“BotanicalTour091004” — 2004/9/11 — 17:26 — page 1 — #1dw.tug.org/slideshow/subfiles/BotanicalTour091004.pdf · “BotanicalTour091004” — 2004/9/11 — 17:26 — page

“BotanicalTour091004” — 2004/9/11 — 17:26 — page 1 — #1


“BotanicalTour091004” — 2004/9/11 — 17:26 — page i — #3

Let it be bourne in mind how in-finitely complex and close-fittingare the mutual relations of all or-ganic beings to each other and totheir physical conditions of life.

Charles Darwin Welcome

In March 2002, the Zoo received accreditation from the American Asso-ciation of Museums for both its animal and plant collections. In recognition of

this honor, the City of Los Angeles changed its name to the Los Angeles Zoo andBotanical Gardens. We are proud of our gardens and eager to share them withall the Zoo’s visitors. This guide highlights many of the noteworthy plants you cansee while strolling through the Zoo. Viewing plants and animals together will showyou the diversity of life that exists in a whole and healthy ecosystem. We hope youwill see the Zoo with fresh eyes and take away a more memorable experience forhaving seen this diversity.

1. Clivia Flower – Africa

The Zoo is divided into areas named for conti-nents which display animals and plants native tothese continents. Animal enclosures are placed oncircular walkways or loops with plants gracing thesepaths and enclosures. Australia, North America,Africa, Asia and South America make up the geo-graphical loops. There are also areas for Aquaticswith water-dwelling animals; the Aviary; TreetopsTerrace, a picnic and meeting area; and the Rep-tile House. Major walkways link all of these areastogether.

In addition to trees and shrubs identified in thistour, we have included in the second half of this booklet a calendar listing thoseplants likely to be in bloom at various times of the year. We hope this tour willdelight and inform you today as well as encourage you to return often to see theZoo in bloom.

i

“BotanicalTour091004” — 2004/9/11 — 17:26 — page ii — #4

I count myself in nothing else so happyAs in a soul remembering my good friends.

Shakespeare

Remembrance

Dr. Warren Thomas, Zoo Director and consultant for many years was instrumentalin shaping the Zoo’s plant collection. His vision and determination to assemble aplant collection as varied as our animals and to integrate both has given us all aricher experience of the earth’s great natural diversity.

ii

“BotanicalTour091004” — 2004/9/11 — 17:26 — page iii — #5

A gift with a kind countenanceis a double present.

Italian saying

Acknowledgments

The GLAZA Docent Botany Committee gratefully acknowledges the generous sup-port for this project from the following organizations and individuals.

John R. Lewis, Zoo DirectorConnie Morgan, GLAZA PresidentJoan Anderson, Docent ChairmanYOUR COMPANY NAME HEREYOUR FAMILY NAME HEREYOUR INDIVIDUAL NAME HERE

Janica Jones, Zoo Horticulturist, and Robert Wickham, Volunteer in Horticulturegenerously shared with us their expertise, time and good humor. We greatly ap-preciate their efforts.

The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) is a non-profit organizationwhose mission is to support the Los Angeles Zoo and enhance the experience ofits patrons through tours, lectures, publications and various outreach programs.GLAZA Docents and Volunteers are individuals who donate their time and talentsto fulfill this mission.

Your support of GLAZA through your Zoo membership and by purchasing publi-cations such as this booklet helps us provide information and services so that wemay all enjoy and appreciate the diversity of life here at the Zoo and in the worldaround us.

Thank you.

iii

“BotanicalTour091004” — 2004/9/11 — 17:26 — page iv — #6

GLAZA Docent Botany Committee

Kate Gaman, ChairmanJoe HoggMidge HoodCindy KimmickJames KimmickFrancie KleinGerri MartinLaurie Stoneman

Kate Gaman and Francie Klein are the authors of this booklet.Kate Gaman also created the botanical illustrations.Laurie Stoneman and Joe Hogg contributed to the text.

Typeset using LATEX and TEXFirst Printing September 2004

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027-1498(323) 644-6400, voice; (323) 644-4720, faxhttp://www.lazoo.org

iv

“BotanicalTour091004” — 2004/9/11 — 17:26 — page v — #7

I think that I shall never seeA billboard lovely as a tree,Perhaps, unless the billboards fall,I’ll never see a tree at all.

Ogden Nash Contents &Illustrations

Welcome i1 Clivia Flower – Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

Remembrance ii

Acknowledgments iii

Zoo Entrance Area 12 Cycad – Sago Palm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Facts About Desert Plants 23 Cacti and Aloe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Baja and Rose Gardens 34 Rock Fig Leaf – Baja California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Aquatics 45 Carob Tree Leaf and Pods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Australia 56 Queensland Lacebark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Kurrajong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Grevillea Flower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Pink Ironbark Eucalyptus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

North America 810 Mahonia Flower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 811 Flannel Bush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

v

“BotanicalTour091004” — 2004/9/11 — 17:26 — page vi — #8

12 California Lilac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 913 Coyote Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1014 California Buckeye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Africa 1115 Bird of Paradise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1116 Cape Honeysuckle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Asia 1317 White Mulberry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1318 Ginkgo Leaf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

South America 1519 Hong Kong Orchid Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1520 Agave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Aviary and Treetops Terrace 1721 Floss Silk Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1722 Mexican Coral Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

The Zoo in Bloom – a calendar by area and season 19Blooming year-round throughout the Zoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Zoo Entrance Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Main Walkway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Aquatics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22South America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Aviary Walkway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Treetops Terrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Index 25

Botanical Tour Map Inside Back Cover

vi


No one feels himself easy in agarden which does not look likethe open country.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Zoo Entrance Area

The Zoo has many interesting and beautiful plants from around the world.Our local plant heritage is an important part of this collection. The California

sycamores and coast live oaks planted in the parking area are among the firstCalifornia natives you see when arriving at the Zoo. Near the gift shops, youwill also notice Mexican and California fan palms, our only native palms.

