An Allium for All Gardens

Several years ago, I saw Allium (Ornamental Onion) in bloom at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. It was a first for me, and I was immediately smitten by the softball-sized purple flowers on tall stems, floating above the surrounding plants. They looked almost other-worldly. I ordered Allium giganteum bulbs and planted them in my own garden.

Allium in a mixed bed at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Belmont NC. It is now known at the Daniel Stowe Conservancy.

The first thing I learned was that tall flowers on skinny stems need to be staked in areas with frequent summer thunderstorms. I hate staking. The second thing I learned was Allium are not long-lived bulbs, or at least they were not for me. By the fourth year, my planting had dwindled down to a single bulb reappearance. By year five they were entirely gone. I was disappointed, but not every plant will thrive in every garden. I decided against replanting them.

Then, Proven Winners™ introduced ‘Millenium’ Ornamental Onion. The garden world was abuzz with enthusiasm, and in 2018 it was named Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association. Millenium’s shorter height – just 15 to 20 inches – means no staking. It is adaptable to different soil types, neutral or acidic. It is hardy in zone 4 through 9. All Alliums are deer resistant and are rarely bothered by insects or diseases. Give them full sun. They are drought tolerant.

Although they are bulbs, ‘Millenium’ Alliums are not usually sold as bare bulbs but as potted plants in leaf, like other perennials. Marketing photographs of them show large clusters of rosy purple flowers. They look a bit like Chives on steroids. I added a few to my garden and waited. The first year I had foliage only. The second year, a paltry few flowers appeared. This year, though, my patience was repaid with a beautiful floral show beginnng in July. The fragrant flowers have lasted weeks and weeks. Bees and butterflies love them. They would work well in containers also. If you prefer the taller Allium, there are numerous cultivars available via specialty bulb nurseries.

This photo of Millenium Ornamental Onion is from the Proven Winners website. Here is a link to their page: https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/allium/millenium-ornamental-onion-allium-hybrid

Lovely Luna Moths

After thirty-plus days of ninety degrees or more, my area of the southeast has enjoyed plentiful rains and unusually cool, fall-like temperatures. My brown lawn has turned green, almost overnight. Annuals and perennials are renewed, pushing out new flowers and fresh leaves. Bees and butterflies cover the butterfly bushes and Joe Pye Weed, while hummingbirds are zooming from plant to plant. Yesterday, I spotted a Luna moth. These large, pale green moths are rare. I decided to research their preferred plant foods so that I could add more to next year’s garden. That is when I made a sad, sad discovery. Luna moths are “born” (emerge from their chrysalis) without a working mouth or digestive system. They cannot eat. Instead, they breed, lay eggs, and die of starvation within a week.

Luna moths are among the largest in North America, with a wingspan up to four inches. They are found in or near deciduous forests of hickory, beech, and birch trees. Lunas have a complete metamorphosis, going from eggs to larvae (caterpillar) to pupa (chrysalis) to adult. Luna caterpillars go through five growth stages, called instars, gaining in size with each stage. Then they form a pupa encased in a protective cocoon. The adult emerges from the cocoon.The entire lifespan, egg to death, may take a few weeks in warm areas or last up to a year in cold areas. In the south, there may be two (rarely, three) generations per year. In the cooler northern zones, there is one generation per year.

From these photos, you can see that Luna moths have large, fuzzy bodies that must look like a taste treat to predators. The adults’ only means of protection is its lovely green color, which blends in with surrounding leaves. The streaks and spots on their wings may appear twig-like to an insectivore looking for a meal. The caterpillars have an assertive way of fending off predators. When they sense a threat, they rear up and make a clicking sound. If that doesn’t work, they vomit a foul-smelling liquid. What a way to protect oneself!

Adult Luna moths blend in so well with leaves and tree bark, the only time humans are likely to see them is when they are attracted by artificial lighting to alight on door frames or siding. Unlike butterflies, which have skinny antennae with bulbous ends, moths have feather-like antennae. If you are fortunate enough to see one, take time to admire their delicate, fleeting beauty.

To end this blog on a positive note, I am including a short video of Eastern Swallowtail butterflies on my butterfly bushes. These are Buddleia ‘Pugster’ cultivar, a dwarf sterile form I have grown for four years now. They have not outgrown their labeled size, which is a big plus. Their sterility means I don’t worry about them spreading into unwanted areas.

A second positive thing: By now, we all know that Burning Bush, Euonymus alatus, is invasive. Proven Winners™ has released a seedless form, Fire Ball Seedless® so we can continue to enjoy Burning Bush’s wonderful red fall foliage without guilt.

Swallowtail butterflies on butterfly bush

Guest Blog: Jumping Earthworms

According to today’s guest blogger, Dan Baxter, not all earthworms are friends of the garden. This article previously appeared in the Sumter (SC) Master Gardener newsletter, The Sandhill News, and is reprinted with permission. Photo credits are indicated in the captions.

Jumping worms are here. Jumping worms are there. Jumping worms are everywhere. Jumping worms are an invasive type of earthworm native to East Asia and have been spreading throughout the United States, including South Carolina. They are now found in over 38 states. They are also known as Snake Worms, Alabama Jumpers, and Georgia Jumpers.  They are called jumping worms because of the aggressive movements when disturbed or picked up. They are often brown in color with a cream saddle that completely encircles them and is flush with the body. They are different from the hammerhead worm which is a flat worm.

