Medium sized shrub with serrated leaves and red tips. Gorgeous multicolored pincushion flowers in yellow, orange, pink, and scarlet. Tolerates a wider range of soils than most Leucospermums.
Photo: The rooftop farm created by Top Leaf Farms at 2201 Dwight Way in Berkeley. Photo: Alix Wall
Whatever challenges a rooftop presents, though, are not apparent to a farming novice visiting the roof on Dwight. One can walk through numerous terraces and see neat rows of crops growing; it looks no different than a regular farm, except for the fact that you can also see the tops of nearby office buildings and past those, the Bay Bridge in the distance.
The range of Osteospermum colors is quite pleasant, and they’re hardy in Berkeley, growing year round and blooming from March through October! They’re opening up everywhere around town. These are on Ashby Ave.
Mimulus “Georgie Tangerine” on 4th Street in Berkeley
I can’t actually confirm the ID of the cultivar, but I’m pretty sure. Embiggen the photo if you want to look a bit closer yourself and let me know what you think. Maybe it’s M. “Curious Orange”?
Puya Raimundii at UC Botanical Garden is starting to list, indicating the end is near. The Chronicle/Sam Whiting
The Puya Raimondii that bloomed mysteriously last summer after a 24-year wait at the UC Botanical Garden, is showing signs of fatigue six months later… The blooms that came up last summer were tiny and white on a bud that was 15 feet high.
![puya[1]](http://blog.sfgate.com/artsandnot/wp-content/blogs.dir/2555/files/berkeley-puya-dying-off/puya.jpg)