The Mexican fan palm, Washingtonia robusta, and the California fan palm,Washingtonia filifera, were named in honor of George Washington. They are il-lustrated on the back cover of this booklet. The Mexican fan palm is taller, moreslender and has smaller fronds than the California palm. Both are often called pet-ticoat palms because the dead fronds hang down in a layered skirt around the trunk.The trees here have been trimmed, but you will see this effect on the washingtoniaslocated at Treetops Terrace. These palms produce small blue fruits that are eatenby birds, rodents and coyotes.

2. Cycad – Sago Palm

The Education Building is on the left be-yond the gift shop area. The plants alongsidethis building include several distinctive trees calledcycads which are often mistaken for palms. The twospecies represented here are Cycas rumphii, the fernpalm, and Cycas revoluta, the sago palm.

Cycads are ancient plants that thrived duringthe Age of Dinosaurs. They have since declined innumbers and many species today are rare and en-dangered. However, the two species here are popu-lar landscaping plants and are therefore numerous.

Proceed along the main walkway past theEducation Building until you come to theBaja Garden on your left. It is the first of the Zoo’s desert gardens. As aprelude to viewing this garden, the next section provides an overview of how desertplants adapt to their environment.

1


And so it criticized each flower,This supercilious seed;Until it woke one summer hour,And found itself a weed.

Mildred Howells Facts About Desert Plants

Deserts are dry environments with extreme temperatures, both hot andcold. A desert’s dryness, heat and wind causes plants to lose more water

through evaporation than can be replaced by rainfall. This makes conserving waterthe most important rule for survival.

3. Cacti and Aloe

Since water is lost through leaves, manydesert plants, like cacti, have modified theirleaves as a way of conserving valuable mois-ture. You’ll notice that the leaves of somecacti have become sharp-pointed spines.

Other plants, like palo verde trees, aredrought-deciduous, losing their leaves dur-ing the driest part of the year. Plants thatkeep their leaves usually have tiny ones thatcurl up or turn away from the midday sunfor protection.

The color of a plant also helps protect itby reflecting excess sunlight. Desert plantsare often gray, blue green, silver, white orvariegated. Many are succulents, storing

water in leaves as agaves do, in stems or trunks like cacti, or in roots hidden fromsunlight.

2


I will be the gladdest thingunder the sun!I will touch a hundred flowersand not pick one.

Edna St. Vincent Millay Baja and Rose Gardens

Recalling the facts about desert plants, you will notice the size, thickness,arrangement and color of the leaves of these plants. You will also notice the

variety of birds that enjoy this garden as much as we do.In the center is a tall, succulent tree with long linear leaves on the branch tips.

Called the bottle palm, it is not a palm but part of a family of desert plants nativeto the Western Hemisphere. Its botanical name is Nolina recurvata. Notice thelarge swollen base of its trunk. This is the caudex where the plant stores water, acommon adaptation for drought-resistant plants. You will see more examples of thebottle palm in the North American loop.

At the tip of the garden is a shrub called the elephant tree, Bursera micro-phylla. It belongs to a worldwide group of trees and shrubs noted for their aromaticfoliage and sap. Trees yielding frankincense and myrrh belong to this group. Be-ing drought-deciduous, the shrub sheds its tiny leaves during dry periods while itsreddish branches store water.

4. Rock Fig Leaf – Baja Calif.

Continuing along the main walkway, taketime to admire the roses in the Ferraro Rose Gar-den on your left. The tree towering over the rosesis a rusty leaf fig, Ficus rubiginosa, native to Aus-tralia. Notice the irregular shape of the trunk. Inmoist, humid climates, aerial roots of many ficustrees reach the ground. Some of these roots formsecondary trunks with branches, eventually expand-ing the spread of a single tree to a large area. Thebanyan tree, Ficus benghalensis, is the best-knownspecies exhibiting this kind of growth. Ficus is an essential part of many animals’diets. Our own Sumatran rhino eats foliage harvested from ficus trees planted inthe Zoo.

Farther along the main walkway, just past the flamingos and the SafariStation shop, you will come to a fork in the walkway. Continue the tourby taking the walkway to the left to reach the Aquatics loop.

3


“Oh! How beautiful you are!”“Am I not?” the flower responded,sweetly.“And I was born at the same mo-ment as the sun . . . ”

Saint Exupery, The Little Prince Aquatics

As you approach Aquatics, pause at the second bench on the right. Behindit you will see the cork oak, Quercus suber, marked with a sign. Its soft bark

has been the source of commercial cork for hundreds of years. A portion of this barkcan be removed every ten years or so without harming the tree. Cork oak grovesare now being cultivated in California’s wine country. The ancient cork oak grovesof Portugal and Spain are refuges for the highly endangered Iberian lynx and theSpanish imperial eagle.

Turn left into Aquatics and walk up the ramp overlooking the area.On the right side of the ramp is the beautiful Ginkgo biloba tree. It is a living fossilfrom the Jurassic period. This tree is a female ginkgo that produces a seed enclosedin a fruit with a distinctly unpleasant odor. The male ginkgo does not produce fruitand is, by comparison, a more popular landscape tree.

5. Carob Tree Leaf and Pods

Planted on the left side of the ramp is a large,stately carob tree, Ceretonia siliqua. This tree, onceexclusive to the warm Mediterranean region, hasbeen introduced worldwide, arriving in Californiawith the Spaniards. Its fruit, long dark brown podswith beans, is pleasant tasting and used as a choco-late substitute.

Beneath the carob tree are more cycads. Tryto figure out which of these cycads is a female treeand which is a male. Look for the female’s “nestof eggs,” or seeds, and the male’s unique feature, acone-like structure that produces pollen.

Walk back down the ramp, turn left andcontinue along the main pathway toward Aus-tralia.

