A LITTLE FLOWER WITH THE SWEETEST FRAGRANCE

It is likely I would never have noticed the fragrance of this little flower had it not been at nose level last year. Not would I have noticed the simply stunning structure of the tiny flowers.

The flower is Callisia fragrans, sometimes known as basket plant, chain plant, or inch plant for the way it inches its way along the ground. It can be grown as a ground cover in partial shade but also works well in a hanging basket. That was where I had it last year, on the wall as you enter the front courtyard garden from the side door. When it flowered there was a sweet fragrance on the air which caused me wonder its origin.

The basket plant is hanging down to the right beneath the soap aloe. It is a busy planter with Agave demettiana and aloes and couple of other succulents tucked in the top. All enjoy the filtered sun under the oak tree.
The flowers this year are in a different place, growing at ground level, not so accessible to the nose but clearly perfuming the air. Our mild winter meant that the plant survived under the shade and shelter of the Lady Banks rose and is blooming early. Endemic to Mexico, the plant is only hardy to around 32° so must be protected in winter. It is easy to break off the small plants that form along the chain and root them to save over winter. Or the plant can be grown as a houseplant.

Looking a little worse for the wear after a winter outside. It has something in common with its companion plant Tradescantia pallida  purple heart. The synonym for Callisia fragrans is Tradescantia dracaenoides.

New plant forming along the chain

This year the I changed the planter on the entry garden gate to include not only the Huernia schneideriana but also a piece of the basket plant I had saved over winter. Maybe I will be lucky enough to get a bloom this year and it will wow visitors to the garden with its fragrance.

LITTLE WHITE FLOWERS

David mentioned how much he enjoyed the view, through the shower window, of the little white flowers on that spindly tree. That spindly tree is the Anacacho Orchid tree, Bauhinia congesta.

There are a few reasons why it is so spindly. One is the terrible soil in which it grows. Although amended somewhat there is a depth of road base underneath it. This area was where they removed all the huge ledge stones you see around the garden, in order to get the house level right. Then they filled in with this road base. It is also a very dry spot sheltered from our recent rains by the house wall. But more significantly it bore the brunt of the 2015 hail storm which caused excessive damage to much of the bark. Still it soldiers on producing a nice bloom every spring. Its two lobed leaves are sometimes described as butterfly or clove-like and are characteristic of this genus.

Being a member of the pea family the blooms are replaced by wiry seed pots which are not very attractive. I usually snip them off but occasionally there is one that escapes me and germinates in the soil below. Sad to say I have had poor success in trying to transplant them. 

In this same garden are two variegated pittosporum, Pittosporum tobira 'variegate' Their flowers are sweetly fragrant which gives it the name Japanese mock orange. This afternoon my son visited the garden and he remarked he didn't like the way the plant was growing with such low branches. I have always liked that aspect of its growth but maybe I need to take a second look as to whether it would look better pruned up. I'm always open to suggestions.

You have to look closely to admire the blooms of the chain plant, Callisia fragrans.

The plant was given to me as a grandfather's pipe but I have never found any reference to this plant being named so. More often it is called the basket plant or chain plant. The latter because the plant produces a long shoot which forms a new plant on the end. If grown along the ground it will root at this point. This one is growing in a hanging basket where it has grown out of the side. More commonly I have it growing in the ground in a shady location. It is not truly winter hardy but does survive in a very sheltered location with overhanging branches.

But just wait until the flowers open fully. They are like delicate bouquets of bridal flowers and they have the sweetest fragrance which explains their species name 'fragrans'

The garden is full of sweet fragrances at the moment but this is one demands you get a little closer to appreciate.