The jumping worm consumes organic matter as do regular earth worms, but they do so in a way that depletes the organic matter more quickly. Then through the process, they change the soil structure and nutrient content of the soils for the worse. This has a cascading effect to our plants health and other organisms that live in the soil.

According to the Cornell Cooperative Extension, “jumping worms grow twice as fast, reproduce more quickly and can infest soils at higher densities” than other earthworms.

They destroy the soil layer quickly, turning it into what looks like a cross between hamburger meat and coffee grounds. It has lost its holding ability and the plants are unstable in the ground. There is nothing there for the roots to cling to and thrive.

Adult jumping worms die in the winter but leave behind cocoons of eggs that are so small that they are almost invisible to the naked eye.

Are there any controls for these jumping worms? The options are slim. Removing by hand is one. Dry summers seem to reduce the number, but wet summers increase the number. Solar covering your beds in early spring, which will raise the soil temp has been shown to have some positive effects. One product called BotaniGard has had some good results. BotaniGard is a fungus (it occurs naturally in the soil). It is a granular product that you irrigate in. It has been around for a while but it will also affect other soft bodied pests and organisms.

The outlook is not good. Be diligent by always checking any new plants that you are introducing to your garden.

Happy Gardening!
Dan Baxter, Guest Blogger

Bountiful Betony

I tend to take for granted the low-maintenance, high-performing plants in my flower gardens while I obsess over the Japanese Beetles on the roses, the rust on the Daylilies, or the brittle stems of the Gaillardia. It wasn’t until a visitor commented on the beauty of my Betony that I focused my attention on it.

Betony has been labeled as Stachys officinalis or Stachys monieri. The updated, correct name is Betonica officinalis, pronounced beh-TOH-ni-kah oh-fi-si-NAH-liss. The cultivar ‘Hummelo’ was named 2019 plant of the year by the Perennial Plant Association. In upstate SC, ‘Hummelo’ is evergreen although it looks pretty ratty during the worst winter months. All is forgiven when it bursts into bloom in early spring and continues for months. The purple flowers are arranged around leafless square stems in whorls, with a naked internode between the large top cluster and the smaller one below it. If the dead flower stems are removed, Betony will continue to produce flowers until frost.

Flower stems rise above a mound of leaves clustered near the ground. The flowers produce plentiful nectar and pollen. They are a bumblebee favorite in my garden. The textured leaves are a bright green tinged with yellow, making a nice contrast to the purple flowers. Mature plants will reach a height and spread of two feet.

The square stem reveals that Betony is a mint relative. I was cautious when I planted it in my foundation beds, poised to remove if it became too enthusiastic. While Betony does spread, it is not an aggressive or invasive spreader like mint. It is cold hardy in zones 4 – 8. It is tolerant of most soil structures, but prefers a neutral to acidic site and full sun to partial sun. Established plants are drought tolerant. Betony makes an effective edging plant for beds, and belongs in pollinator gardens, poolside gardens, and in containers.

Betony is troubled by few diseases or insects, but snails or slugs can leave leaf edges tattered. An iron phosphate product like Sluggo will control them without negative impact on pollinators, pets, or wildlife.

Bumblebees are enjoying this clump of Betonica officinalis ‘Hummelo’

Rambunctious Burnweed

I have received a number of requests to identify a weed that seems to have appeared overnight in almost everyone’s garden. In reality, these have been present but they grow so rapidly that they are now capturing attention. Take a look at the accompanying photo. This is American Burnweed. Burnweed is an early succession plant, which means it is one of the first to move into areas where soils have been disturbed, either through cultivation, wildfires, flooding, or nature-caused chaos.

Burnweed is native to the US, but it is found across the world in most temperate climates. Genetically, it is in the Asteraceae family. Its correct Latin name is Erechtites hieraciifolius, which I can neither pronounce or spell without help.

The leaves of Burnweed are edible, cooked or raw, but not tasty. It poses no danger to pets and can be fed to rabbits or livestock. In the past, Burnweed has been used medicinally for treatment of conditions ranging from digestive upset to skin conditions to hemorrhoids. Long ago, it was processed to produce a blue dye for cloth. Pollinators enjoy nectar from the flowers. Burnweed also absorbs nitrogen from the air and deposits it in the soil, effectively acting as an air cleanser and natural fertilizer. While all these traits sound positive (with apologies to the Natives Only crowd), Burnweed has high potential for invasiveness. It reseeds like mad. Its yellow daisy-like flowers produce seeds with silk tails, similar to dandelion or thistle. The silken tails float on air, enabling the seeds to travel long distances where they fall to the ground and sprout into new plants. Burnweed grows so aggressively that it can choke out other plants by stealing their sun and water.

It is an entirely personal decision whether you choose to remove Burnweed from your garden, keep just a few plants, or grow a forest. They are shallow rooted, and easy to pull up, even when they have gained size. They can grow up to ten feet tall but are narrow in width. Burnweed is an annual, dying with the first hard freeze. If you feel the need to restrain them, you can hand-pull plants now or wait for spring to remove small seedlings.

Help Your Garden Survive a Heatwave

The southeastern US has been melting under a heatwave over the past weeks. Last month, I provided some recommendations to help you select heat tolerant plants for next year. But what can you do here and now to protect your current garden from turning into a crispy frizzle? There is one big DO and two DON’Ts.