4


The more you know, the less youneed.

Australian Aborigine saying

Australia

Across from the entrance to the Australian area, against the stone wall, isa Ficus petiolaris, the rock fig. It has large shiny green leaves with pink veins

and is native to Baja California. The leaf is illustrated in the section describing theBaja and Rose Gardens. It is called a rock fig because it is usually found growingon top of a rock, its roots tightly gripping the rock’s sides. In regions drier thanours, the trunk swells to become a reservoir for water, as does the caudex of thebottle palm we saw in the Baja Garden.

To the left of the entrance, you will see the Australian native Rhodosphaerarhodanthema. Often called the yellowwood tree or the tulip satinwood tree, itslumber is prized by cabinetmakers. The tree bears clusters of pink to deep rose-colored flowers in spring, followed by shiny brown fruits that hang in clusters likegrapes. It was once rare in Southern California but is now growing in popularity asan ornamental tree for street and garden.

6. Queensland Lacebark

The Australian loop is filled with native Aus-tralian plants. The imposing trees immediatelyinside the entrance are called Queensland lace-bark, Brachychiton discolor. They feature showysprays of pink flowers in spring followed by large vel-vety seed pods hanging from their branches. Twoother members of this family are the cacao tree ofSouth America, from which we get chocolate, andthe African kola nut tree, the source of flavor forcola beverages.

Another brachychiton, the kurrajong tree, B. pop-ulneus, is located in both the gray kangarooand koala exhibits. It bears white flowers whichbecome woody pods. Australian aborigines madefishing lines from the bark fibers of this tree andused the seeds for food and for a beverage.

5


7. Kurrajong

Grevillea are members of the large protea fam-ily of evergreen shrubs native to Australia. Severalspecies are located in front of the koala en-closure and in the central planters facing theAustralia House. The leaves are lacy and fern-like and the characteristic spider-like flowers comein many colors. The flowers are rich in nectar, mak-ing them popular with insects, birds and Australia’smarsupials.

Not all grevillea are shrubs. The silk oak, Gre-villea robusta, is a popular landscape tree with bright golden-orange flowers thatappear in early spring. You can see one standing at the tram stop by the souvenirkiosk and on the left corner as you leave the Australian loop.

8. Grevillea Flower

Amid the grevilleas in the planters are severalgrass trees, Xanthorrhoea arborea. Recognizable bytheir round mass of long linear leaves, they appearsimilar to many yuccas of North America althoughthey are unrelated. Like yuccas, they grow in asemi-arid or dry environment. Grass trees producea cluster of tiny fragrant flowers on a stalk risinghigh above the leaves and looking very much like acat o’nine tails reed.

Australia is rich in acacia trees, often called wat-tles. The Sydney golden wattle, Acacia longifolia,is planted throughout the Zoo. You can see sev-eral opposite the flamingo exhibit. Its bright goldenflowers bring a glow to gray February days. All aca-cias regardless of size, shape or origin have yellowblossoms.

There are several acacias in the planters infront of the Australia House. These include thestriking Acacia xanthophloea, or fever tree, immediately identified by its distinctiveyellow bark. The fever tree, immortalized in Rudyard Kipling’s The Elephant’sChild, is not native to Australia but to swampy areas of southeastern Africa. Itsbranches are covered with sharp spines, probably as a defense against browsinganimals. Australian acacias, by contrast, usually do not have spines. Plentiful inboth Africa and Australia, acacia is a major food source for many animals, includingthe Zoo’s Masai giraffes and great apes.

6


9. Pink Ironbark Eucalyptus

Nothing says Australia like eucalyptus trees andthere are several species here. The majestic pinkironbark eucalyptus trees, Eucalyptus sideroxylon,are at the entrance to the Komodo dragonexhibit. Unlike the more common smooth-barkspecies, their deep rust-red bark resembles the pinetree. But the slender, curved leaves hanging grace-fully from their branches and the button flowersfilled with bright pink stamens that appear in Febru-ary are unmistakable characteristics that identify itas a member of the eucalyptus family. Its leaves areone of the favorite foods of koalas.

While eucalyptus trees represent the largest group of plants in the myrtle family,other trees in this family are also found in the Australian loop. The paperbark tree,Melaleuca quinquenervia, is easily identified by the spongy sheaths of bark that peelfrom the trunk. The flowers are fluffy creamy-white clusters that bloom in summerand fall, followed by characteristic woody seed capsules that line the branches likerows of beads.

The bottlebrush, Callistemon spp is similar to the melaleuca and far morecommon throughout the Zoo. In spring and summer, a profusion of red, pink orcream flowers formed by dense clusters of bristle-like stamens attract nectar-lovingbirds.

Leaving the Australian loop, turn left toward the North Americanarea and follow the walkway up to the Gorilla Grill located across fromthe zebras.

7


The nation behaves well if ittreats the natural resources asassets which it must turn overto the next generation increased,and not impaired, in value.

Theodore Roosevelt North America

The path that circles around the North American area begins behindthe Gorilla Grill. Here you will find two evergreen southern magnolias, Mag-

nolia grandiflora, among the most ancient of the flowering plants.The southern magnolia is native to North America and was introduced to Eng-

land and Europe in the 18th Century. With its glossy leaves and large fragrantflowers, it was an immediate sensation. The magnolia flower depends on beetles forpollination.

10. Mahonia Flower

Beneath the magnolias lies a bed of California wild-flowers extending to a nearby group of plants on theright, called mahonia. Mahonias are evergreen shrubswith small spiny, toothed leaflets. When mature, theleaves are rather stiff and prickly, like holly leaves. Inspring, mahonias have clusters of tiny yellow flowers ar-ranged in dense spikes. After blooming, most varietiesof these shrubs produce blue-black berries, favorites ofbirds and wildlife. The berries are usually found onthe tops of the shrub where they can be quickly gath-ered and consumed. Varieties of mahonia planted hereinclude the leatherleaf mahonia or Mahonia bealei andthe Oregon grape, Mahonia aquifolium, the state flowerof Oregon.

