Hi Bahia, Thanks for the info. I had seen the SF Botanical Garden site and seem to remember that even at the specialized sales there is a mix of plants. The one tomorrow is a general sale. Actually, I don't intend to get those Passifloras for myself. I merely mentioned them because I am aware they are very hard to come by, which I believe makes it one of the few places to find those species. I understand they are a good source of Tacsonias in general. Personally I was having trouble keeping a young P. tripartita v. mollisima happy (it's OK at the moment). It was hard hit by our unprecedented heat last summer and a nasty spider mite infestation. That plant was unfazed by our 26 F morning last month. I'm not in the market for the more difficult species. Thanks for the info on the P. parritae, though. I do know someone who might be interested. As an aside: I mentioned on a different thread that I picked up a Strelitzia juncea at the Dry Garden. Just out of curiosity--I recall that you are in the landscaping/design business. Why isn't this plant used more frequently? I've always found it to be stunning--surely I'm not the only one. Regarding Passiflora antioquiensis, in case anyone is interested in tracking that species down. Grassy Knoll Exotics appears to still have the plant available for $15. Elizabeth Peters seems to have a policy of charging that price for essentially all of her 100+ Passifloras no matter how "rare" or "desirable". It's refreshing to see someone with an attitude like that. She guarantees tbe P. antioquiensis is the real thing. She also has its hybrid with P. tripartita v. mollissima: 'Exoniensis'.

From my upcoming class, "Gardening Resources" (contact them for EXACT dates) ... CALIFORNIA PLANT AND GARDEN SALES AND SHOWS January -- South Bay Spring Home & Garden Show Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, CA www.southbayhomeshow.com February -- Alameda County Spring Home & Garden Show Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton, CA 510-682-7227 www.capitalshowcase.com/alameda.html February -- Peninsula Spring Home & Garden Show San Mateo Expo Center, San Mateo, CA 1-800-765-3976 www.peninsulahomeshow.com February -- Markham Regional Arboretum The plant sales are held at the Garden Center located at 1202 La Vista Avenue in Concord. 925-681-2968 http://home.earthlink.net/~markhamarboretum/plantsales.html February -- Descanso Gardens Camellia Festival and Camellia Plant Sale 1418 Descanso Drive La Cada Flintridge, CA 91011 818-949-4200 March -- UC Irvine Arboretum Spring Plant Sale North Campus Drive and Jamboree Road, Irvine Early spring perennials and spring bulbs will be on sale (949) 824-5833 March -- Fresno Home & Garden Show Fresno Fairgrounds, Fresno, CA 800-897-7899 www.fresnoshows.com/cgi-bin/sitepage.pl?pg_id=2 March -- San Francisco Flower & Garden Show Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA 800-829-9751 http://www.gardenshow.com March -- Ventura County Home & Garden Show Ventura County Fairgrounds, Ventura, CA 800-222-9351 www.capitalshowcase.com/ventura.html March -- Yuba City Total Home, Garden & Recreation Show Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds, Yuba City, CA 530-671-9600 www.totalhomeshow.com/Spring_Home_and_Garden_Show.htm March -- Long Beach Home & Garden Show Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA www.sbhomeshow.com/mar28-30-show.asp March -- Contra Costa Spring Home & Garden Show Sleep Train Pavilion, Concord, CA 510-682-7227 www.capitalshowcase.com/contra.html April -- American Bamboo Society; The Northern California Chapter "Annual Spring Bamboo Festival, Sale and Auction" San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park. ncal-chapter@americanbamboo.org April  California Horticultural Society "Specialty Nursery Plant Sale", In collaboration with a variety of specialty nurseries Lakeside Garden Center in Oakland April -- AnnieÂs Annuals "Spring Party" 740 Market Ave., Richmond, CA http://www.anniesannuals.com/info/ohouse/default.asp April -- Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Spring Plant Sale 1500 N. College Avenue Claremont, CA 91711 909-625-8767 or website: www.rsabg.org April -- Fullerton Arboretum "Green Scene Plant Sale & Garden Show" $6 admission 1900 Associated Rd. Fullerton, CA 92831 714-278-3579 A large multi-vendor sale April -- Markham Regional Arboretum The plant sales are held at the Garden Center located at 1202 La Vista Avenue in Concord. 