That is a long drive for you, I can't believe the North County chapter died! I got a no-name pretty green & white striped neo, 3 no-ID bills in a lot for $5 (it gets cheaper toward the end of the auction, I am catching on to this, cheapskate that I am), and a Ursulea tuitensis -- have you grown this one? It's a species, which interested me, only 2 plants in the genus listed on the FCBS web site. It almost looks like a succulent -- and is just as delicate, a couple of the fleshy tips broke off on the way home, grrr. I'm wondering, sun?

It you'll be in San Diego March 3-5 be sure to go to the Spring Home/Garden Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. There will be one building with 21 theatrically-lit indoor gardens by local garden designers. It's been compared quite favorably to the Philadelphia Flower Show. www.springhomegardenshow.com Also, on March 13 you'd be most welcome to attend the free, friendly monthly meeting of the San Diego Horticultural Society at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. About 350-400 people usually come, and our speaker will be the highly respected - and very funny - Brent Heath of Brent & Becky's Bulbs. If you've got more time to spare, Brent will be giving a hands-on bulb workshop that same day at Quail Botanical Gardens - details on the website below. In addition to the gardens folks mentioned, there are some fabulous nurseries in San Diego and you might have time to visit a few. There are links to these places on the San Diego Hort. Soc. website - the two you'd probably find most interesting are: Buena Creek Gardens (San Marcos) - has a fantastic 1/2 acre bird and butterfly garden which is featured in the current (January) issue of Sunset magazine Walter Andersen Nursery - the Poway nursery has a marvelous garden railroad display as well as great plants You'll have a blast here! Here is a link that might be useful: San Diego Horticultural Society

I will try to ID some of your question plants: #104 is a Ficus dammeropsis (as is #82); First large philodendron is Evansii, the second is bipinatifidium; #99 palm is Parajubaea torralyi; Dioon in first cycad photo is meijae, and others are actually ferns I think (Blechnum gibbums); first 'cactus' is indeed a Euphorbia ammak, I think; and second 'cactus' is Alluaudia procera; #11 is a bottle tree or Brachychiton rupestris; the palms you called European Fan palms (can't recall number, if any) are Nannorhops (not European, but Iranian); #57 is Dioon merolae; photo #50 is a Caryota, but not sure what species... something a bit unusual as it does not appear to be a gigas or a urens; never heard of the name Macraw palm... those are Rhopalostylis (Nikau palms I have heard them called) from New Zealand; Hawaiian native succulents are Brighamia insignis; ficus close up #30 is Ficus lyriata; #35 and 33 etc. are Brachychiton discolor; #23 I think is Trithrinax campestris; #14 is Chamaedorea tepejilote; all the Staghorns in all your photos are Platycerim bifurcatum, though they do have nice examples of superbum at that zoo (just no photos of them above); Palm in last palm photo is a Pritchardia, but no clue what species.

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