Islands) |
 |
| Everyone knows the palm |
 |
| Trunk of an old pepper tree ... |
 |
| ... and its upper branches |
As for flowers, jasmine, wisteria, and Bird of Paradise abound. There's the tropical Hoya (look it up; it's jewel-like). Cup of Gold flowers. The South American Puya. Yucca. Lantana. Bougainvillea. Plus everything else, or so it seems.
 |
| Cup of Gold |
 |
| Hibiscus |
 |
| White Jasmine ... oh, the fragrance! |
 |
| Bird of Paradise |
 |
| Whatever it is, it's wonderfully jolly. |
No comments:
Post a Comment