The garden area of the fox exhibit is on thecorner across from the magnolias and mahonias. There, next to the exhibitentrance, you will see the coast redwood, Sequoia sempervirens, one of the tallesttree species in the world, topping out at over 350 feet. A survivor of forests thatonce covered the Northern Hemisphere, the coast redwood now occurs naturally ina narrow coastal belt in Northern California and Southern Oregon.

8


11. Flannel Bush

Next to the coast redwood is a large native shrubcalled the flannel bush or fremontia, Fremontoden-dron californicum. Its leaves are usually three-lobedwith sharp points along the edges. The bristly hairson the leaves and fruit give it its common name offlannel bush. In March and early April, it is cov-ered with large bright yellow flowers that contraststrongly with its dark green leaves. This shrub isplanted here and around the coyote exhibit.

Growing beside the flannel bush are large, na-tive shrubs of California lilac or ceanothus. Theybear large fragrant clusters of tiny flowers in shadesof violet, blue or white on branch tips. These flow-ers contain substances called saponins that causethe blossoms to lather up when rubbed in water.Native Americans used the flowers to make soapsand shampoos.

12. California Lilac

Continue along the loop to the entrance tothe coyote exhibit. Here you will see the impres-sive bald cypress tree, Taxodium distichum, fromthe southeastern United States. If it were growingin a swamp it would have “knees,” woody protuber-ances just above the water line allowing air to getto its roots. Look carefully at the base of the treeto see a “knee” beginning to emerge. In winter, youwill see a bare tree for it is one of the few conifersthat is fully deciduous.

On the immediate right of the entrance isa shrub or small tree called western redbud, Cercisoccidentalis. A member of the pea and bean family,it is found in California foothills and is drought-tolerant once established. Its leaves are roughlyheart-shaped. Green in summer, they turn yellowor red in autumn before dropping. In spring, small pink and magenta flowers coverthe bare branches. Local Native Americans used the young branches for basketframes.

From the coyote exhibit, turn right and continue walking past the wolfenclosure toward the Bactrian camels. The hillside fronting their enclosurecontains more California lilac and western redbud.

9


13. Coyote Brush

Continuing on, the area in front of theChacoan peccaries also contains several nativeplants: red monkeyflowers, Mimulus cardinalis, coy-ote brush, Baccharis pilularis and mahonia. Coyotebrush is a shrub with tiny oval leaves that becomesticky in warm weather. This is probably an adap-tation to protect itself from drying out and to keepcool. It is a valuable part of our chaparral plantcommunity because it regenerates quickly from itsdense root crowns after a brush fire. It is thereforean important plant for controlling erosion.

The hillside behind the vending machinesis planted, on the right, with varieties of Califor-nia lilac, and on the left, with varieties of currantsand gooseberries. They are part of the ribes fam-ily and are planted around the North Americanarea. They provide nourishing berries and flowersfor birds and wildlife. Look for some of these shrubsin the planter with the bottle palm across from thedesert bighorn sheep.

14. California Buckeye

Notice the large shrub planted on the right as youapproach the desert bighorn sheep enclosure. This isthe California buckeye, Aesculus californica. It is com-monly found on dry slopes and canyons and blooms inMay with large conical clusters of fragrant white flow-ers on the branch tips. Its seeds are poisonous and wereused by Native Americans to stun fish, making themeasier to catch.

Several North American honey locust trees, Gledit-sia triacanthos, are growing among exhibits in this area.Look for one in the desert bighorn sheep enclosure. It’sa tall tree with rough gray bark and small leaflets that

provide filtered shade. The fruits, long brown seed pods, are eaten by many animals,domestic and wild.

Continue walking past the Arabian oryx and Grant’s zebras. As youleave North America, the pathway will veer to the left toward the Africanloop. Take the path on the far left uphill.

10


The scale on which nature worksis so vast . . . that any cause,however slight and however li-able to be veiled and coun-teracted by accidental circum-stances, must in the end produceits full legitimate results.

Alfred Russel Wallace

Africa

The African area features a number of plants native to Africa and now com-mon to gardens of Southern California: the bird of paradise or Strelitzia regi-

nae, the lily of the Nile or agapanthus, Agapanthus africanus, clivia or Clivia mini-ata and cape honeysuckle, Tecomaria capensis, a flowering shrub or vine. They areplanted throughout the Zoo as well as in the African area.

15. Bird of Paradise

As you walk from the gerenuk exhibit up-hill toward the lions, you may detect a strongskunk-like odor. The culprits are the purple flowersall around you, society garlic, Tulbaghia violacea,that give off an onion or garlic odor. On the plusside, the leaves can be used in cooking.

Look for a plant called lion’s tail, Leonotis leonu-rus, along the walkway of the African loop.It’s a sprawling bushy plant that can grow as tall assix feet. The flower is a tawny-gold ring of tubular-shaped petals growing in a whorl around the stem.A stem may have two or three whorls of these furrygold blossoms, a tail of which any lion would beproud.

Directly across from the lion enclosure, take the path with the Ma-hale Cafe on its right. As you turn up this path, look up to your left tosee a Kaffirboom coral tree, Erythrina caffra surrounded by strelitzia, the bird ofparadise. Native to Africa, it has the thorny trunk, trifoliate leaves, one leaf havingthree leaflets, and seed pods with poisonous red seeds that are typically found inall coral trees of the world. The scarlet flowers of the African tree are broader,more open and accessible to nectar-eating song birds than are the tubular flowers ofits South American relatives that are visited by hummingbirds. Children in Africaplay games with, and make jewelry from the shiny red seeds.

