sapphire tower (Puya alpestris)
Native to the Chilean Andes, this terrestrial bromeliad relative puts out startlingly turquoise flowers (called by some 'metallic' or 'electric blue') that emerge by the dozens on lofty flower spikes.
The flowers were just starting to bloom in April when this was photographed in the Huntington Botanical Garden in San Marino, CA. They apparently didn't last very long because, despite staff efforts to drive them away, squirrels devour the flowers!
EXPLORE #456 April 30, 2009
Comments and faves
Ezhappy, plant therapist ( noriel daelo ), Papillon Sky Photography {amy}, adriana delphino, and 21 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Ezhappy (37 months ago | reply)
Amazing color!!!
mondomuse (37 months ago | reply)
Wow Jane, I've never ever seen teal as a floral color before. Well, thanks to you... now I have. The contrast with the orange stamens is amazing.
nowhereonearth (37 months ago | reply)
Yes, it was a first for me, too!
robertschodterer (37 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called clique for friends and artists ( invite only ), and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Splendid capture.
bellangerandre (37 months ago | reply)
couleur surprenante
Dave-a-roni (David Barnas) (37 months ago | reply)
Beautiful, I've never seen a turquoise flower before. :-)
foqiazafar (37 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Flowers ☆ [Contes # 4 Yellow Flower (Voting start)], and we'd love to have this added to the group!
dubonnet (37 months ago | reply)
Seen in:
clique for friends and artists
Please tag your image with cffaa
Wow!! fantastic and appealing color!
Luiz Filipe Varella - www.orquideasgauchas.net (37 months ago | reply)
fantastic!
i'm sending the link to my bromeliad Yahoo group, ok?
really a great plant (and a great shot too)
LF
zeynep dincer karaman (37 months ago | reply)
Gorgeous!
FrauPlanlos (busy) (37 months ago | reply)
love the colors !!
Papillon Sky Photography {amy} (37 months ago | reply)
I didn't know there were flowers this color! Gorgeous!!
sobergeorge (37 months ago | reply)
Great Capture !!!!
Your amazing photo deserves a SILVER Award from
"THE WORLD IN FLICKR"
(Post 1 ~ Award 2)
nowhereonearth (37 months ago | reply)
Thanks, everyone, for your kind comments and invitations, and for favoriting this photo. I share everyone's surprise at the unusual color--and other visitors photographing it at the Huntington mentioned never having seen anything like it, either.
Summerwind_1 (37 months ago | reply)
Wow! Really unusual! Please add your unusual flower to our new group!
Jemsabell - Still on the moo-0-oove! (37 months ago | reply)
Beautiful, and so interesting!
Seen in Blue and Green Together (Intense!).
jungle mama (37 months ago | reply)
Wow, gorgeous shot!
I saw this in:
Flowers ☆
joka2000 (37 months ago | reply)
Beautiful shot!
Congrats on Explore!
--
Seen in my contacts' Explore photos. (?)
sveatroll [very busy @ the moment] (37 months ago | reply)
Wonderful colour!
I saw this in:
Flowers ☆
The Ghost of a Flea (37 months ago | reply)
amazing colour!!!
I saw this in:
Flowers ☆
mondomuse (37 months ago | reply)
Congrats on Explore! A well deserved honor.
ka-Snick (37 months ago | reply)
Very beautiful.
Nice composition and color. Great subject.
Sweetstuff "Candy" (37 months ago | reply)
Wonderful color, never seen anything like it. Amazing fluorescent stamens too! Great shot.
Morbit Photography 2008 (37 months ago | reply)
wow...great shot..
MethoxyRoxy (37 months ago | reply)
crazy; a greenish flower!
Om Mamma (34 months ago | reply)
I saw one of these in bloom in Lotus Land, Santa Barbara. Beautiful shot!
Cliff Michaels (33 months ago | reply)
Click below to see why
Maurizio Albissola.com (32 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called MILLEFIORI ♥ Concorso 14 - votazioni♥ , and we'd love to have this added to the group!
wallygrom (28 months ago | reply)
I was given some seeds of this by Kew Gardens some years ago. Some seven or eight years later I was rewarded by a flower spike - the most exquisite and unusual flower colour I have ever seen! Although I saw the plants growing in Chile, I missed the flowering period ...
This is a lovely photo.
nowhereonearth (28 months ago | reply)
Thanks, everybody.
wallygrom Yours must be potted? That's a long time
to wait, but worth it just to observe the
plant up close. Did you take pictures?
Can't wait to go and see them again this spring--maybe a little later so more are in bloom.
The Huntington Library (27 months ago | reply)
Beautiful close-up! And the puyas will be blooming again soon (April, usually). We just created a new group pool on The Huntington's official Flickr site. It's called Spring Flowers at The Huntington. Can we persuade you to post a few great shots like this, to inspire others?
nowhereonearth (27 months ago | reply)
jacki-dee (14 months ago | reply)
Back to cruise your photos; these colors are so amazing!
Joanne Dale (13 months ago | reply)
more plant-y craziness from Huntington. wowie, zowie, Jane. must be heaven to visit often!
nowhereonearth (13 months ago | reply)
Karol Franks (9 days ago | reply)
this plant's color always surprises me - the bees love it too!