[John J]

Hoya carnosa
Restricted in a container.

Hylocereus undatus
Large flowers that rival the Epiphyllum in size and fragrance.

Before I move on I need to slot in a plant that I overlooked on my initial list making.

Felicia amelloides

[John J]

I spy:-

Ipomoea batatas 'Blackie'
Sweet potato grown as a curiosity to see the flowers rather than as a crop plant. Currently grown in containers but maybe one day we'll attempt to grow enough in the ground to have at least one serving.

Ipomoea carnea ssp fistulosa
Unusual in the genus for not being a 'sprawler' but growing as a bush.

[John J]

Iris germanica florentina
Uncertain about this as there appears to be some controversy regarding the nomenclature for this white iris. Whatever its correct name is it's easy to grow and needs to be divided at intervals as it bulks up very quickly.

Next comes J:-

Jacaranda mimosifolia
Four mature trees, three grown from seed from the original 'mother' tree. Beautiful sight when in flower as they appear before the foliage. Carpets the ground below with blue as the flowers fall. Unfortunately ours does it on the drive in front of the garage thus entailing a constant regime of sweeping up otherwise they are carried into the house on shoes, or cat's paws. An example of not thinking ahead before siting perhaps?

[John J]

Jasminum auriculatum

Jasminum mesnyi
Two plants that cascade with yellow in spring but, sadly, without perfume.

Jasminum officinale

Jasminum polyanthum

Jasminum sambac
A very temperamental and disappointing plant for us. One in the ground and one in a container. Neither appearing to be very grateful for the TLC they receive.

Jatropha integerrima
Struggling to overcome the handicap of starting life with a badly twisted root system (what I believe Olivier Filippi describes as a 'chignon') but bearing up bravely.

Juglans regia
Somewhat of an experiment to see if it will produce at this low altitude. More commonly encountered in the slightly cooler climes on higher ground (500-1400m). Ours is growing strongly but has yet to show signs of fruiting.

[John J]

Now K:-

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
Container plant that currently is a mass of cheery, bright orange flowers.

Kalanchoe orgyalis

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora

Kalanchoe tomentosa

Quickly through to L:-

Lagerstroemia indica
We have 3 varieties:- "Caroline Beauty', 'Violaceae' and 'Rossea Grassi'.
All are struggling to establish.

Lagunaria patersonii
Eleven year old tree that produces an abundance of flowers every year. These are followed by seed pods that are covered in extremely irritant hairs. Because of this care needs to be taken when siting.

[John J]

Lantana camara
Can be invasive in certain situations. Ours receives very little water which appears to curb its exuberance.

Laurus nobilis
Who could be without a bay tree?

Lavandula angustifolia

Lavandula dentata

Lavandula pinnata

Leonotis leonurus
Seems to suffer in the winter but comes back in the summer.

[John J]

Leucophyllum frutescens
Two bushes that receive little supplementary water.

Limonium perezii

Loropetalum chinense
Spectacular when in flower.
Also L. chinense 'Black Pearl' with darker foliage.

[John J]

Lycianthes rantonnetii
Still getting used to this name change.

Lygeum spartum
The second small grass plant that was obtained from the speaker at the MGS AGM on Ischia last Oct. Also survived the winter and awaiting developments.

[John J]

Mmmm......

Mammillarea elongata

Mangifera indica
Grown from a stone sown in 2000. Produces a limited amount of fruit every year.

Medicago arborea
Obtained from Forestry Dept nursery. Summer dormant so gets no supplementary irrigation. Covered in small yellow flowers each spring.

Melaleuca nesophila
Grown in an area that gets no irrigation.

Melia azedarach
Three mature trees, two grown from seed from the original 'mother tree', sown in 1997.
Scented flowers appear with new foliage in spring. Produces abundant seeds that used to attract Egyptian Fruit Bats until about 10 years ago. Their disappearance possibly attributed to destruction of roosting sites.

Melianthus major
Obtained from MGS garden Sparoza in 2012. Spectacular plant that is only really suited to large gardens as it requires a lot of space to spread.

[John J]

Melissa officinalis
Lemon Balm grown as a ground cover in the herb area and used together with Lemon Verbena to make a refreshing cold tea in summer.

Mentha x piperita

Mentha suaveolens 'Variegata'

Mespilus germanica
Grown mainly as an ornamental for its blossom, and a curiosity for its fruit. These need a period of cold to ripen, a process known as 'bletting', and they don't get it naturally here. We could put them in the fridge for a while but have never considered the result to be worthwhile.

[John J]

Mirabilis jalapa
Introduced several years ago (1998) as a curiosity with their multi-colours, often on the same flower. Have self-seeded ever since but are easily removed if not appreciated.

Murraya paniculata
Two small bushes that require little attention and produce scented flowers annually.

Myoporum parvifolium

Myrtus communis
How could we not grow this bush that is sacred to Aphrodite, on her own island? We have several examples of both the black and white berried varieties. Many food/drinking establishments used to provide dishes of myrtle berries for patrons to chew and refresh their taste buds between courses. Another tradition that has fallen by the wayside.

Unbelievable - halfway through the alphabet!! 

[John J]

N:-

Nerium oleander
They are everywhere, but why not when they are so easy to grow.

Nigella damascena
Self-seed prolifically.
Also N. arvensis

[John J]

Nymphaea 'Escarboucle'
Also N. 'Moorei' ('Mooreana').
Obtained from Andreas Protopapas, internationally renowned water-lily breeder here in Cyprus.

O:-

Odontonema strictum
Grown in partial shade and watered at regular intervals.

[John J]

Oenothera biennis
Another welcome self-seeder.

[John J]

Olea europea
Twenty productive trees.

Ophiopogon planiscapus
Just one plant that was a gift from Chrysanthi nursery, Athens following a visit by a group from the MGS Cyprus Branch about 10 years ago.

Origanum dictamnus

Osteospermum sp.
Various in a variety of colours.

Oxalis purpurea 'Neta'
Unlike its obnoxiously invasive relative remains compact without wandering hither and yon.