925-681-2968 http://home.earthlink.net/~markhamarboretum/plantsales.html April -- Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Spring Plant Sale 1500 N. College Avenue Claremont, CA 91711 For further information, call (909) 625-8767 or check our website: www.rsabg.org Native California plants April -- San Jose Home & Garden Show San Jose Convention Center, San Jose, CA www.sanjosehomeshow.com April -- UC Berkeley Botanic Garden Spring Plant Sale 200 Centennial Drive #5045 Berkeley, CA 94720-5045 510-643-2755 http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/program/index.shtml April -- UC Santa Cruz Arboretum Spring Plant Sale Held in the Eucalyptus Grove. 1156 High Street Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (831) 427-2998 phone (831) 427-1524 fax http://www2.ucsc.edu/arboretum/calendar.html arboretum@cats.ucsc.edu. May  Cabrillo College Annual Spring Plant Sale (MotherÂs Day Weekend) Environmental Horticulture Center & Botanic Gardens 6500 Soquel Drive (top of campus), Aptos, CA (831) 477-5671 Over 1000 different annuals, bedding plants, culinary & medicinal herbs, cut flowers, natives, perennials, salvias, species & hybrid fuchsias, succulents and vines. May -- AnnieÂs Annuals "MotherÂs Day Party" 740 Market Ave., Richmond, CA http://www.anniesannuals.com/info/ohouse/default.asp May  Huntington Botanical Garden Annual Plant Sale (the BIG one) 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, CA 91108 (626) 405-2100 Questions? publicinfo@huntington.org Free with museum admission. May  Quail Botanic Garden Palm and Cycad Sale 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas CA 760-436-3036 e-mail: info@qbgardens.org May  Los Angeles Arboretum Annual Epiphyllum Show & Sale Ayres Hall & Gate & Patios 301 N. Baldwin Ave. Arcadia, CA 91007 626-821-3222 http://www.arboretum.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=getcatheadlines&Catagory=events&CFID=2027410&CFTOKEN=22730740 May-June -- Inland Empire Home & Outdoor Living Show Ontario Convention Center, Ontario, CA www.thorschproductions.com/index_hols.html June -- Theodore Payne Foundation Plant Sale For more information go to their website www.theodorepayne.org Or call 818-768-1802 10459 Tuxford St. in Sun Valley. June  San Diego County Master Gardeners "Summer Plant Sale" Casa del Prado, Balboa Park http://www.mastergardenerssandiego.org/ June -- San Francisco Botanical Garden General Sale with emphasis on Perennials located in the southwest corner of the Gardens, a five minute walk from the Main Gate at Ninth Avenue at Lincoln Way. June -- Markham Regional Arboretum The plant sales are held at the Garden Center located at 1202 La Vista Avenue in Concord. 925-681-2968 http://home.earthlink.net/~markhamarboretum/plantsales.html June -- Lompoc Valley Flower Festival Flower Show Ryon Park, Lompoc, CA 805-735-8511 flowerfestival.org/festival.htm July -- Aril Society International Aril iris bulb and plant sale; open to members only. Each June, a price list is mailed out to all the ASI members. New members can join the ASI at the same time they place their order (see membership info for details). Sale chair: Betsy Higgins, higgins881@mchsi.com 608 S. Buena Vista Dr., Hendersonville, NC 28792 July -- Huntington Botanical Garden Cactus & Succulent Show and Sale 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, CA 91108 (626) 405-2100 Questions? publicinfo@huntington.org Free with museum admission. July -- San Francisco Botanical Garden General Sale with emphasis on Salvias & Shrubs located in the southwest corner of the Gardens, a five minute walk from the Main Gate at Ninth Avenue at Lincoln Way. July -- Northern California Cactus & Succulent Association Annual cactus and succulent show and sale San Francisco County Fair Building 9th and Lincoln Way in Golden Gate Park July -- Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society Annual Show and Sale Sepulveda Garden Center 16633 Magnolia Blvd., Encino, CA Contact: Artie Chavez 818-363-3432 August  San Francisco Botanical Garden Summer Gardening Fair located in the southwest corner of the Gardens, a five minute walk from the Main Gate at Ninth Avenue at Lincoln Way. August -- San Francisco Botanical Garden General Sale with emphasis on Shade Plants located in the southwest corner of the Gardens, a five minute walk from the Main Gate at Ninth Avenue at Lincoln Way. August -- Markham Regional Arboretum The plant sales are held at the Garden Center located at 1202 La Vista Avenue in Concord. 925-681-2968 http://home.earthlink.net/~markhamarboretum/plantsales.html August  Los Angeles Arboretum Inter-City Cactus Show and Sale Ayres Hall, Gate, Kitchen, Patios 301 N. Baldwin Ave. Arcadia, CA 91007 626-821-3222 http://www.arboretum.