Callistemon citrinus

Callistemon citrinus
Crimson Bottlebrush
Rince-bouteille

 Callistemon lanceolatus is a synonym

Shrub or small tree native to Australia. It was collected by the British explorers Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander in 1770 during their exploration of the east coast of Australia. By 1788, 3 species including C. citrinus were available to English horticulturists. 

The book, Descriptions des Plantes Rares cultivees a Malmaison et a Navarre, published in France in 1813, by the French botanist, Aimé Bondspland, featured plants growing in Empress Josephine's garden at Le Malmaison just outside Paris. This book included an illustration of C.speciosus, indicating that callistemon was being planted as an herbaceous ornamental in France by the early 1800s. The illustrator was Pierre-Joseph Redouté, a painter and botanist from the Netherlands, who became the Empress Josephine's official artist.

In Situ, garden in Lacoste, 9.16.14

Blossom, Lacoste garden, 9.16.14

Leaves, Lacoste garden, 9.16.14

Illustration by Pierre-Joseph Redouté published in Descriptions des Plantes Rares cultivees a Malmaison et a Navarre, 1813

Phytolacca americana

Phytolacca americana
Pokeweed
Raisin d'Amérique

It is a large, herebaceous perennial growing up to 10 feet tall, native to eastern North America, Midwest, and the Gulf Coast.
It has a large taproot, green or red stems, and large simple leaves. Leaves can be up to 15" long.  White flowers appear July to September, followed by purple to black berries. The berries have been used as a red dye for centuries. The plant dies back completely to the ground in winter.
It was used by American Indians to treat skin diseases and wounds as well as a dye.
Parts of the plant are toxic to livestock and humans.

Pokeweed was originally imported in France from the U.S. to make red dye for cloth and ink, as well as to color wine. It first arrived in Bordeaux and has now naturalized in Mediterranean countries where it can be invasive, eliminating competition and dominating where it spreads. It is classified as a plant plague by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Blossoms just opening

 

Small stand behind a wall of Chateau Lacoste, 9.16.14

Growing through an arborbitae in Oppède le Vieux, 10.8.14

Fruits, Oppède le Vieux, 10.8.14

Rangy, branching form

Leaves and developing fruit, 10.8.14

Berries

Calluna vulgaris

Calluna vulgaris

Heather, Scotch heather
Callune commune, "fausse bruyére"

Colluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna and is referred to as "Erica" in old references. In the 19th century, the British botanist, Richard Anthony Salisbury, separated it from the closely related genus 'Erica', and devised the generic name 'Calluna' from the Greek "kallunein" for "beautify, or sweep clean" in reference to its traditional use in brooms.

Three genera comprise what are often referred to as "heather":
Calluna (true heather) with small scale-like leaves
Erica (heath), with needle-like leaves
Daboecia (St. Dabeoc's heath) which is less hardy with slightly broader, alternate needle-like leaves 

Calluna vulgaris is a low-growing perennial shrub found widely in Europe and Asia. It has naturalized in Northeast and Northwest US. It is sometimes referred to as summer or autumn heather to distinguish it from winter or spring flowering species of Erica.
The roots release an alleopathic substance that can inhibit the growth of other plants. It requires acidic soil, thus is a good indicator of low pH soil levels.

Blossoms. Ochre Cliffs, Roussillon.9.25.14

Scale-like leaves; 'Calluna' has scale leaves in opposite pairs shaped like an 'x'; 'Erica' has scale leaves in whorls of 3 -4

Form

Illustration by Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé, 1885

Aster amellus

Aster amellus
Aster amelle
Marguerite de la Saint-Michel
(also known as European Michaelmas Daisy)

Late bloomer, flowers August through October
The stem is erect, often branched upwards. Leaves are entire, rough and hairy
Subterraneous runners form colonies of plants
Typical habitat is rocky, limy areas. It prefers a calcareous and slightly dry substrate 

Late summer blossoms

 

Bloom

In situ at Fort de Buoux, Lubéron.10.11.14

In situ at Fort de Buoux, Lubéron, fading blooms.10.11.14

Johan Sturm illustration, 1796