Water is the number one thing you can apply to save your garden. I have always heard that watering should be done early in the day to reduce evaporation and to discourage disease by avoiding wet foliage overnight. This is manageable if you have an irrigation system, but many of us do not. And if you have a job with work hours that take you away from home in the morning, it is difficult to find available early time to give everything a good soak. In that case, water when you are able. The earlier in the evening, the better. Soaker hoses apply water at ground level, while overhead sprinklers’ efficiency is reduced by increased evaporation. For plants that are prone to mildew (Zinnias and Bee Balms, for instance), I am careful to water the soil and not the plant. Broadleaf plants like Rhododendrons and Gardenias seem to appreciate their leaves getting a shower.

This year, I have seen major infestations of spider mites. Using a sharp stream of water to knock out their webs will reduce their numbers. Aphids can also be dislodged by a stream of water.

Deep irrigation takes more time but is far better for plants than the frequent application of light amounts of water. No matter how much water the gardener applies, nothing beats a natural rain shower, but thunderstorms drop water in heavy, concentrated bursts that results in run off instead of soaking into the soil.

And now for the don’ts: During a heatwave, restrict pruning to the removal of spent flower heads and damaged limbs. Wait for the heat to abate before doing significant cutbacks. This is also not a good time to fertilize. Drought-stressed plants cannot take up nutrients. Pushing a plant into a growth spurt without the application of plentiful water is damaging to the plant.

As a last resort, erect a temporary screen to shade plants from the harshest, mid-day to afternoon sun. Newly installed plants or those with a lot of tender new growth are most prone to leaf scorch. Cardboard or cloth supported by stick or stake pushed into the ground can serve as a makeshift plant parasol. Remove these as soon as soon as the heatwave passes or bear the scorn of the neighbors.

Take care of yourself in the heat, too. Sunscreen and a hat can go a long way towards protecting you from painful sun damage. When the heat index goes above 100, catch up on indoor reading garden magazines and seed catalogs. Pay attention to plant descriptions that include the words heat tolerant and drought tolerant for improved success next year.

Subtle But Stellar: Sacred Lily, Rhodea Japonica

Cast Iron Plant, Aspidistra elatior, fills the gardener’s need for an evergreen, vertical plant that will survive in dry shade. Sometimes, though, the long leaves of Cast Iron plants can suffer wind damage and look downright tattered. If you have shady site with neutral to slightly acidic soil, consider Rohdea japonica as a worthy alternative. Rhodea’s leaves are thicker, broader (2-3 inches) and only reach lengths up to 18 inches, making them less vulnerable to wind damage.

Rhodea japonica, pronounced ROH-dee-uh juh-PON-ih-kuh, is also known as Sacred Lily or Nippon Lily. It is in the asparagus family. It is native to Japan and China, and will grow in North America zones 6 – 10. It is prized in Asian cultures, where it is considered an emblem of good luck. It is frequently given as a housewarming present to new homeowners. There are over 600 cultivars registered in Japan. In the US, there are a handful of cultivars available. Some have variegated leaf edges which others sport yellow or white freckles. It could even be mistaken for a variety of Mother-In-Law’s Tongue or Snake Plant.

Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, NC offers an excellent selection via mail order. In 2022, the PD catalog said, Considered a good fortune plant in China and Japan, Rohdeas have been cultivated for at least 500 years. In Japan they are treated like an herbaceous bonsai - they are grown in special pots called "nishiki bachi." The variegated and twisted forms of Rohdea japonica often command prices of $1,000 to $10,000 per division. Because Rohdea plants are slow to multiply and have been a perpetual failure in tissue culture, you can be sure they will never be found at mass merchants.

Rhodea is not a bright plant that grabs the attention of passersby. A peek near the plant base reveals a strange looking flower that resembles (to me) the spadix of a Caladium. These pale tan or greenish flower stalks are pollinated by slugs or snails. They produce red or orange berries in fall that persist through winter. Seen against the thick, dark green leaves, the bright berries are beautiful.

Rhodea is rarely bothered by disease, insects, or deer. They look best when planted in groups and can be used as an edger or in the dry shade under trees. In my garden, Rhodea shares a container with a miniature Hosta and an airy fern. This pairing gives great foliage contrasts. Rhodea carries the container through winter while the fern and the Hosta are dormant.

Rhodeas are slow to multiply. They can be divided to increase numbers or started from seed. The latter is recommended only for gardeners with a greenhouse and abundant patience.

Rhodea japonica ‘Marginata’ Photo by Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Rhodea flower stalk. Photo by Alpsdake, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Rhodea berries. Photo Cathy Dewitt CC BY-NC 4.0

Heat Survivors

A record-breaking heatwave is punishing the southeastern US right now. Yesterday’s heat index in my area was 105 and today is projected to feel like 107. At these temperatures, gardeners and their plants both wilt after 9am. I walked around the garden last evening before sundown, and made note of those annuals and perennials that seemed no worse for their exposure to Nature’s furnace blast.

 I am including photos of several of these stalwart survivors in the Snoddy garden. No weeding or deadheading has been done due to the heat.

