Lots of the plants in the garden come from a single cutting or from plants found by the side of the road. It cracks me up to see how they have grown and spread. And I remember where each came from. Like this beauty. I confess to doing a Jack Nicholson from "Chinatown," when he coughed and ripped a page out of a registry. Years ago, I coughed and broke off a tiny piece of this when I was in a courtyard in the city.
It has thick leaves and a strong fragrance. I think they call it Mexican oregano, but I really don't know. From that one cutting, I learned it was very hardy, could last through the dry season and was a good ground cover. It has taken over certain areas.
And these beauties, the large leafed plant, Elephant Ear, I luckily found by the side of the road on one of my walks.
It musta been fate, because I had just seen some amazing ones in the inner courtyard of the church in Etla. It had no leaves, just a stalk and now, it is thriving. I have several in pots, as well. The other, I snagged from the parking area at the paper-making studio in San Agustin Etla.
Again, one tough plant that does well in sun and shade and works as a ground cover. I have other "found" plants, agaves, cacti, plumerias, and others that just reseed themselves, like lavender, lettuces, zinnias, even the papyrus. Really, it is that it is easy to grow things here although there are many lessons to be learned about growing thing when the may be six months with nary a drop of rain. I'm slowly learning.
2 comments:
That oregano isn't the wild oregano you find in Mexico. It's the plant that goes by the name "Vicks Vapor Rub". No lie. There IS also a wild oregano which is very similar in appearance but the aroma is very distinct between the two.
Gracias for the info, Someone on FB mentioned that it could take over and I went out to see... and it was (past tense) I am pulling 99% of it, but it will always be in the garden. It even grows and the compost pile.
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