Mail Order Catalog Fall 2010 - Cistus Nursery

* Epiphyllum sp. 'Antique Orange' christmas cactus
This most beautiful orchid cactus, passed along to us from a family who had had it for generations, has flowered
each winter in our main retail area provoking many requests for babies. And now they are available! Plants are
about 3 ft wide and produce intense, florescent orange flowers in abundance. In summer, plants should be
well-watered and kept in reasonably bright light, then drought stress and allowed to cool in autumn to promote
buds. Frost hardy outdoors in USDA zone 10 but most effective as an indoor/container or hanging basket
specimen.
$12.00
40
Cactaceae
Eryngium bourgatii mediterranean sea holly
Steel blue flowers and prickly green leaves with distinctive white markings make this an especially attractive
perennial for the garden border. Leaves are striking when they emerge in spring to form a base for the 2 ft flower
stalks of thistle-like, summer flowers. For full sun and sandy or well-drained soil. Accepting of summer water
but a long tap root makes them both drought tolerant and difficult to transplant. Frost hardy in USDA zone 4.
$6.00
Apiaceae
Eryngium paniculatum RCH 453 chupalla
Yet another graceful evergreen sea holly, this from south central Chile and growing to about 18” with arching,
shiny, spring green leaves, often faintly marked silver. The flowers in spring and summer are decorated with
sputnik florets, small white flowers, and particularly attractive at a distance. Drought tolerant, though summer
water is appreciated. Sun to light dappled shade and tolerant of poorly drained soil. Frost hardy to 10 to 12F,
USDA zone 8, or even a bit lower.
$12.00
Apiaceae
Escallonia x exoniensis
Old-fashioned and one of the most useful of the Escallonias, this dense, rounded-leaved shrub, to 6-8 ft , is great
for hedging, mass planting, or backgrounds. And yes, parking strips. The flowers, often beginning early spring
and repeating throughout the season, are pale salmon-pink contrasting nicely with the red tinted foliage. In
summer weather the entire shrub carries the vanilla infused fragrance of pine in warm afternoons. Though
somewhat drought tolerant, they prefer regular, deep watering in dry summer places. Frost hardy to USDA zone
7 with reports from sheltered zone 6.
$11.00
$12.00
Escalloniaceae
* Eucalyptus gunnii var. divaricata cider gum
A traditional choice for the small, urban garden, this ultra hardy subspecies is a slow and steady grower,
eventually reaching about 30 ft. Trees are multi-trunked with lovely multi-hued bark. Juvenile foliage is, small,
silvery blue, and perfoliate (stem circling), the leaves rattling in the breeze. After two or three years, the longer,
lanceolate adult leaves appear. As with most eucalyptus, best in sun with good drainage and little or not summer
water once established. Frost hardy in USDA zone 8.
$14.00
Myrtaceae
* Eucalyptus mitchelliana mount buffalo gum
This relatively rare and graceful species endemic to Mt Buffalo in northeastern Victoria, Australia, can be single
or multi-trunked, reaching 15-20 ft fairly quickly in cultivation. Long, narrow leaves emerge maroon and mature
to gray-green on weeping branchlets. Reddish brown bark peals on young specimens, adding to the
enchantment. Needs sun, soil that is lean and well-drained, and, in the driest places, occasional and deep summer
water. Frost hardy in mid USDA zone 8.
Myrtaceae
Spring 2010 Mail Order Catalog (* = new to mail order list)