Green Escapade: A Day with Plants

I recently wrote about my double take on Begonias when I visited the Montreal Botanical Gardens. Begonias weren’t the only plants on my radar. This was my second time visiting the Gardens and each time I didn’t get to view the outside gardens in its entirety because I was there for only a few hours. I would have to dedicate a whole day or two the next time I’m in Montreal. If you ever find yourself in Montreal, this is a place you should definitely visit.  Below are more pictures I took while walking through the different greenhouses. This may take a while so sit back and relax.

This is the entrance to one of the greenhouses. I got there around 11 am on a weekday and it was not crowded at all- just how I like it. I found myself on a few occasions as the only person in any particular section allowing me to really enjoy the plants without anyone getting in my way. The first room was filled with so many bromeliads. The displays were breathtaking.

I spent more time in this room than any other section. How can you not love this. The next room felt like a big jungle, full of different big leafy plants.

This plant caught my attention immediately. It is called Caladium ‘Thai Beauty’. The pattern on it reminded me of a pattern I had seen before on a pitcher plant. 

This philodendron just seem to be floating in the air. 

How amazing is this place?! The next room with the waterfall was mainly filled with primitive plants such as ferns, mosses and Lycopods

These plants below were new to me. They belong to the family Lycopodiaceae. They bear spores not seeds and do not flower.  

This is Huperzia goebelli ‘Blue lycopodium’.

Huperzia squarrosa (Rock Tassel-fern)

This one above is the most interesting of all. I think it also belongs to the lycopodium family. There appears to be 2 different sections of the plant. It reminds me of the plant Adorablest posted a few weeks ago on her blog. Hers was Huperzia nummularifolia aka New Guinea Flat Tassel Fern.

Never seen a Boston fern aka Nephrolepsis exaltata displayed like this.

And lastly, mounted Staghorn ferns steal the show.

I liked the rustic look of the ones below so much, I recently made similar ones for myself.

More interesting plants found in the Begonia-filled room. The plant below is Nematanthus gregarius aka Clog plant, Guppy plant or Goldfish plant. The name, as you might have guessed, is due to the small orange flowers that look like tiny gold fishes. To the left and right are more begonias.

The begonia on the right with the speckled look is Begonia bowerae aka Eyelash begonia. 

I’m a big fan of Monstera, but these variegated ones leave a lot to be desired. In my opinion, the white parts look like they were painted on and just not as attractive as their all-green sisters.

Corytoplectus capitatus. The leaves of this plant are covered with hairs giving it a rough feel. Surprisingly, it is from the same family as African violets (Gesneriaceae).

Here is a closer look at those hairy leaves.

More plants with big leaves.

Next we head to Cactus and Succulent City. 

The Agave (guiengola?) looks like something from a 3-D game (remember how the graphics used to be when they first started?). It looks so surreal.

This epiphytic cactus above is called Queen of the night (Selenicereus grandiflorus). How did such a messy plant get the name Queen of the night? Well, I learned something that was really cool about this plant. One night a year, it blooms and then withers in a few hours. So, if you own such a plant you make sure you are not away within that 24 hour window or you’ll have to wait another year. If you would like to see the blooms, look here and here  for time lapse videos. I love strange plants!

Above are a few prickly friends saying hi. Left: Didierea trolli; Middle: Didierea trolli upclose; Right: Euphorbia stenoclada

A few Bonsai.

Did you see those green and yellow leaves? Let’s take a closer look.

Its called Farfugium japonicum, aka leopard plant. How beautiful is that? This looks like yellow paint splattered on a green leaf, but unlike the variegated swiss cheese, this is much more desirable. Don’t you think? Finally, let’s head out side and take in some fresh air to finish this tour off.

Have a great weekend!