Here is a list of heat survivors, in no particular order:

  • Butterfly bush, Buddleia davidii (I grow the dwarf, sterile variety)

  • Spider flower, Cleome hassleriana (tall, fragrant, attracts evening moths)

  • Cosmos (easy annual, perfect for a child’s first garden)

  • Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea (butterfly magnet)

  • Blanketflower, Gaillardia

  • Gomphrena, a personal favorite annual

  • Lantana camara (another butterfly magnet)

  • Four O’Clocks, Mirabilis jalapa (opens at night, fragrant)

  • Turk’s Turban, Malvaviscus

  • Brown-eyed Susans, Rudbeckia triloba

  • Purple Heart, Tradescantia

  • Melampodium, another personal favorite annual

  • Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa (host plant for Monarch butterfly larva)

  • Shasta Daisy, Leucanthemum superbum

  • Goldenrod, Solidago (native, favorite of pollinators)

  • Wormwood, Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (repels deer)

  • Bee Balm, Monarda (deer resistant)

 When you plan for next year’s garden, consult this list and include at least a few to help your flower beds survive heat waves.

Blanket flower (Gaillardia), Zinnia, yellow Melampodium, purple Gomphrena, yellow Goldenrod, dwarf Red Hot Poker

Purple Coneflower, Echinacea

Clockwise: Daylilies, Red Hot Poker, new Puppy, Zinnia, Butterfly Bush, Artemisia, Purple Heart

Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa

Clockwise from top: Goldenrod, Red Hot Poker ‘Poco Red”, Melampodium, Gomphrena

Brown-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia triloba

Salmon Four O’Clocks, Mirabilis jalapa, next to Incrediball smooth Hydrangea. Forgive the insect damage - I don’t use insecticides on pollinator plants.

Lantana ‘Santana’ looks pretty even when it is not blooming.

A Holly For Summer

Some of my favorite garden plants were acquired through happenstance. At a garden club plant swap last spring, I received a small Sea Holly. I recalled the Latin name as being Eryngium planum, pronounced er-RIN-jee-um PLAY-num, but didn’t know much about it then. It is a perennial, hardy in zones 5-9. I planted it in full sun and inhospitable soil that is excavated fill dirt. It made itself at home in the Snoddy garden, and this year it is a 36-inch tall star. The name would make one think it is spiny, and the flowers have thistle-like heads that reinforce that idea, but they are not painfully sharp. The stems have prickles. The ice-blue flowers provide a nice contrast to surrounding, more traditional blossoms.

Once established, Sea Holly is drought tolerant and will not tolerate wet soils. It will flourish in any well-drained soil and almost any acidity level. Give it full sun for the most intense flower color. Deer and rabbits leave the plants alone, and pollinators flock to them.

Sea Holly has a long bloom season. You can extend it still further by deadheading, but I don’t because I want it to reseed. A grouping of several plants would make an impressive appearance. I have already separated one offset from the mother plant, and it is showing appreciation by rapid growth. The blue color looks great paired with pale yellow flowers such as Lantana ‘Chapel Hill’. Several cultivars have deeper blue flowers, one cultivar is a dwarf reaching only a foot tall, and one has greenish white flowers.

There are a few drawbacks. Rich soil produces tall, weak stems that flop over. Prevent this by locating them in an area with dry, lean soil where other perennials won’t perform well. Cut stems back at season’s end to produce a stronger, neater plant the following year. Sea Holly is sometimes affected by aphids or slugs, although I haven’t experienced those problems in my own garden. The main concern is… well, allow me to quote the NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: “The flowers smell faintly of horse manure.” Let me emphasize the odor is slight. Keep your nose a few feet away, and you will not notice.

This Sea Holly is in its second year.

Fruit Photos

I am enjoying the fine hospitality of the Cardiac Unit of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL, so garden research is on hold for a few days. Instead, here are a few photos from my home orchard. Be back next week!

It will be a few weeks before the Celest figs are ready to eat.

This is a baby Asian persimmon.

I thinned the Methley plums too late. As a result, I had numerous fruit that was smaller than average.

Ayers pears are gaining size. Again, I did not thin the baby fruits when I should have. More fruit but smaller.

I would like to chat with the breeder who labeled these Black Ebony blackberries as semi-thornless. They are quite thorny.

An Exotic Addition To My Garden

Creating beautiful flower gardens is satisfying, but part of me is thrilled when I grow something edible. This is the genetic result of my grandparents’ farming background, I suppose. Two years ago, I spotted a beautiful small tree in the most unlikely of places: the parking lot of a rundown gas/convenience store. The tree was tropical in appearance, but remained evergreen and was even flowering in December. I now know that it was Eriobotrya japonica (pronounced er-ee-oh-boh-TRY-ah jah-PON-ih-kah). The common name is easier to say and spell, Loquat (low-kwaht).

Several times I took a few branch-tip cuttings from that tree, but was never successful with propagating it. Last fall, an unexpected opportunity came my way. I enrolled in a horticulture class at a nearby community college. It was a wonderful learning opportunity, and I enjoyed every minute of the lectures and the walks about campus. One of those walks revealed a beautiful Loquat tree in the protected space between two buildings. Underneath the tree’s canopy stood a single seedling, almost three inches tall. Having secured permission from the instructor, I used a pencil to dig it carefully out of the soil, then wrapped it in a foil wrapper that I had stashed in my pocket after eating a granola bar for lunch. I carefully transported this tiny little gem to my car and to my home. It spent the winter in my greenhouse, safely secured in a 4-inch container of potting soil. Although it didn’t show much top growth, a quick check in early March revealed a pot full of healthy roots. I placed it into a larger container and gave it more love, water, and fertilizer. The plant repaid my attention with rapid growth.

