April showers bring May flowers.  Do they ever! My lily thorn just started blooming now.  Catesbaea spinosa is in the Rubiaceae family and is not related to the Angel’s trumpet tree (Brugmansia) or related “trumpet” plants (Datura) in the Solanaceae family.   It is much less common, I believe, because it is a very slow grower.  I bought the lily thorn about 8 years ago, and it is just producing flowers.  In years to come, it should be filled the many small cream colored trumpets with a greenish inside.  The thorns made it difficult to work around but it was well worth this nuisance.

The genus is named in honor of English naturalist Mark Catesby.   It is growing at Fairchild Garden with the other Rubiaceae plants such as the gardenias, randia  and coffee plants in the garden area to the left side of the overlook, as one goes downhill towards the lake.  One of my favorite is,  Rondeletic leucophylla (Panama rose bush) which is close to the lake on the right side.  I’ll post some images of this plant soon.

My plant is growing along a fence and I hope to keep it trimmed back, as it only has a few feet on each side.   I am a plant collector not a particular same landscaper.  See link below for more pictures and advice.

https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/115345/#b