Our church bed that we are taking care of is need some height on one end (long skinny oval shape). There was a Tex. mountain laurel but it was taken out.
What can we replace it with? We would like a small flowering tree or shrub with long bloom time.
We have envision a type of cottage garden look for this bed so we have some daylilies, irises, spiderworts and bat face. Annuals: orange cosmos and marigolds for summer and these are coming back, bluebonnets, red poppies, and larkspurs.
We had a black-eye Susan, red salvia (got too big) and duranta. Will winter sow more black-eye Susans.
What's your suggestions?
Please advise...small tree/shrub for sunny bed
Maybe Yellow Bells, Tecoma stans it has a long bloom season and is very pretty.
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=TEST
Josephine.
Barbados cherry? (It really is native, just the silly british named it after the first place they saw it.)
I love Barbados cherry too, it is not winter hardy here in zone 8 but I still grow it because it is do pretty.
Here is a link; http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAGL6
Josephine.
Do you keep yours in a pot and bring it in or cover it?
Thanks, Frostweed and Realbirdlady. The cherry Barbados looks very pretty; now where do I get one?
Call native plant nurseries in you area, I am sure someone has it, but the yellow bells should be easier to find.
Only the dwarfs are hardy to 22F. The regular ones freeze around 25F and would not be good for your area.
The dwarf doesnt get that big and the fruit is not that tasty either. The regular tree is 9b minimum.
This message was edited Nov 24, 2011 11:16 PM
Hmm, they grow here...
And here.....with little water and getting beat up by the car in the driveway! The birds love the fruit.
Made it thru the ice storms and the drought. Tough little bush. Just don't plant it by the driveway.
Shoot ! I have it potted because I am afraid to lose it. Maybe I should try a small plant in ground and see what happens.
My dwarf has made in the ground the last two winters. granted it is in a pretty protected place near the house, but we got pretty cold. I didn't do anything special to protect it and it came through just fine.
Thank you for the information, I think I will set mine in the ground next spring. I am sooo excited!!!
I had wrapped mine up last winter and it survived, but looks like I didn't need to. Good info!
It grows well from tip cuttings too.
Yes, I have rooted a few and given to friends.
The best way to tell if you have the dwarf or the regular is the size of the fruit. The regular one will have marble sized fruit but the dwarf fruit is much smaller. The dwarf tends to be bushy and the regular will grow in more of a tree form. Since the dwarf is bushier and lower to the ground, it can take temps lower than 22F with just burnt tips on the higher ends. I still believe that planting the regular BC in zone 8b or less will end in heartbreak.
Happy Gardening!!
Josephine....the B. Cherry you gifted to me stayed in the ground and did fine last year. I didn't look it up and know to protect it! Covered it with leaves along with all the other beds. Now watch me loose it this year!
Oh, another native bush that will grow fast and bloom for a very long time is flame acanthus!
That is right Sheila, I am glad it work for you. I will try it next year.