11


16. Cape Honeysuckle

After viewing the coral tree, continue alongthis path to the top of the hill. Just to theright of the mandrill exhibit is a tall leafy tree calledthe pink ball dombeya or Dombeya cayeuxii. InJanuary, the soft pink flowers hang in round clustersamong large heart-shaped leaves.

After spending a few moments with the man-drills, return downhill, keeping to the left andpassing the Masai giraffes as you head towardthe Mahale Mountain chimpanzees.

From the benches facing the exhibit, you maysee our three chimpanzee youngsters play with ev-eryone and everything. Then look at Australia’sMoreton Bay fig, Ficus macrophylla, behind and above you. All of the more than800 species in the fig family, found in tropics worldwide, exude a white milky sapthat is the origin of latex. This sap is harvested from cuts in the bark. The nutri-tious fruit of these trees is consumed by many rainforest inhabitants.

Continue your tour through the chimpanzee house then turn left upthe pathway. Continue straight past the siamang exhibit to the bridgebeside the markhor enclosure. This leads to the Asian loop.

12


Let us ask the hypothetical andsimple question: “What haveOrang-utans done to us that wehave driven them to near extinc-tion?” The answer to this is easy(as indeed for most other speciesin the predicament): . . . nothing,absolutely nothing.

Gisela Kaplan and LesleyRogers

Asia

From the bridge next to the markhor exhibit, look to your right to see theflowering purple orchid trees, Bauhinia variegata. The blossoms are shades

of purple sometimes marked with white. This beautiful tree is native to SoutheastAsia. A little farther along, flanking both sides of the bridge closest to the Sumatrantigers, are majestic Canary Island pines, Pinus canariensis, native to the CanaryIslands.

17. White Mulberry

As you stop to admire the tigers, look to thefar right of the planter in front of you to see thefruitless mulberry, Morus alba. It is “fruitless” be-cause it has flowers that produce only pollen. Itmay aggravate your allergies, but it will not stainyour sidewalk or patio. Mulberry leaves are the ex-clusive food of silk worms.

Continuing past the hippo and rhino ex-hibits, you will come to the children’s Play Parkwith a grove of ginkgo trees beside it. You first metthe ginkgo in the Aquatics area. These ancient trees were once nearly extinct butsaved by the Chinese who prized their beauty and utility. Europeans also admiredthis tree and introduced it to Europe and North America.

Across the road from the Play Park is a Garden of Beastly Delights,grown and tended by volunteers. This garden is stocked with plants that are favoritefoods of many of the Zoo’s animals. The plants are marked with name tags thatinclude the names of animals that enjoy them.

Enjoy the black bears and tigers for a moment and then cross back over thebridge to exit the Asian area and reach the South American loop. Atthe Sumatran rhino exhibit opposite the siamangs, take the left fork ofthe pathway that skirts the side of the rhino enclosure.

13


18. Ginkgo Leaf

As you continue downhill, you may notice boughsof ficus lying in the rhino exhibit. Recall that ficus is afavorite and essential food for the Sumatran rhino.

At the vending machines, there is a large planterwith several trees including two impressive Chilean winepalms, Jubaea chilensis. This rare tree, native to Chile,has an large smooth gray trunk and a mass of long feath-ery fronds at its crown. It produces a sugary sap usedin the production of an alcoholic beverage. It has beenso widely harvested that it is now endangered.

From the palms, continue left to the snow leopards. The Aldabra tortoiseenclosure will be on your right. Once at the snow leopards, you will notice deodarcedar trees, Cedrus deodara, growing tightly packed on both sides of the entranceand inside the exhibit itself. Like the snow leopard, the deodar cedar is native tothe Himalayas and can live more than 1,000 years.

After your visit to the shy snow leopard, go left and continue down thepath to see the Aldabra tortoises at the entrance of the South American area.

14


. . . Schultes could resolve botanicalproblems in the moment . . . realignspecies and genera just by holding ablossom to the light. In the entirehistory of Amazonian botany, only ahandful of scientists have possessedthis talent.

Wade Davis, One River

South America

Brazilian pepper trees, Schinus terebinthifolius, are planted around the SouthAmerican area, both in the central planter and in exhibits such as that of the

mountain tapir. These popular landscaping trees from Brazil are attractive for theirdark green foliage and red berries. But beware, and don’t touch! They are membersof the poison oak and poison ivy family and the sap may irritate your skin.

19. Hong Kong Orchid Tree

As you exit the South American loop, no-tice the Hong Kong orchid tree, Bauhinia blakeanaon the left side of the pied hornbill exhibit. Nativeto India and China, the tree is spectacular in bloom,bearing flowers of magenta and pink. Note the char-acteristic two-lobed leaf common to all bauhinias.

You will find the Brazilian white orchid tree,Bauhinia forficata, planted in front of the scar-let macaw exhibit. A native to South America, itis one of several species of bauhinias in the Zoo. Itbears creamy white flowers in summer and massesof seed pods in fall. These pods explode and dis-

tribute seeds around the area. Notice the many volunteer seedlings in the adjacentgardens.

The planter across from the scarlet macaw exhibit contains a bank ofplants called bat-faced cupheas, Cuphea llavea, native to stream beds in Mexico. Inspring and summer, they are covered with tiny red and purple flowers. Look closelyand see if you can see a bat’s face in the arrangement of the flower’s petals.

Pause at the desert garden next to the Reptile House. This gardencontains many cacti and succulents from South America as well as plants fromNorth and Central America. These include spectacular examples of agaves, oftencalled century plants. Agaves are leaf succulents that grow in a rosette pattern withtheir leaves encircling the plant. The leaves unfurl from a central growing tip andare so tightly compacted that the toothed margins make imprints on the surface ofthe leaf above it.

15


20. Agave

The trees in the center are Jerusalem thorn,Parkinsonia aculeata, also called Mexican palo verde.The tiny leaves are shed for most of the year. Inspring, the branches are covered with bright yel-low flowers. The tree provides important shade andprotection for seedlings of many desert plants.

