Romantic Name for a Native Shrub

During my weekly walk through our woodlands, my attention was drawn by a bright spot of color. It was the brilliantly colored seed clusters of Euonymus americanus, (yoo-ON-uh-mus ah-mer-uh-KAY-nus), commonly called Strawberry Bush or Hearts-a-Busting. As we were growing up, my sister called these Cat’s Paws. There is a strong resemblance between the seed clusters and the bottoms of my cat’s feet. The flowers occur in late spring to early summer and are forgettable – small, with yellow-green petals. In contrast, the seeds clusters are quite noticeable, with orange-red berries bursting from a burgundy capsule. The contrast sounds ugly, but is quite beautiful. The unripe seed capsules resemble strawberries, hence the common name. Leaves are narrow, medium green, and about three inches long. You are most likely to notice Strawberry Bush in fall, when their seeds color up and leaves turn yellow-green or occasionally red. Do not confuse this native with its cousin, Euonymus alatus, “Burning Bush” which is known for its brilliant red fall foliage.

Strawberry Bush is native to the southeast. It will thrive in sun or shade in zones 6-9, and is not demanding although it enjoys a soil containing plenty of organic matter. Observers are most likely to find them in areas that are protected by surrounding vegetation since deer like to nibble. Songbirds and wild turkeys eat the seeds and spread them about.

Strawberry Bush looks best in shady woodlands. Although low-maintenance, think twice before placing it in a manicured border. It is not a beauty queen. Its stems are green year-round, but the form is sort of gangly. Shrubs spread by suckering, which adds to the unkempt appearance. They reach heights up to six feet wide with a similar spread. Use them in native gardens or as a native hedge.

Enjoy the orange-red seeds with darker purple-red sepals but don’t be tempted to taste test. The seeds are mildly toxic and cause significant stomach upset.

Do not confuse native Euonymous americanus with the non-native Euonymous alata, commonly known as Burning Bush. Burning Bush has brilliant red fall color. The seeds look a little bit like Strawberry Bush, but they are held in singles instead of clusters. Euonymous alata is invasive. “Invasive” means that it will spread and will out-compete native shrubs. It is tempting to use the words invasive and aggressive interchangeably but they are not the same. An aggressive plant spreads energetically but does not displace native plants. Know the difference, and try to use the correct term. Currently, responsible landcape designers in the southeastern US will not recommend the invasive Burning Bush. A new, sterile form was recently introduced. So, there is still a possibility that we can enjoy the gorgeous fall color of Burning Bush without concern for invasiveness. Stay tuned as I follow the news about trials of the non-invasive version, Fire Ball Seedless® Burning Bush, a Proven Winners introduction.

Strawberry Bush or Hearts-a-Busting plants love a woodland setting.

Native Euonymous americanus is seen here coexisting with wild grape.

Euonymous americanus flowers, courtesy of Wikipedia

This is the invasive Euonymous alata, Burning Bush. If you love its fall color, plant ONLY the new, sterile form.

Oleander, Beach Shrub and Greek Myth

I enjoy a shrub with beautiful flowers that occurs along the South Carolina coast. I had not seen it locally, so I assumed that it was tender and would not survive cold weather further inland. Recently, however, I saw this same shrub blooming in the upstate. A little research revealed that it was Oleander, Nerium oleander (NAIR-ee-um OH-lee-an-der). Like other members of the dogbane family, beautiful Oleander is highly toxic to humans, cats, dogs, and horses. Ingestion can be fatal. Deer avoid it.

Oleander is cold hardy in zones 8–10. Its narrow, leathery leaves are evergreen so it can be used for privacy hedging. It may lose leaves during severe cold snaps. While typically seen in sandy soil, Oleander will tolerate clay or silt. Salt breezes don’t bother it. It appreciates a fertile situation, so plan to fertilize if soil is lean. Mature shrubs will reach up to twenty feet in height and ten feet wide. Dwarf cultivars are available. Locate shrubs in full sun or mostly sun. Established plants are heat and drought tolerant.

Flowers are held in clusters, in pink, white, orange, red, or lavender shades. Blooms occur in late summer on new growth, so regular pruning keeps the shrub neat and encourages more flowering. Avoid contacting sap from trimmed limbs, as it can cause skin irritation. Do not burn pruned limbs, as even the smoke is toxic.

