Monday, July 12, 2010

Petal Pushing

One of my favorite Southern California flowers is the Agapanthus. It is commonly called "Lily of the Nile" but the name is misleading -- it's not a lily and all species are native to South Africa, particularly the region of the Limpopo River . (Not a Lily of the Limpopo? Now that's a great name for a flower!) When I first moved to Los Angeles my roommate and I thought the lanky, tufty-headed things looked like magic wands so we called them Wicca Sticks. I overheard my neighbor refer to them as "those feather duster flowers." Little Bit thinks they look like pompoms. Whatever they are, they sure add a festive note to summer gardens. What do you think they should be called?

12 comments:

Judy Williams said...

They do look like a row of fairy (I like how the British spell it faerie) dusters. I like how the weight of the top causes the slight lean to the right. Maybe they are doing a South Pasadena wave - like crowds do at stadiums during a sporting event. :)

Happy Monday!!

Anonymous said...

powder puff posies

Barbara said...

Vuvuzela flowers?

Anonymous said...

Don't have a name, but they look a bit like colorful dandelions-gone-to-seed.

Wayne said...

Nice composition LA!

Trish said...

I used to call them the fireworks flowers, as a kid. A friend has the purple version, plus white and a red in his yard---which, on the 4th REALLY does look like fireworks.

Auntie S said...

Lily of the Nile is a name as beautiful as the flower, and it's the name I've always known...I think from my mother-in-law, who had a beautiful group along her front walk.

"Mother-in-law's Pom Poms"

"Mother-in-law's Tongue" for the sword-like green and yellow succulent house plant doesn't sound nearly as nice, does it?

Got a little side-tracked!

Oleg K. said...

Purple Explosias?

p.s. - Thanks for providing the actual name. I've been on a small kick about learning names of flowers, and now I know what these are called. It's extra cool because I always see them around.


summer brings
waist-high explosions too --
lilies of the nile

Shanna said...

I'll go with any of the names, but I esp. like Lily of the Nile.

Gorgeous composition! I'm always fond of the combination of organic and geometric.

Virginia said...

"Pom Poms" . The girl will be a cheerleader to spite you! :)
V

Laurie Allee said...

I am DIGGING the names, people. I'll admit, I cracked up at vuvuzela flowers. I think we have all added a new vocabulary word after World Cup!

Until tomorrow, everyone...

Anonymous said...

lollipops