Notice the cactus nestled on the branches of apalo verde tree. It is a tropical cactus that, likemany plants of the tropical rain forest, needs treesfor support as it climbs to reach the sunlight.

At the tip of the garden is the Agave americana,an outstanding example with its beautiful variegated gray-green and creamy yellowleaves. It can grow to an enormous size with leaves up to six feet in length. Itwas introduced around the world as an ornamental plant and is now found in warmregions of the Mediterranean, Africa, India and Australia.

From this garden, walk uphill and cross the perimeter road to reachthe path leading up to the Aviary.

16


Except during the nine monthsbefore he draws breath, no manmanages his affairs as well as atree does.

George Bernard Shaw Aviary andTreetops Terrace

As you arrive at the path leading up to the Aviary, look to your left to seea stand of floss silk trees, Chorisia speciosa. They are recognizable by their

bright green thorny trunks.

21. Floss Silk Tree

Native to Brazil, floss silk trees bloom in Octo-ber and November when they are covered with largepink and white flowers. Their fruits are large greenavocado-shaped pods containing both seeds and adowny white fluff that gently covers the area whenthe pod splits open. The seeds are favorites of manyspecies of parrots. Continue uphill to reach thegardens in front of the Aviary.

There is a Montezuma cypress, Taxodium mu-cronatum, on your left behind a row of azaleas andin front of a tree fern. The cypress, called ahue-huete by the Aztecs and considered sacred, is thenational tree of Mexico. Even so, its conservationstatus is “threatened.”

Visit the dawn redwood, Metasequoia glypto-stroboides, to the right of the ladies’ rest roomby the Aviary. This tree was widely distributedin the Northern Hemisphere from the Cretaceousperiod down to about 26 million years ago when it vanished from the fossil recordand was believed to be extinct. In 1941, a living dawn redwood tree was discoveredin a remote area of China. After World War Two, an expedition led by paleob-otanist Dr. Ralph Chaney of UC Berkeley located a small forest of these trees ina valley 30 miles from where the first tree was found. Today, dawn redwoods aregrowing all over the world, serving as ambassadors from the Age of Dinosaurs. Likethe bald cypress, the dawn redwood is deciduous and so is bare during winter.

17


Leave the Aviary gardens by the path downhill to reach TreetopsTerrace. On each side of the main entrance are two coral trees. These lovely treesare part of the genus Erythrina, found in tropical regions around the world. Youhave already seen Kaffirboom coral trees in the African loop. All species featurethorny trunks and stems, a compound leaf with three leaflets and long pods withshiny red seeds. The flowers are usually flame red, blooming on the tips of usuallybare branches in late winter before new leaves emerge.

The tree on the right, tucked behind a large hibiscus shrub, is the Mexican coraltree also called the naked coral tree, Erythrina coralloides. The tree on the left isErythrina x bidwillii, a hybrid of two species. The blossoms of both trees are tubularin shape and popular with hummingbirds that pollinate the tree while feeding.

22. Mexican Coral Tree

Next to the Mexican coral tree is the firewheeltree, Stenocarpus sinuatus, native to Australia. Ithas dense foliage with shiny leaves, but its true gloryis its brilliant red and yellow blossoms, large tubularflowers arranged in a circular cluster like spokes ofa wheel.

The palm trees surrounding Zoo Meadow are of-ten called washingtonias. You can see them behindthe firewheel and Mexican coral trees. These twospecies, the Mexican fan palm, Washingtonia ro-busta, and the California fan palm, W. filifera, arethe same palms we saw near the gift shops. How-ever, the washingtonias here are in a natural statewith their petticoats of fronds clearly visible.

Washingtonias grow naturally in isolated patchesof desert in Arizona, California and Mexico where desert-dwelling Native Americansused virtually every part of these palms. The fronds became roofs for huts. Theblades were woven into baskets, rope and sandals, and the new shoots were woveninto sombreros. Their fruits were eaten fresh, or dried to be made into mush.

You have now completed your botanical tour of the Zoo. But just as ittakes more than one visit to see all the Zoo’s animals, you will need more time tofully enjoy and explore the Zoo’s plants. As the seasons change, so do the plants,many of them transformed by spectacular blooms. Please use the bloom calendarto plan a return visit. Come back soon to renew your acquaintances or to makenew friends among the Zoo’s plants and animals.

18


Today I have grown taller fromwalking with the trees.

Karle Wilson

The Zoo in Bloom –a calendar by area and season

Blooming year-round throughout the Zoo

Cape honeysuckleCape plumbagoLantanaBlue hibiscusSociety garlicGrevillea

Zoo Entrance Area

Winter

Aloes — desert gardens, meerkat and zebra exhibitsEuphorbias — Baja Garden, meerkat exhibitAzaleas — Education Building, Aviary gardens, walkwaysCamellias — Education Building, walkways

Spring

Fortnight lilies — patio planter, around ZooPink trumpet tree — planter near gift shopsWestern redbud — outdoor tables next to GrillWisteria — Adventure Island

Summer

Tipu tree — front corner of GrillRed bauhinia — central planter

19


Main Walkway

Winter

Aloes — meerkat exhibitAcacias — from Grill corner to tram tickets

Spring

Ferraro Rose gardenDaylilies — behind Ferraro Rose Garden

Summer

Mimosa — between flamingos and tram ticketsGiant bird of paradise — just beyond flamingos, near Safari Shuttle stand

Aquatics

Winter

Magnolia galaxy — left side of ramp

Spring

Idaho locust (pink blossoms) — North American alligator exhibitBlack locust (white blossoms) — North American alligator exhibitSouthern magnolia — island in N.A. alligator exhibit