Greek mythology tells us that Oleander got its common name when Leander was taking his nightly swim across a river to visit his lover, Hero. She left a lamp in her window to provide guidance for his visit. Due to a wind storm, her lamp was blown out and Leander drowned. When his body was discovered, he was grasping one of these flowers. When Hero learned of his death, she mourned aloud, “O, Leander!”  To finish this sad tale, the flower held in Leander’s dead hand fell to the ground where it sprouted roots and grew into a shrub, presumably Oleander.

This Oleander is in full flower in August, upstate South Carolina

A coastal planting of Oleander

Anise Shrubs for the Garden

It seems unfair that bright yellow ‘Florida Sunshine’ Illicium is getting landscape attention to the exclusion of other species, so I want to share the love with other Illicium that are garden worthy.

Illicium floridamum, pronounced il-LISS-ee-um flor-ih-DAY-num, is commonly called Florida Anise, Mexican Anise, or Purple Anise. It is native to the southeastern US and Mexico. Plants are cold hardy in zones 7 – 10. Florida Anise will attain heights up to ten feet when grown in rich soil. Leaves are thick, shiny, and evergreen. The texture and scent of the leaves deter damage from deer or rabbits. The crushed leaves smell a bit like licorice. Unfortunately, its lovely reddish flowers stink like stale fish. This does not deter pollinators, who flock to the blooms. Plants are supposed to flower in early spring, but I have seen several in flower this September, likely a byproduct of the abnormal weather this year.

Florida Anise loves damp shade. It is not drought tolerant. Leaves and flowers are toxic to humans and livestock. There are multiple cultivars available with different shades of flowers (pink to maroon); some have variegated foliage. There are several dwarf cultivars which are easier to incorporate into a foundation planting on the shady side of the house. Keep their water needs in mind when picking a location.

Illicium parviflorum, Yellow Anise, is more cold hardy and larger than the Florida Anise. It grows well in zones 6-9, and will reach up to twelve feet if left unpruned. It likes partial shade and can tolerate occasional drought. Its crushed leaves are fragrant like Florida Anise, but the pale yellow flowers do not smell bad. It is reputed to be deer tolerant. It can be used as a hedge or as a foundation plant where space allows. The plant is toxic; do not eat or allow pets and children to eat.

The aforementioned popular ‘Florida Sunshine’ is a cultivar of Illicium parviflorum. Its yellow foliage brightens a shady bed where another popular yellow shrub, ‘Sunshine’ Ligustrum, might suffer from low light. Too much sunshine results in bleached leaves or crispy leaf margins on the Anise. It is less deer resistant than the darker green leaf types.

A third Anise, Illicium henryi, is commonly called Henry Anise or Chinese Anise. It has been difficult for me to locate this shrub in local nurseries or online. This China native is shorter (only 6-8 feet) and will tolerate more sun than those above. Flowers are orange, pink, or red.

Strawberry Begonia - A Well-Behaved Groundcover for Shade

Strawberry Begonia plant is not a strawberry and is not a begonia. Instead, this shade-loving groundcover is Saxifraga stolonifera, pronounced SAK·suh·fra·guh stoh-lon-NIF-er-rah. The species name, stolonifera, gives a strong indicator of its growth habit. It spreads by strawberry-like runners, above-ground stolons with tips that sprout roots and develop into new plants. Strawberry Begonia can spread itself into a clump of two feet or so, but this native of China and Japan is not considered invasive. It is an excellent alternative to Ajuga, which spreads aggressively.

When not in flower, plants are only six to eight inches tall. The white flowers are held on thin stems that may rise up to 16 inches. The flowers are not unattractive (see photo) but this plant is grown for its rounded leaves marked with white or silver veins. The leaves make one think of Cyclamen or African Violet.

I prefer the straight species, but there are several cultivars of Strawberry Begonia that offer special features. I was able to find variegated ‘Tri-color’ in the market, but so far have not been successful in finding golden-leaved ‘Harvest Moon’ or blushed ‘Maroon Beauty.’ While I was plant shopping online, I learned that many nursery sources use the common name Strawberry Geranium. I also found that this is just one member of a huge family, Saxifragaceae.

Strawberry Begonia is perennial and evergreen to semi-evergreen in zones 6-10. It will need some extra protection in the cooler parts of zone 6. It demands full shade or mostly shade. It is not selective as to soil pH or texture, but it does need a bit of extra irrigation during extended dry weather to look its best. It is rarely troubled by pests or diseases.