There is a story behind the mother tree. The college instructor, Dr. Kevin Parris, is known worldwide for his research and breeding of Magnolias. On a trip to Asia years ago, he ate Loquat fruit from a roadside stand in China, somewhere near Kunming. He pocketed the seeds. With permission, he brought seeds back to the US. The mature tree on campus was a result of one of the four seeds he sprouted.

A potted, mature Loquat. Photo by Salicyna CC BY-SA 3.0

Mature Loquat fruit. Photo by gailhampshire CC BY 2.0

My garden in located in zone 8a, the coolest part of the possible zones for Loquat. They are only cold-hardy down to ten degrees. I prefer in-ground gardening to containers, but decided to grow my Loquat in a pot that could be transported via hand truck to the greenhouse each winter. A mature Loquat tree can reach up to 25 feet tall, but I plan to prune this one to a “standard” shape (like a lollypop) and keep it to 6 feet or less.

Loquats are not selective about soil structure or acidity. They will grow in full sun or part shade. The small, fragrant white flowers are held in panicles that open in fall or winter. They attract hummingbirds, so I have located the container near my pool deck. Our winter temperatures rarely allow fruit formation outdoors, but I am hopeful that the greenhouse winter home may give me a few. Fruits have a flavor similar to apple but with a softer texture. Another common name is Japanese Plum. Deer do not normally damage this plant.

As an addition to the above information, I wanted to share my planting procedure. For my home’s windy hilltop location, I choose large, glazed containers. The size means they don’t blow over so easily and the glazed surface reduces water loss. A large container, however, takes a lot of potting soil. A friend of mine recently recommended the use of several empty water bottles (with cap on) in the bottom of large containers to reduce the soil need.

Here is the newly potted Loquat, ready to flourish. It is planted on a slight rise to help me wedge a hand truck under it for transport to the greenhouse for overwintering. I’m expecting great things from this little tree!

Chitalpa, An Improved Version of an Old Hybrid

I occasionally splurge and buy intriguing plants for which I have no intended location in my garden. Such is the case with El Niño® Desert Orchid, an intergeneric cross between Southern Catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) and Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis). Normally, I avoid horticultural Frankensteins because several years ago I blew the majority of my seasonal budget on Echibeckia, a breeding mashup between Echinacea and Rudbeckia. I had always succeeded with Coneflowers and Black Eyed Susans, so I thought this newcomer was a gardener’s dream. Alas, my plants all failed to thrive (translation: they died during their first season). Desert Orchid convinced me to take another risk.

The pink-to-purple flowers of the Desert Orchid make me think of a love child between snapdragon and orchid. The fuzzy throats add to the beauty. Fragrance is an added bonus. Plants are deciduous, hardy in zones 6-9, long-flowering, heat and drought tolerant, and deer resistant. The label indicated a mature size of 15-20 feet tall and 10 feet wide. I purchased three last fall, each in a 2-gallon container. I planted them in well drained soil and  full sun, and hoped that they would survive. They lasted through their first winter and have already almost tripled in size. I am not certain that mine will show blooms during their first year but they should flower heavily next spring and then intermittently through the rest of the summer.

As I researched the Desert Orchid, I ran across an article in Fine Gardening Magazine – Issue 223 that explained that this intergeneric cross is nothing new. It was first accomplished in the 1960’s but the results were disappointing. Plants were often plagued by mildew. In the 2000’s, North Carolina State University Mountain Crop Improvement Lab resurrected the plant cross, with the intent of improving the end result. Much work and selection continued until 2023, when El Nino™ was declared the best. It was named Plant of the Month (September, 2024) by the University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources.

The growers say that El Nino will flower on new growth, so I plan to cut it back hard in winter and fertilize gently in the spring. This should result in plenty of new growth for the best flowering, and the cutback will keep the plant to shrub-size instead of tree-size.

The accompanying photographs are from the Proven Winners website, https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/chitalpa/el-ni-o-desert-orchid-chitalpa. The trademarked name is El Niño® Chitalpa   'NCXC1' USPP 35,880.

A Verbena For Every Garden

Verbena (pronounced ver-BEE-nah) is a popular garden plant due to its ease of growth, low maintenance, and heat tolerance. There are more than 250 species. Most grown in home gardens are hybrids, Verbena x hybrida.  A long-time favorite cultivar is ‘Homestead Purple,’ which stands alone as a groundcover or works well as a spiller in a container combination. Other cultivars are available with flowers of pale pink, hot pink, bright red, white, peach, and the occasional bi-color.

Verbena x hybrida has a long blooming period and large flowers consisting of flat-topped clusters of individual florets. Plants are cold-hardy in zones 9 and warmer. Elsewhere they are enjoyed as annuals but may return in cooler zones after a mild winter, especially if planted in a protected area. Hybrids are easy to find in nurseries and big box stores. Plant forms range from tall and thin to low and spreading. The upright forms do well in borders, while the trailing forms make an attractive groundcover or hanging basket. They pair nicely with Summer Snapdragon, Angelonia.

Verbenas enjoy full sun and well-drained soil. Plants are drought tolerant. Do not overwater or roots may rot. Butterflies and other pollinators love the flat flower clusters, while deer rarely nibble them. Verbenas tend to flower at the ends of their stems, so by mid-season plants may have a middle with few or no flowers. Gardeners can prevent this tendency toward legginess with an occasional pruning of a few stems. No deadheading is necessary but removing spent flowers will keep the plants looking neat and will encourage more blooms. Superbena® Verbenas, from Proven Winners™ have been bred to resist the powdery mildew that occasionally plagues older cultivars, with increased drought tolerance.