Australia

Winter

Pink ironbark eucalyptus tree — African walkway, across from gerenuks

Spring

Bottlebrush — all around Australia, throughout the ZooSilk oak — tram stop near souvenir kiosk, left side entrance to the Aus-tralian loopPaperbark tree — in front of center enclosure

20


Summer

Flame tree — in front of Australia HouseBlue hibiscus — planter in front of Australia House, in bloom year-roundGrevillea — planters in front of Australia House; around koala exhibit,in bloom year-roundQueensland lacebark — in front of yellow-footed rock wallaby exhibit

North America

Spring

California lilac — planted from fox to coyote exhibit, front of BactriancamelsMahonia — planters around Grill and fox exhibitFlannel bush — planted from fox to coyote exhibitsPacific coast iris (Douglas iris) — between fox and wolf exhibits, sameside as exhibitsWestern redbud — front entrance on right side of coyote exhibitCalifornia buckeye — right side of desert bighorn sheep exhibitSouthern magnolias — planter behind Grill

Summer

California wildflowers — in front of Bactrian camels and Chacoan pec-cariesCalifornia sunflowers, monkeyflowers, penstemon, woolly blue curls — infront of Bactrian camels and Chacoan peccaries

Africa

Winter

Pink ball dombeya — right side of entrance, mandrill exhibitAloes — planters near monkeys and mandrillsPink ironbark eucalyptus tree — across from gerenuks and bongo

Spring

Kaffirboom coral tree — across from lion, around African loopClivias — around African loop, throughout the Zoo

21


Echium, “Pride of Madeira” — planter between siamangs and gibbonsand behind the Mahale CafePink trumpet tree — on left side of entrance, mandrill exhibit; bridgebeside bongoTrinidad flame bush — across from African lionCape chestnut — all along walkway between North America and Africa

Summer

Mimosa — inside gorilla exhibitBird of Paradise — around walkways, plantersLion’s tail — walkways around African loopAgapanthus or lily of the Nile — planter around sifaka exhibitRed bauhinia — planter around sifaka, pathway between Africa and Asia

Year-round

Society garlic — walkway between gerenuks and African lion

Asia

Spring

Purple orchid tree — bridge across from markhorsNandina, heavenly bamboo — on walkway from Play Park to rhino en-closure

South America

Spring

Hong Kong orchid tree — scarlet macaw exhibit and around vendingmachinesCacti — desert gardenMexican palo verde — desert gardenAbutilon — planted around exhibits and in central planterPrincess flower — in front of the mountain tapir exhibit

Summer

Brazilian white orchid tree — in front of the scarlet macaw exhibitBat-faced cupheas — across from scarlet macaw exhibit

22


Fall

Floss silk tree — across from the capuchin monkey

Winter

Crassulas — desert gardens

Aviary Walkway

Winter

Prunus — hillside; left side of entrance to path going to Reptile HousePink magnolia — across from path to Reptile House, Aviary garden

Spring

Pink powderpuff shrub — to the right of the condor exhibitPink trumpet tree — hillsideFortnight lilies — near pink magnoliaBottlebrush — hillsides around Treetops TerraceFlowering cherry — on perimeter road near entrance to path going toReptile House

Summer

Bird of paradise — under the washingtoniasGiant bird of paradise — across from restrooms, near Aviary entrance

Fall

Floss silk tree — below Aviary, across from path to Reptile House

Treetops Terrace

Winter

Azaleas — all around Treetops Terrace

Spring

Coral trees — on either side of entrance to TreetopsBottlebrush — along pathway and hillside around TreetopsFirewheel tree — blooms from April and peaks in July; right side ofentrance

23



Index

Aabutilon, 22Acacia, 20

A. longifoliaSydney golden wattle, 6

A. xanthophloeafever tree, 6

Aesculus californicaCalifornia buckeye, 10, 21

African kola nut tree, 5Agapanthus africanus

lily of the Nile, 11, 22Agave americana

century plant, 16Age of Dinosaurs, 1, 17aloe, 19–21Australian aborigines, 5azalea, 19, 23

BBaccharis pilularis

coyote brush, 10bald cypress, 9banyan tree, 3bat-faced cupheas, 15, 22Bauhinia

B. blakeanaHong Kong orchid tree, 15, 22

B. forficataBrazilian white orchid tree, 15, 22

B. galpiniired bauhinia, 19, 22

B. variegatapurple orchid tree, 13, 22

bird of paradise, 11, 22, 23black locust, 20blue hibiscus, 19, 21bottle palm, 3bottlebrush, 7, 20, 23Brachychiton

B. acerifoliusflame tree, 21

B. discolorQueensland lacebark, 5, 21

B. populneuskurrajong tree, 5

Brazilian pepper tree, 15Brazilian white orchid tree, 15, 22Bursera microphylla

elephant plant, 3

Ccacao tree, 5cacti, 22California buckeye, 10, 21California fan palm, 1, 18California lilac, 21California sunflowers, 21California sycamore, 1California wildflowers, 21

25


Callistemon sppbottlebrush, 7, 20, 23

camellia, 19Canary Island pine, 13cape chestnut, 22cape honeysuckle, 11, 19cape plumbago, 19carob tree, 4Ceanothus