Strawberry Begonia can be grown outdoors in a hanging basket or indoors as a houseplant. If you choose the houseplant route, place it in an area with bright, indirect light. A tiny bit of direct sun can produce a pink tint in the leaves, but use care to avoid too much or too intense sun exposure.

Strawberry Begonia, Saxifraga stolonifera, grows in this shady bed along with Hosta, Begonia grandis, and ferns.

This tiny Strawberry Begonia experienced an uninteded separation from the mother plant (clumsy gardener) so it has moved to a small container in the greenhouse, where it is in training to become a houseplant.

Princess Flowers Grace The Garden

My Princess Flower started blooming this week. It has a lovely, deep purple flowers and velvety leaves. Princess Flower, Tibouchina urvilleana, is a tropical plant, reliably perennial only in zone 9 and warmer. It may return in zone 8 after a warm winner, but only if planted in spring so that it has a full season for roots to become well-established before cold weather arrives. I purchased mine in late summer last year, so I took “insurance” cuttings to overwinter in the greenhouse. The one that was planted outdoors did not survive, so I am happy that I had a backup plan. The rooted cuttings went into the ground in spring and have grown into good size plants. The flowers are so lovely that I will repeat the cuttings procedure again to be certain that I do not lose it entirely.

Tibouchina, pronounced tie-buh-CHEE-nuh, is native to Brazil. In its native area, it can grow to heights of 6-8 feet. In ideal situations it can even attain heights of 15 feet on more. Here in the southeast, it is grown as an annual or as a houseplant. Outdoors, give it full sun or mostly sun. It is moderately drought tolerant, but will flower more extravagantly if you provide supplemental water during extended dry weather. Princess Flower has an open, gangly habit so it looks best in a mixed planting instead of in swaths.

One of the prettiest applications I have seen for Tibouchina was during a fundraiser garden tour. At the last minute (the night before the tour), one of the garden owners decided that she needed something to decorate her ticket sales area. She bought a Tibouchina that had been tree formed, and dropped it into a decorative container. Her garden was expansive and lovely. And what plant drew the most attention? The last minute Tibouchina.

Bush Ivy for Dry Shade

At one point of my gardening life, any suggestion of Hedera (Ivy) for the garden would have been met with a resounding, “NO!” That was before I discovered Fatshedera, an intergeneric cross between Fatsia japonica (a lovely tall shrub/short tree for shade) and aggressive Hedera hibernica (Ivy). Fatshedera, pronounced fats-HED-er-ah, is normally written x Fatshedera to indicate its hybrid background. Fatshedera inherited the best characteristics of both parents. It can be grown as a groundcover, as a short shrub, or as a vine.

Fatshedera does not grow the aerial roots of a normal ivy. If you own a stucco or brick house and have ever allowed English ivy to crawl up your exterior walls, you have my sympathy. It takes serious work (flamethrower?) to destroy those sticky feet that made the vine cling to your exterior walls like it was superglued in place. To make Fatshedera climb a trellis, you must attach it with soft ties. I use a foam-coated green garden wire and secure the vine loosely so that it will not become choked as it gains girth. Vines will grow up to six feet, but it will take a couple of years to attain that height.

To use Fatshedera as a groundcover, simply plant it and allow it to scramble. If you prefer a bushy look, prune the upward pointing branches to encourage branching. A mature vine will produce clusters of white flowers, but it is sterile so there is no concern about the plant self-propagating. Additional plants can be rooted from semi-hard stem cuttings. Be careful to avoid overwatering cuttings.

Fatshedera is a useful plant because it prefers shade and tolerates dry, acidic soil. The variegated forms can light up dry, shady areas under trees. Plants are cold hardy in zone 7b to 10.

Fatshedera can be grown in a container. Containers should be moved to a freeze-free area in winter. In areas north of zone 7b, it can be grown as a houseplant. As houseplants, they can spend their summers outdoors.

Fatshedera are rarely troubled by disease, but deer like to nibble new growth.

Green vine with white leaf edges in shade under tree with ferns

This variegated Fatshedera lights up the dry, shady area under a tree and looks great in contrast with neighboring ferns.

My favorite cultivar. Fatshedera ‘Angyo Star’ is being trained here onto an arched trellis. It took four years for the trellis to be covered completely.