Verbena bonariensis, commonly called Brazilian Verbena or Verbena on a Stick, is a tall variety that can reach up to four feet or more. Its appearance is markedly different from the flat, spreading form of Verbena x hybrida. Its small lavender flowers are held at the top of long, thin stems while its narrow leaves are clustered near the ground. It is a short-lived perennial, grown as a reseeding annual. It has escaped cultivation and spread across the southeastern states, earning a place on the invasive lists in NC, SC, GA, AL, FL and LA. I grow this one in my pollinator area, and while it does spread around a bit, I would consider it aggressive but not invasive.

Verbena hybrids are good plants for new gardeners. They look wonderful planted in masses.

This newly planted container pairs a hot pink hybrid Verbena with pink Pentas and a pink Euphorbia ‘Shades in Pink.’ This combination will tolerate heat and not demand daily watering except on the hottest of summer days.

This brilliant purple Verbena is ‘Enduro Purple,’ an improvement over the old ‘Homestead Purple’ cultivar. Photo by Jim Robbins, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Tall “Verbena On A Stick,” Verbena bonariensis.

Walking Iris, Self-Layering Rhizome for Part Sun to Shade

Years ago, I received a Walking Iris as a garden gift from a fellow Master Gardener. It was labeled, Neomarica gracilis. I assumed that it was an ordinary Iris. The giver hesitated to describe it. Not bearded, he said. I expected a flower similar to Siberian or Dutch, or even like Japanese Water Iris, Iris ensata. The first bloom on my plant removed all those misconceptions. The flower was like no other I had ever seen – parts of three, with an unusual brown zebra-striped section in the middle. Each flower lasted only a single day, but every day brought new buds and blooms. Then the magic happened. Walking Iris flowers are held on thin stems. When the flowers are spent, the dying stem flops over onto the ground. The stem tip produces a tiny new plantlet that pushes roots into the soil. Effectively, the Walking Iris air-layers itself into a growing clump, ‘walking’ in all directions. Pretty nifty, right?

Last month, I toured the grounds of a North Carolina gardener. She had a large clump of Walking Iris. The flowers were different from the one I had owned. This called for research.

I learned that the Neomarica genus has been renamed to Trimezia. Common names include Poor Man’s Orchid, Fan Iris, and Apostle Plant. The flower does look like a cross between a Dutch Iris and an Orchid. Like other Iris, the flat leaves are held in loose fans. The Apostle Plant name came from the (incorrect) belief that the rhizome must have twelve leaves before it flowers. [For those of you who did not grow up in a Bible-reading family, Jesus Christ had twelve followers during his life on earth, known as his Apostles.] 

Flower colors of Walking Iris are variable shades of purple, blue, and white depending upon the species and also the sunlight and water they receive, as well as soil fertility. They are hardy in zone 8 to 11, and can be grown as houseplants in cooler zones. They can be grown in full sun to mostly shade, but favor dappled shade for best performance. Plants are evergreen in zones 10-11, but top growth dies to the ground in zones 8-9 winters. They will tolerate heat and mild drought, but prefer consistently moist, acidic soil with monthly light fertilizer applications.

Walking Iris are easy to grow, reaching heights up to 36 inches. They will spread slowly to become large clumps. They are low maintenance, a “plant it and forget it” bulb for woodland gardens, containers, rock gardens, or borders. They are rarely troubled by insects or diseases.

 

This healthy clump of Walking Iris is flowering mid-April and will continue to bloom intermittently until frost. This part-sun bed is located in zone 7b.

A different color arrangement of Walking Iris.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Walking_iris.jpg

A Peek Into My Garden

This has been a busy week for me (hosting a garden event tomorrow), so rather than researching and sharing plant information, I want to share a few photos of my own garden. When our home renovation was completed, I was left with a garden of compacted soil and not much else. Starting from nothing has been both exciting and exhausting. There are a few basic design rules I follow: For small areas, limit the number of colors. Keep color intensities (saturation) similar. Use contrasting foliage textures to provide energy. Start with big and work to small. This means select trees first, then shrubs, then perennials, then groundcovers. Select large-leaf items first, then work down to fine foliage. These are not hard and fast rules, of course, but it is one approach that produces a balanced garden with rhythm and harmony.

My front garden is not large (50 feet x 40 feet, bisected by a 5-foot wide stone walk) so I decided to limit my colors to three: yellow, salmon/coral, and blue/purple. I thought these would translate to lots of choices. There are many perennials and annuals with yellow and purple flowers. I have yellow Goldenrod, yellow Rain Lily, and Melampodium (reseeding annual). For blues and purples, I chose sterile Pugster® Butterfly Bush, Stachys Betony, purple Salvias, and purple Gomphrena, one of my favorite annuals for season-long, intense color.