California lilac, 9, 21Cedrus deodara

deodar cedar tree, 14century plant, 16Cercis occidentalis

western redbud, 9, 19, 21Ceretonia siliqua

carob tree, 4Chilean wine palm, 14Chorisia speciosa

floss silk tree, 17, 23Clivia miniata

clivia, i, 11, 21coast live oak, 1coast redwood, 8coral tree, 18, 23cork oak, 4coyote brush, 10crassulas, 23Cretaceous period, 17Cuphea llavea

bat-faced cupheas, 15, 22currant, 10Cycas

cycad, 1, 4C. revoluta

sago palm, 1C. rumphii

fern palm, 1

Ddawn redwood, 17daylilies, 20deodar cedar tree, 14Dombeya cayeuxii

pink ball dombeya, 12

Eechium, 22elephant tree, 3The Elephant’s Child, 6Erythrina

coral tree, 18, 23E. caffra

Kaffirboom coral tree, 11, 21E. coralloides

naked coral tree,Mexican coral tree, 18

E. x bidwillii, 18Eucalyptus sideroxylon

pink ironbark eucalyptus tree, 7, 20,21

euphorbias, 19

Ffern palm, 1Ferraro Rose garden, 20fever tree, 6Ficus

F. benghalensisbanyan tree, 3

F. macrophyllaMoreton Bay fig, 12

F. petiolarisrock fig, 5

F. rubiginosarusty leaf fig, 3

firewheel tree, 18, 23flame tree, 21

26


flannel bush, 9, 21floss silk tree, 17, 23flowering cherry, 23food for:

birds, 1, 8, 10coyotes, 1great apes, 6hummingbirds, 11, 18koalas, 7Masai giraffes, 6nectar-eating birds, 7, 11parrots, 17rain forest inhabitants, 12rodents, 1silk worm, 13Sumatran rhino, 3wildlife, 8, 10

food, source of:alcoholic beverage, 14chocolate, 5chocolate substitute, 4cola beverage flavor, 5

fortnight lilies, 19, 23Fremontodendron californicum

flannel bush, fremontia, 9, 21fruitless mulberry, 13

Ggiant bird of paradise, 20, 23Ginkgo biloba

ginkgo, 4, 13Gleditsia triacanthos

North American honeylocust tree, 10

gooseberry, 10grass tree, 6Grevillea, 19, 21

G. robustasilk oak, 6, 20

Hheavenly bamboo, 22Hong Kong orchid tree, 15, 22

IIberian lynx, 4Idaho locust, 20

JJerusalem thorn, 16Jubaea chilensis

Chilean wine palm, 14Jurassic period, 4

KKaffirboom coral tree, 11, 21kurrajong tree, 5

Llantana, 19latex, 12leatherleaf mahonia, 8Leonotis leonurus

lion’s tail, 11, 22lily of the Nile, 11, 22lion’s tail, 11, 22

MMagnolia

magnolia galaxy, 20M. grandiflora

southern magnolia, 8, 20, 21pink magnolia, 23

Mahonia, 21M. aquifolium

Oregon grape, 8M. bealei

leatherleaf mahonia, 8Melaleuca quinquenervia

paperbark tree, 7

27


Metasequoia glyptostroboidesdawn redwood, 17

Mexican coral, 18Mexican fan palm, 1, 18Mexican palo verde, 16, 22mimosa, 20, 22Mimulus cardinalis

monkeyflower, 10, 21Montezuma cypress, 17Moreton Bay fig, 12Morus alba

fruitless mulberry, 13

Nnaked coral tree, 18nandina, 22Native Americans, 9, 10, 18Nolina recurvata

bottle palm, 3North American honey

locust tree, 10

OOregon grape, 8

PPacific coast iris, 21palo verde tree, 2paperbark tree, 7, 20Parkinsonia aculeata

Jerusalem thorn,Mexican palo verde, 16

penstemon, 21pink ball dombeya, 12, 21pink ironbark eucalyptus tree, 7, 20, 21pink powderpuff shrub, 23pink trumpet tree, 19, 22, 23Pinus canariensis

Canary Island pine, 13

plants:ancient

coast redwood, 8cycad, 1, 4dawn redwood, 17fern palm, 1ginkgo, 4, 13sago palm, 1southern magnolia, 8, 20, 21

California nativeCalifornia buckeye, 10, 21California fan palm, 1, 18California lilac, 9, 21California sunflowers, 21California sycamore, 1California wildflowers, 21coast live oak, 1coast redwood, 8coyote brush, 10currant, 10flannel bush, 9, 21gooseberry, 10mahonia, 8, 21Mexican fan palm, 1, 18monkeyflower, 10, 21Pacific coast iris, 21penstemon, 21prunus, 23western redbud, 9, 19, 21woolly blue curls, 21

commercial value, withAfrican kola nut tree, 5cacao tree, 5carob tree, 4cork oak, 4ginkgo, 4tulip satinwood tree, 5

princess flower, 22protea, 6

28


prunus, 23purple orchid tree, 13, 22

QQueensland lacebark, 5, 21Quercus suber

cork oak, 4

RRhodosphaera rhodanthema

tulip satinwood tree,yellowwood tree, 5

Ribes sppcurrant, gooseberry, 10

rock fig, 5rusty leaf fig, 3

Ssago palm, 1Schinus terebinthifolius

Brazilian pepper tree, 15Sequoia sempervirens

coast redwood, 8silk oak, 6, 20society garlic, 11, 19, 22Spanish imperial eagle, 4Stenocarpus sinuatus

firewheel tree, 18Strelitzia

S. nicolaigiant bird of paradise, 20, 23

S. reginaebird of paradise, 11, 22, 23

Sydney golden wattle, 6

TTaxodium

T. distichumbald cypress, 9

T. mucronatumMontezuma cypress, 17

Tecomaria capensiscape honeysuckle, 11, 19

tipu tree, 19Trinidad flame bush, 22Tulbaghia violacea

society garlic, 11, 19, 22tulip satinwood tree, 5

WWashingtonia

W. filiferaCalifornia fan palm, 1, 18

W. robustaMexican fan palm, 1, 18

western redbud, 9, 19, 21wisteria, 19woolly blue curls, 21

XXanthorrhoea arborea

grass tree, 6

Yyellowwood tree, 5

29




Documents

“BotanicalTour091004” — 2004/9/11 — 17:26 — page 1 — #1dw.tug.org/slideshow/subfiles/BotanicalTour091004.pdf · “BotanicalTour091004” — 2004/9/11 — 17:26 — page