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=getcatheadlines&Catagory=events&CFID=2027410&CFTOKEN=22730740 August -- Southern California Home & Garden Show Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA www.southerncaliforniahomeshow.com August-September  UC Irvine Arboretum Summer Bulb Sale North Campus, UCI - building 96 Irvine, CA 92697 Contact: Laura Lyons ldlyons@uci.edu 949-824-5833 Annual sale of dormant bulbs from our winter growing southern Africa bulb collection, evergreen and summer bulbs in containers, and perennials for planting with bulbs. September  UC Davis Botanical Conservatory Specialty Plant Sale Driving east on Interstate 80 from the San Francisco Bay Area or driving west on I-80 from Sacramento, take the UC Davis exit onto Old Davis Road to the campus. In conjunction with the International Carnivorous Plant Society, Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society and Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society. A huge selection of cacti, succulents, Sarracenia, and house/greenhouse plants at this sale. September -- UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Annual Fall Sale Features a large selection of perennials, including extensive selections from the gardenÂs Mediterranean, South American, and Australasian collections. Numerous cacti and succulents from the gardenÂs collections will also be on sale, as will orchids, tropicals, California natives, grasses, vines, trees, and shrubs. The sale for the general public will be preceded by a members-only sale and silent auction from 9 to 10 a.m. Memberships are available at the gate. For a list of plants available at the fall sale, see botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu. September -- San Francisco Botanical Garden General Sale with emphasis on Native Plants & Succulents located in the southwest corner of the Gardens, a five minute walk from the Main Gate at Ninth Avenue at Lincoln Way. September -- Diablo College Fall Sale 321 Golf Club Road Pleasant Hill, California 94523 Email: kechols@dvc.edu Phone: 925-685-1230 ext. 1958 Diablo Valley College Horticulture Club offers new and unusual plants for the garden. Other plant Sales are 4 times a year with thousands of unusual plants for sale. September -- Markham Regional Arboretum The plant sales are held at the Garden Center located at 1202 La Vista Avenue in Concord. 925-681-2968 http://home.earthlink.net/~markhamarboretum/plantsales.html September  Quail Botanical Gardens "WorldÂs Greatest Bamboo Sale" Presented by the American Bamboo Society - Southern California Chapter Quail Botanical Gardens 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas Admission: Members: Free to Bamboo Society & Quail Gardens Members. Non-Members: $8 for adults, $5 for Seniors, Students and Active Military, and $3 for children 3-12. Under 3 is free. For more information call: (951) 359-1706 Over 100 species grown by collectors and local growers with a special auction of rare bamboo. Most items not yet commercially available. September  Los Angeles Arboretum Fern & Exotic Plant Show and Sale Ayres Hall & Gate & Kitchen 301 N. Baldwin Ave. Arcadia, CA 91007 626-821-3222 http://www.arboretum.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=getcatheadlines&Catagory=events&CFID=2027410&CFTOKEN=22730740 September -- UC Berkeley Botanic Garden Fall Plant Sale 200 Centennial Drive #5045 Berkeley, CA 94720-5045 510-643-2755 http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/program/index.shtml UC Berkeley also has several special/themed plant sales (e.g., drought-tolerant plants, bulbs) several times a year. September -- Mendocino Coast Botanic Garden Fall Plant Sale In the "Gardens Nursery" 18220 North Highway One Fort Bragg, CA 95437 (707) 964-4352 http://www.gardenbythesea.org/ info@gardenbythesea.org All plants 20% off for nonmembers and 30% for members September-October -- AnnieÂs Annuals "Fall Planting Party" 740 Market Ave., Richmond, CA http://www.anniesannuals.com/info/ohouse/default.asp September-October -- Fullerton Arboretum "Fall Vine Sale" Free admission 1900 Associated Rd. Fullerton CA 92831 714-278-3579 October -- Chico Total Home and Garden Show Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, Chico, CA www.chicohomeshow.com October -- Quail Botanic Garden "Annual Fall Plant Sale" 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas CA 760-436-3036 e-mail: info@qbgardens.org Fee: Members Free; Non-members: Free with Garden Admission A very wide range of plants, at extremely reasonable prices because all plants are donated. Over 100 growers, wholesalers, retail nurseries, and individuals donate to this event. October -- Theodore Payne Foundation "Fall Festival" For more information go to their website www.theodorepayne.org Or call 818-768-1802 10459 Tuxford St. in Sun Valley. October  