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Stroll and drive along the streets of South Pasadena and you will be amazed at the wide variety of plants and trees that grow and thrive in our temperate climate. This guide will help you find these beauties tucked in private gardens, parkways and public parks all over town.
Hibiscus Tree: A flowering ornamental that’s easy to grow with plenty of sunshine. Hibiscus trees have large tropical flowers between 3” and 8” across and bloom in shades of pink, red, lilac, purple, blue, and white. A beautiful example can be found in the 1500 block of Ramona Avenue.
Desert Willow: It can have the appearance of a shrub or small tree and attracts birds, hummingbirds, and bees. With its many trunks, it presents a graceful silhouette with thin, drooping leaves. The fragrant trumpet flowers grow in clusters on the branch tips and blooms in shades of pink, violet, and white with yellow throats. You can find a few examples in the 2000 block of Mission Street.
Plumbago: A sprawling shrub with branches that resemble vines, its prized for the profusion of blue phlox-like flowers it produces for extended periods of time. It’s at its best when planted over a stone or wood retaining wall, to allow its branches to cascade over in a waterfall of foliage. Plumbago can be found in numerous gardens in South Pasadena.
Plumeria Rubra: A deciduous shrub or an umbrella shaped small tree with fleshy branches tipped with highly fragrant, spiral-shaped flowers. The pink to red, yellow-centered blooms are contained in clusters amongst leathery, elliptic, dark green leaves. The scented flowers are often made into leis or worn in the hair. A stunning example is located in the 400 block of Mission Street.
Gold Medallion: Native to southeaster Brazil, gold medallion tree is a tropical variety that has become more common within the last 30 years. Its spectacular in full summer bloom, covered with huge clusters of yellow flowers. Each cluster produces thirty to fifty fragrant flowers that are even more showy when the weather heats up. Each leaf is composed of nine to fourteen, two-to three inch long, elliptical leaflets. A few gorgeous specimens can be found in the 1600 block of Ramona Avenue.
Next month: August Bloom Report