Sky Pencil Holly: Prettiest In Youth

Much of the southeast is experiencing a growth spurt. The latest statistic I heard from my own area of South Carolina is that an average of 29 people move to Spartanburg County every day. New subdivisions are appearing on what was once farmland. With residential lots getting smaller and houses getting closer together, many homeowners are seeking narrow, evergreen shrubs for their gardens. Sky Pencil holly (Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil’) seems like a perfect choice for a narrow hedge or property line marker.

Members of the holly (Ilex) family are known for their ease of culture. With attention to a few conditions, Sky Pencil can be an excellent, low maintenance choice. It grows slowly so will not get overgrown in a short time. If left unpruned, Sky Pencil will eventually reach a height of eight to ten feet, with a width rarely exceeding one or two feet. It prefers an acidic to neutral soil, and full sun to part shade. In hot areas, a little afternoon shade helps avoid sunburn resulting in yellowing and leaf drop.  It is adaptable to most soil structures from sand to clay. It will not tolerate alkaline soil, drought, or constantly wet conditions. Sky Pencil is winter hardy in zones 5-8. Provide protection from cold winds, and mulch around the base to provide insurance against frost heaving or competition from weeds. To keep Sky Pencil hollies looking their best, prune the tops of the tallest branches once or twice during the warmer months to maintain a uniform appearance.

There is a downside to Sky Pencil. It can be a reverse ugly duckling, looking beautiful in its youth but developing some unattractive behavior as it gets older and taller. After shrubs reach six feet, they tend to separate and spraddle at the top. Ice storms or wet snow can also make them splay out like a mop head. Some gardeners wrap fishing monofilament line around the tops of these shrubs to corral the spreaders. Please do not do this. The line will eventually cut into the branches and result in limb death. If a winter ice storm is forecast and you want to protect your plants, circle the tops with soft, stretchy material (old pantyhose or tights work well) and remove the restraint as soon as weather danger has passed. Unless your soil is devoid of fertility, I would bypass the addition of fertilizer. It will hasten the vertical growth, yes, but it will also hasten the possibility of top separation.

Young Sky Pencil hollies can fulfill the “thriller” role in containers without crowding out companion plants. They can also be used in small formal gardens to provide a vertical feature when other fastigiate plants might be too broad for the space. Example: Fastigiate upright plum yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia fastigiata) makes a super focal point in landscape borders, but with time it will grow to five feet wide.

So, what do you do when the perfect plant becomes perfectly ugly? The same thing you do with Rosemary when it changes from an attractive, aromatic shrub into a woody, ugly thing: remove it and replace it with a younger model of the same plant.

Weird and Wiry Porterweed

This spring, I spotted an unfamiliar plant at a local arboretum. I made a mental note to research it; I promptly forgot. I saw it again last week. The flowers were covered in butterflies and the plant was just as weird looking as I remembered. Porterweed, Stachytarpheta, pronounced stake-kee-tar-FEE-tuh, is native to the Caribbean. It is common in the southernmost parts of Florida. If you crave the unusual for your garden, this is the plant for you.

Porterweed is winter hardy only in zones 10 and warmer. Grow it as an annual in cooler zones. Where is it perennial, Porterweed may reach a height of six feet and can be used for informal hedges. In zones 7 and 8, three feet is a reasonable estimate for single-season growth. Porterweed wants full sun but will tolerate light shade at the expense of reduced flowering. Porterweed loves heat. When grown as an annual, it will bloom continuously from late spring all the way to frost. Provide well-draining soil to avoid root rot issues, and plan to irrigate regularly to keep this sub-shrub looking its best. Where native soil is heavy clay, it is likely to be happiest when grown in a container. Give it a slow-release fertilizer at planting time, and provide a liquid feed booster once or twice in the growing season. All those flowers take a lot of energy!

While flower stems are generally upright, some twist around in a loose alien orbit. Flower stems on the plants I observed were 24 to 30 inches in length. The plants are self-cleaning, which means their spent flowers shed without help from the gardener. Remove spent stems for a neater appearance. I spotted three colors: blue, purple, and a reddish-coral. The coral plants were shorter than their purple cousins, so I believe them to be a different species within the same genus.

Porterweed’s long flowering period and heavy nectar production makes it an ideal choice for pollinator gardens.

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!