The coral flower choices have been harder to make. I finally settled on a salmon-hued Coral Drift® shrub rose, pinkish-salmon Salvia, Penstemon, annual coral Zinnia (Magellan bedding type), and peachy Four O’ Clock (Mirabilis jalapa). The last one is labeled as an annual, but in zone 8a it acts as an herbaceous perennial, with all top growth dying in winter and then returning from a thick tap root each spring. The Salvias and Penstemons started flowering early. The Zinnia buds are just beginning to open. They will look great in a few more weeks. And it will be a few weeks before the Four O’ Clocks start putting on their late afternoon show. About the same time, dwarf Hot Poker Plant (Kniphofia) ‘Poco Red’ will start throwing coral-red spikes. If deadheaded, they will flower all the way to autumn. For additional contrast in texture, I added a couple of salmon daylilies, coral-hued Calla Lilies, and several dwarf Joe Pye weeds. I placed silver-hued ‘Powis Castle” Artemisia between colors that might class if seen adjacent. Turns out, there are different opinions of what is coral, peach, and salmon. I filled any empty spots with Purple Heart and fall-flowering ‘Matrona’ Sedum.

There are two Japanese Maples located in this garden. They were planted last year as one-gallon containers, so it will be several years before they become impressive.

Roughly one-third of the garden is elevated, edged by a stone wall that meets the stone walkway. I am concentrating on shrubs in this area. My current favorites are three Incrediball® smooth Hydrangeas, a row of Morris Midget boxwoods that I leave unpruned so I can enjoy their natural blowsy structure, and an underplanting of chartreuse Creeping Jenny groundcover. Not every gardener shares my affection for Creeping Jenny, but mine grows in an area surrounded by hardscape so it cannot expand into unwanted locations. It acts as a living mulch and keeps my weeding in this area to a minimum because it shades the ground so completely.

As you can tell, I have a mixture of natives and imports, trees to groundcovers, broad leaves, medium leaves, tiny leaves, and grass-like foliage. The salvias and Gomphrena suit my gardening style: heat tolerance, low maintenance plants that won’t turn toes-up if I forget to water occasionally. This is the second year for this garden, and it already looks better than it did during its first season. I hope to share more photos later in the season.

This coral Salvia has been flowering for several weeks. It withstood torrential rain, heavy wind, and a few unseasonably cool evenings without damage.

My favorite of all Zinnias, the Magellan series, started from seed in my greenhouse. It has short internodes so is not well suited as a cut flower. Throughout the summer, it will grow new layers of leaves and new flowers, slowly stacking atop the old leaves and flowers like Nature’s Jenga. This limits the amount of deadheading I must do. A win!

This Penstemon (I think it is ‘ Coral Baby’ but I’ve lost the label) has fine foliage, wiry stems, and tubular flowers unlike anything else in this garden bed.

This Coral Drift® shrub rose flowers continuously throughout the spring, summer, and fall. It has not been troubled by black spot and the only insects that damage it are Japanese Beetles, which I hand-pick.

An Unusual Native Shrub for Spring Flowers and Fall Color

One of the top reasons we moved to a country town was to avoid noise, light pollution, and traffic. As the southeast US grows, our car traffic has increased exponentially and my patience with other drivers (too slow, too fast, or too stupid) has shrunk. A “traffic jam” in our current area means we can see four cars at a time. I love the slower pace of life. So, when we left our home to enjoy lunch in a neighboring NC town and saw six cars (gasp!), it meant that our chosen driving route detoured away from the main streets and through an older neighborhood. It was an opportunity to check out home landscaping and scrutinize gardens I would not have otherwise seen. Wonder of all wonders, in the uncultivated ditches of Columbus, NC, a native shrub was putting on her spring show.  Mapleleaf Viburnum was in full flower.

Mapleleaf Viburnum is Viburnum acerifolium, pronounced vih-BUR-num a-ser-ih-FOH-lee-um. Other common names include Mapleleaf Arrowwood and Dockmackie. The fuzzy leaves are shaped like maple (Acer) trees. This shade-loving shrub is native to the eastern half of the North America, from Canada all the way down to north Florida. It will spread via suckers to form a thicket. The flat clusters of tiny white flowers will mature into blue-black berries only when another genetically different plant is around for cross pollination. Like PawPaw, the suckers are clones of the mother plant and cannot pollinate themselves.

Bees and other pollinators love the pollen and nectar of Mapleleaf Viburnum, and birds and small mammals enjoy the fruit.

As pretty as the flower clusters are, I think Mapleleaf Viburnum is at its best in fall, when leaves turn pink, rose, red, orange, or purple. This understory show happens in dappled shade, while most other brilliant fall colors are happening in full sun.

Mapleleaf Virburnum will grow to six feet tall and six feet wide. It wants acidic soil and prefers moisture when young but will tolerate drought once established. It is moderately resistant to damage by deer. Plants can be propagated from seeds or stem cuttings.

You won’t find this gem in big box stores or smaller nurseries. Seek it in specialty nurseries or mail order companies as a beautiful choice for woodland gardens, pollinator gardens, native gardens, or hedges. Shrubs are deciduous, so privacy hedges provide less screening in winter than in summer.

A close view of Mapleleaf Viburnum flowers

This plant was growing in a ditch, planted by nature (birds) and not by human hands.

One version of fall color. Others are orange, yellow, or purple shades, depending upon soil, sun, and weather. This image by Katja Schulz, CC BY 2.0.

Green And Gold, a Native Evergreen Ground Cover

I am convinced that the reason more gardeners don’t use the native groundcover Chrysogonum virginianum is because the name is hard to spell and pronounce. Maybe that explains why it is hard to find in nurseries. The common name, Green and Gold, is a description as well as a common plant name. The evergreen leaves are topped with yellow five-petal flowers. Phonetically, the Latin name is kry-SOG-uh-num ver-jin-ee-AY-num. Practice it a couple of time and you will find that it rolls off the tongue easier than the common name.