Huntington Botanical Garden Fall Plant Sale 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, CA 91108 (626) 405-2100 Questions? publicinfo@huntington.org Free with museum admission. October  UC Davis Arboretum "Plant Faire" At the Arboretum Orchard Park Nursery. I-80 to Hwy 113 North to Arboretum A great selection of the Arboretum plants. October  San Francisco Botanical Garden Trees, Ferns & Rhododendrons Sale located in the southwest corner of the Gardens, a five minute walk from the Main Gate at Ninth Avenue at Lincoln Way. October -- Merritt College Annual Fall Plant Sale Held in conjunction with the California Native Plant Society on the Merritt College campus in the Oakland hills. Admission to the sale is free and ample parking is available. For more information, call Molly Sealund at (510) 436-2418 or e-mail her at msealund@merritt.edu. More information: www.merrittlandhort.com. (Merritt college plant sale) October -- Ruth Bancroft Gardens Fall Plant Sale http://www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/pages/plantsales.html A wide assortment of succulents and other drought tolerant plants for sale as well as gardening books, t-shirts, note cards, gardening gifts, and more. Guided and self-guided tours will be offered throughout the day. Reservations are not required for this event. October  Los Angeles Arboretum Winter Cactus Show & Sale Ayres Hall & Gate, Kitchen 301 N. Baldwin Ave. Arcadia, CA 91007 626-821-3222 http://www.arboretum.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=getcatheadlines&Catagory=events&CFID=2027410&CFTOKEN=22730740 October -- UC Santa Cruz Arboretum Arboretum Fall Plant Sale Held in the Eucalyptus Grove. 1156 High Street Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (831) 427-2998 phone (831) 427-1524 fax http://www2.ucsc.edu/arboretum/calendar.html arboretum@cats.ucsc.edu. October-November -- Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Fall Plant Sale 1212 Mission Canyon Road Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Phone: 805-682-4726 fax: 805-563-0352 Web: http://www.sbbg.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=calendar.main email: info@sbbg.org November -- Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Fall Plant Sale 1500 N. College Avenue Claremont, CA 91711 909-625-8767 or website: www.rsabg.org November  San Francisco Botanical Garden End-of-the-Season Sale located in the southwest corner of the Gardens, a five minute walk from the Main Gate at Ninth Avenue at Lincoln Way. November -- Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Fall plant sale 1500 N. College Avenue Claremont, CA 91711 For further information, call (909) 625-8767 or check our website: www.rsabg.org Featuring thousands of native California plants December -- Markham Regional Arboretum "Half-price Sale" The plant sales are held at the Garden Center located at 1202 La Vista Avenue in Concord. 925-681-2968 Web: http://home.earthlink.net/~markhamarboretum/plantsales.html If anyone can offer corrections/updates, I would really appreciate it. Joe

In the Bay Area... I second the UC Botanical Garden. (I'm a member, it is a gem.) Nearby you can visit our beautiful Redwood Regional park. Walk the French Trail & the Chown Trail for a good workout among huge trees and an amazing stream. Wear your hiking boots, it can be muddy in February. Along Skyline Boulevard, between the Botanical Garden and Redwood Park is a place called Huckleberry Nature Preserve. It is a beautiful, mostly flat mile or so long trail that has an interpretive guide. In San Francisco, you could have a great time walking through Golden Gate Park and Crissy Field. Strybring Arboretum is fabulous, and there is a living roof on the new science museum that is pretty cool. Walk up the hill from Crissy Field to Pacific Heights and enjoy the mansion gardens. (Hint, there is not a weed or fallen leaf for blocks and blocks.) Sonoma Horticultural Nursery is a great place to visit, even if you don't want to buy anything. Their grounds are fabulous-acres and acres- and some of their rhodos will be in bloom by then. There is a demonstration garden outside Sonoma called Crossroads (I think.) It is series of changing gardens done by designers. I could go on and on... Here is a link that might be useful: East Bay Regional Parks

You should try Mimosa Nursery in E. Los Angeles. They have a huge selection of Tropical Fruit trees. I was there a couple of weeks ago. They had Lychees, Longans, Rose Apple, Wax Jambu, Wampee, Mango, Jakfruit, Caimito, Cherimoya, Atemoya, Sugar Apple, Guava and much more. You have to pay with Cash, no checks or credit card Here is a link that might be useful: Mimosa Nursery