Pindo Palms are the best gas station palms (I'm pretty sure this is a Pindo!)

Cistus Nursery lists, or did list, a selection of Butia capitata, they grew from seeds collected from a row a plants growing at a Shell Station in South Carolina. I've seen those plants in fruit and they're wonderful. Well here's another gas station Pindo. I expect they like the heat and the inevitably dry soil. I remember reading that they are marginally hardy to Washington DC, which is likely not true but it would be fun to try one in a hot protected microclimate. Maybe with protection for the first year and luck it could last a few years. Or more? Probably not, but it is one of the palms that they box stores are selling as "cold hardy", so the experiment wouldn't have to be expensive....

Urbanus proteus, the Long-tailed Skipper on Duranta flower

Somehow I missed the iridescent blue color on the wingss of this interesting subtropical butterfly. Nevertheless, I'm pretty certain of this identification. It's raining off and on today but since it's the last day of this visit, I'm prowling the garden weeding and photographing.

Texas Sage, Leucophyllum frutescens, is just today, producing a smattering of flowers....I'm sure as a result of the deep watering and light fertilization it received last Saturday! I would be nice to be able to stay 2-3 weeks as many other plants are budding up in response to my ministrations. Bougainvillea, Salvia leucantha, Salvia microphylla cvs, Salvia greggii cvs, various Crinums, Psychotria nervosa, Myrcianthesfragrans, Salvia cocccinea....

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Aclepias currassavica