Chrysogonum is native to the eastern half of the US. It is hardy in zones 5-9. It grows in partial shade to full shade. It spreads by above-ground rhizomes that will eventually form a dense mat only a few inches tall. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Texas, plants grow taller in northern areas (8-10 inches) and are shorter in southern areas (2-6 inches). The stems are fuzzy. Plants bloom profusely for months in the spring, take a flowering break in the hottest part of the summer, and then rebloom less abundantly in the fall. The long flowering period and the ease of restricting its spread gives Chrysogonum an advantage over a groundcover like Ajuga.

Chrysogonum’s yellow flowers are attractive to pollinators and the evergreen leaves are not damaged by deer. They want acidic soil and will be prettiest if they receive additional irrigation during hot, dry periods. Removing spent flowers will result in more flowering, but this is a tedious process and can be ignored without much impact.

Chrysogonum (Green and Gold) as a groundcover in shady woodlands

Native Sundrops to Stabilize a Slope

My garden has a steep incline leading away from the house. We had switchback paths graded into the slope so that we are able to zig-zag down to the creek without mountain-climbing gear. The slope is semi-terraced by the paths. Rainfall plays havoc with the area, washing away the chips on the footpath and occasionally moving the heavy tree trunks positioned to stabilize the edges of the paths. Our deer, foxes, and bears use these flat walkways to travel across the area.

I have established a number of showy shrubs, bulbs, small trees, and perennials along the switchbacks. In my imagination, I see this as evolving into a specimen walk. Right now, I’m concentrating on huffing and puffing up the slope more than the progress of the plants. Because I am a thrifty gardener, my plantings are all tiny when first installed. I am confident that they will either thrive… or die. I allow new plants three years to settle in and demonstate success. I may choose to relocate a few disappointments to different sunlight exposure, but there are too many good plants available to tolerate poor performers. Over the past four years, I have lost a few: Illicium floridanum ‘Florida Sunshine,’ (planted in too much blistering sun), yellow ‘Sunshine’ Ligustrum sinense (not enough water), and ‘Emerald Green’ Arborvitae (all their bark and most branches removed by deer). 

I am trying to be smarter with my plant purchases these days by drafting a “musts” list and a “prefer” list before I hit the garden centers. For this area, plants must prefer full sun, and be deer resistant, drought tolerant, and low maintenance. I would prefer native, spreading but not invasive, long-flowering plants that are attractive to pollinators.

I just purchased and planted six Sundrops, also known as Narrow Leaf Evening Primrose. Native Oenothera fruticosa, pronounced ee·nuh·THEE·ruh has bright yellow flowers that are open only during daytime. It spreads but is not invasive, unlike the pink flowering Oenothera speciosa (UGH!) that I waged war against for years before I could eradicate it.

Sundrops are a drought-tolerant pollinator plant that is reputed to be deer-resistant. The slightly cupped flowers of Sundrops provide nectar for hummingbirds, and birds eat the seeds. They will grow in most soil types and most pH ranges, full sun, in zones 4-8. References say that they bloom from April through August, which is longer than many perennials. They flourish in heat and are used to stabilize soil on slopes. They can play a prominent role in rock gardens, native gardens, cottage gardens, and meadows. I’m looking forward to seeing how long-flowering they are in an area with zero irrigation.

A hedge of Sundrops. Photo by Leonora (Ellie) Enking CC-BY-SA 2.0

New White Hydrangea Is A Winner

I’m always on the search for the newest and greatest garden shrubs, especially dwarf types that I can squeeze in between existing landscape plants. Last fall I ordered a dwarf smooth hydrangea, Invincibelle Wee White® hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens). My garden is already home to several of the Incrediball® smooth hydrangeas, and I absolutely love them. They produce huge white heads early in the season which last a long time before they age to green and then dry to a light tan. Flower stems are strong, so there is no staking of flower heads to keep them off the ground. As long as shrubs are planted in well-drained soil of decent texture in mostly sun, they look good all season long. Last year, I watered the Incrediballs only three times. The only other care they required was a hard pruning in late winter. Here in upstate SC, my Incrediballs already have spring leaves. I hope we don’t receive a late freeze that will damage the tender new growth.

When I read that Wee White was a dwarf form of the Incrediball, I decided to trial one. I ordered a baby (4-inch container) and planted it at the top of a wall where there is well-drained soil with sun exposure from morning until mid-day. New growth is just peeking above the ground.  Lately, though, I have read some less-favorable reviews saying that Wee was not too “wee” -- actually four feet or more at maturity and is commonly plagued with leaf spots. I don’t consider myself an exceptional gardener, but many other folks experience problems I just don’t have, so my hopes are high that Wee White will perform well for me.

The National Garden Bureau keeps me updated on new plants, and there is a 2025 introduction that takes my breath away. Hydrangea FlowerFull® Hydrangea arborescens, a First Editions® Shrubs & Trees from Bailey Nursery, is a show-stopper. It is a 2025 People’s Choice Green Thumb Award Winner. Shrubs mature at four feet, are loaded with flowers, need little maintenance, and are resistant to the leaf issues that plague other smooth hydrangeas. Click HERE if you want to read the full description from the National Garden Bureau info page. This one is definitely worth seeking.

White ball-shaped flowers on shrub

Photo courtesy of the National Garden Bureau. #NGB