Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight, UK

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Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight, UK

Post by edds »

Not a travelogue by any means but seems the most appropriate place to put this.

I've uploaded some photos here https://www.agaveville.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11152

The photos are too big to upload to this forum, sorry!
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Re: Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight, UK

Post by edds »

I managed to take some more photos that I can crop on our second visit to the garden. While the succulents are fairly limited there are some amazing agave, aloe and Opuntia in different spots and a few Aeonium too. The palms, tropicals, Echium pinninana and Agapanthus throughout the garden are great though.

Aeonium wall
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Other Aeonium
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The main arid avenue
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The other path with Opuntia and Agave,
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Re: Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight, UK

Post by edds »

Agave and aloe pictures
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Included a couple of 'objects' to give you a sense of scale of these Agave salmiana!
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Re: Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight, UK

Post by edds »

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And finally some closer shots of the Aloe polyphylla group. Looking nice but no signs of flowering and not the biggest - maybe they're a bit too dry?
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And I'd appreciate an ID on this
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Re: Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight, UK

Post by Pattock »

Looks like a Beschorneria. If it is, there is an expert in Essex who can probably narrow that down.
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Re: Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight, UK

Post by Paul in Essex »

Until he comes along, I pitch in that I believe it is Agave mitis and the spike has become congested/deformed in some way.
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Re: Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight, UK

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Paul in Essex wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 2:25 pm Until he comes along, I pitch in that I believe it is Agave mitis and the spike has become congested/deformed in some way.
Even if it isn't, I should have said.
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Re: Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight, UK

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Paul in Essex wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 2:25 pm Until he comes along, I pitch in that I believe it is Agave mitis and the spike has become congested/deformed in some way.
That's interesting Paul! I would not have thought that but don't doubt you're right! This plant was in a shaded spot, next to a path on a slope and slightly more exposed than some. I wonder if it had been either physically damaged or hit by a cold wind over winter?
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Re: Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight, UK

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edds wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 5:18 pm That's interesting Paul! I would not have thought that but don't doubt you're right! This plant was in a shaded spot, next to a path on a slope and slightly more exposed than some. I wonder if it had been either physically damaged or hit by a cold wind over winter?
Or it was hidden under a mess of brambles until a recent weeding?
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Re: Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight, UK

Post by edds »

I don't think there's been a huge amount of recent weeding looking at the grounds! Looks like they've been short-handed for a while - perhaps an impact of the pandemic? Having said that though, I can't see that area would have had significant amounts of brambles as it is on main path and they're pretty narrow planting spaces on quite a slope - brambles would be vaulting across the paths!
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