There is only one species Mandevilla in Arizona, but there are over 100 species found (maybe as many as 200 spp.?) if you start going south into Mexico and Central and South America. It’s overwhelming. And there are numerous cultivars…be careful!
The old botanical name of this cool night bloomer was Macrosiphonia brachysiphon and translated to “large tube short tube,” which I thought was just a wonderful way to remember it, but that’s just me.
I wonder what critters visit this fragrant night bloomer? Bats? Hawk moths? Maybe early in the morning before the flowers close up, native bees? Well, it belongs in a night blooming pollinator garden at your casa, right? Mine too.
The photos are by the botanist Sue Carnahan and taken from SEINet. I thank her and here is a link to that marvelous site: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/
I started my nursery/horticulture career in the spring of 1980 at Desert Trees Nursery northwest of Tucson. It was and still is a wholesale...
Dusty Calligraphy Petey thinks that Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rats are leaving us messages in the dust and dancing through the night as well! Oh dear.
I can’t believe I almost let November go by without at least mentioning desert broom (Baccahris sarothroides). It is the native plant the folks...
