I would never lead maintain known almost the
Jurupa Mountains Discovery Center (JMDC) on border of Riverside if it hadn't been for my friend Luisa. She lives 45 minutes from in that location in addition to loves the place. It turns out the many locals don't know almost the JMDC either although they're familiar amongst the giant mammoth figure on the hillside off the lx freeway.
The mammoth may hold upward the JMDC's calling carte but it's non the exclusively giant sculpture. There are dinosaurs aplenty. I don't know the exact flush of how they came to be, but non surprisingly, they're really pop amongst kids. And the JMDC has a make of programs in addition to activies that appeal to this marrow group, including schoolhouse programs (in 2014, 9000 schoolhouse children visited the JMDC on plain trips). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 modest but fantabulous public Science Museum features fossils, Native American artifacts, minerals in addition to dinosaur eggs, many collected inwards the
Inland Empire.
As whimsical every bit the dinosaurs are, the primary attraction for me were the gardens. And every bit you lot tin run into correct at the entrance, where the start laid of photos was taken, it's all almost succulents.
Dinosaurs in addition to succulents combined create brand for interesting snapshots. Where else tin you lot run into a dinosaur towering over Agave attenuata or hiding behind a 10 ft. tall Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire'!
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| Agave attenuata inwards bloom (left), Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire' (right) |
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| Aloe camperi |
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| Aloe camperi again. The trees on the correct are dragon trees (Dracaena draco). |
The JMDC is huge (82 acres) but most of it is hillsides left inwards their natural state. The 6-acre succulent gardens are close Granite Hill Gardens Nursery. It's easiest to common inwards the plant nursery parking lot because I'm surely you'll desire to purchase a few things earlier you lot leave. (More on the plant nursery below.)
I wasn't able to abide by whatever definitive data on the history of these gardens, but Luisa idea they were planted yesteryear local succulent enthusiasts inwards the 1960s in addition to 70s. The gardens are roughly divided into Old World (South Africa in addition to Madgascar) in addition to New World. There are no labels in addition to simply a few paths. And aside from a handful of other visitors, Luisa in addition to I were lonely to explore these beautiful plantings. (The lack of visitors powerfulness hold upward because nosotros were in that location on a Th afternoon.)
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| Stately candelabra trees (Euphorbia ingens) |
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| Panorama of the aloe loma to a higher house the nursery |
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| Absolutely perfect aloes; unfortunately I can't say amongst whatever flat of certainty what they are |
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| The tall aloe on the correct is Aloe sabaea, a species that would never grow inwards Davis without pregnant wintertime protection |
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| Aloe sabaea again |
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| Aloe rubroviolacea hybrid |
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| I loved these ghostly white euphorbias inwards the back; I'm non surely what they are, mayhap variegated Euphorbia ingens |
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| Look at the bird-shaped clouds! |
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| Toppled Euphorbia ammak. Either it got likewise heavy and/or the soil got likewise soft during our really moisture winter. |
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| Aloidendron barberae |
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| The shrub on the correct is elephant bush (Portulacaria afra). In Northern California it's normally a modest potted plant! |
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| The path less traveled: Luisa in addition to I were the exclusively ones taking this trail upward the hill |
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| This is what nosotros institute at the top: an entire row of octopus agaves (Agave vilmoriniana)--and hillsides greener than I've e'er seen inwards Southern California |
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| Agave shawii is beautiful every bit it is, but expression at this variegated stunner! In fact, many rosettes inwards this clump in addition to simply about other i nearby were variegated. |
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| The dry out branches inwards the forground are from an agave bloom stalk |
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| Ferocactus wislizenii |
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| View of the New World garden, amongst the town of Jurupa Valley in addition to Riverside beyond |
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| What a beautiful clump of Ferocactus (maybe pilosus) |
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| Boojum tree (Fouquieria columnaris), every botanical garden inwards Southern California has some |
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| Agave lophantha. Notice the lone regal plant! It's losing its chlorophyll, belike because it's getting ready to bloom. |
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| Agave lophantha and Agave parryi |
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| Weeds are existent occupation this year. Thanks to abundant rainfall, they've exploded, engulfing these agaves. |
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| Possibly diamond cholla (Cylindropuntia ramosissima) |
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| Rare variegated barrel cactus (Ferocactus, possibly wislizenii) |
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| Old World in addition to New World mash-up close the nursery |
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| Perfectly shaped maiden's quiver tree (Aloidendron ramosissimum) |
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| Kalanchoe tomentosa |
Granite Hill Gardens Nursery is non difficult to find. Just expression for this dinosaur:
Its caput points you lot inwards the correct direction.
The plant nursery specializes inwards succulents. It's non large, but it pays to expression around. I institute a large in addition to really well for you lot Aloe tomentosa in a #1 tin for exclusively $9. (Aloe tomentosa is i of the really few aloes amongst white flowers, in addition to dissimilar most aloes, it blooms inwards the summer.)
While the sales surface area to a higher house looks similar a to a greater extent than traditional retail nursery, I was most excited almost the exterior tables on the loma to a higher house the nursery. They were withal a chip lean (I expression in that location is to a greater extent than stock afterward inwards the spring), but in that location were a lot of interesting plants. I institute a Euphorbia grandicornis (three stems, all blooming) inwards a #1 tin for $9. ($9 seems to hold upward the touchstone cost for 1-gallon containers.)
Here's a panorama of the exterior area:
The most odd characteristic of Granite Hills Gardens Nursery is this piece of cactus growing inwards the ground. These aren't purpose of a demonstrate garden. They are for people to buy! You option out the i you lot want, a staff fellow member volition dig it upward for you! I've seen this inwards Arizona, but never inwards California. Most of the plants were cardons (Pachycereus pringlei), amongst a few others sprinked in. Luisa bought a barrel cactus (probably Ferocactus wislizenii).
The Jurupa Mountains Discovery Center may hold upward i of the Inland Empire's best kept secrets, but it deserves to hold upward ameliorate known. So the side yesteryear side fourth dimension you're inwards the area, expression for the mammoth on the loma in addition to lead maintain the Granite Hill Drive leave of absence off CA-60!
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