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Leaf of the Day: A Mickey Mouse Plant

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Friday, 27 March 2009

Leaf of the Day: A Mickey Mouse Plant

What could be more appropriate for an Orlando Botanical Garden than the Mickey Mouse Plant, although the label at Leu Gardens more conservatively calls this the Bird's Eye Bush. It caught my eye with its colourful little yellow flowers and strange little fruits.

This is Ochna serrulata, the Mickey Mouse Plant, or Bird's Eye Bush,
Originally from Southern Africa this little bush has fragrant yellow flowers in spring and very attractive fruits. These start green and become shiny black and berry-like, suspended below the original bright-red sepals. The birds enjoy them and the flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies. It's a very nice little novelty plant.

So why Mickey Mouse? Well, its because of the black seeds. One of mine just did happen to have 3 black seeds so how could I resist it??? ...and yes, there a million other things I should be doing right now :).

I think he is more Steamboat Willie than modern Mickey.
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Birds Eye Plant

Labels: Leu Gardens, mickey mouse plant, ochna serrulata, watercolour

6 Comments:

Susan Tomlinson said...: Beautiful sketches, as always!; 27 March 2009 at 11:46
Anonymous said...: Lovely! Keep up the great work.; 27 March 2009 at 12:57
tina said...: Beautiful pictures and drawings! You are very talented.; 28 March 2009 at 01:28
buedamau said...: better and better as usual!; 28 March 2009 at 01:57
Tinchen {Katrin} said...: WOW!!!! Beautiful sketches and wonderful aquarelles! I love your artwork!!!! Great! I have saved your blog-addy, so I can come to visit it very often!

You are very talented! I am so happy to found your site! It is very inspired for me, and very interesting! I love it!

Have a wonderful day,
greetings from a cold morning in Germany :),

Tinchen; 28 March 2009 at 03:52
sharp green pencil said...: Thankyou all so much, I am glad you liked this funny little plant! It was fun to do!; 31 March 2009 at 15:47

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