Carla,I have plenty of seed if you would like some.
Mine are in full bloom now too, but I need the spot they are in for my garlic.
Oh dear, what to do?
I guess they will have to go, but one good thing is they are annuals, so I won't be killing a perennial.
They do self seed, so they will be back next year.
I think they are very underutilized, and people should use them more.
Josephine.
Gardening with Texas Native Plants & Wildflowers, part 13.
I have a whole bag of seed for them. Gonna plant them in the spring.. (unless that isn't the best time to plant that?)
Yes Nada, Spring is the right time to plant them.
Josephine.
Linda I will be glad to give you the Palafoxia seed, do you want me to send it now?
or wait till the spring R.U.?
You have given me so much, all plants that I did't have, that is so nice of you. I am looking forward to spring so i can get those seeds started, it is so much fun, new discoveries everyday, gardening is just great.
Mitch, thanks for the idea, but we want to keep the website and search engine non commercial.
We might be able to have a page for listing the nurseries that carry native plants.
Very true.. maybe just a list of where to get them...
In fall and early winter, Inland Sea Oats looks its best. So cool! I also like Lindheimer's Muhly, Gulf Muhly and Desert Muhly (isn't that also called Bamboo Muhly?).
Beautiful picture Linda, I love those too.
Josephine.
Hello Pat ! remember the plant you gave me last Spring that we thought was Salvia penstemonoides, and it wouldn't bloom?
Well it finally bloomed for me, and it develops in a very stange way, it makes a ball of petals at the end of the stem, and then the ball breaks open and the smaller blossoms come out.
I found out ir is called Salvia involucrata, Rose leaf Sage very pretty, but not a native. It was fun to watch it develop.
Here is the link to Dave's http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1922/index.html
And here is a picture of my bloom, has yours bloomed yet?
ooo... :o I'm so proud of my Copper Canyon Daisies blooming their pretty little heads off right now..lol. Soo pretty....next to my Salvias and tall Mexican Petunias.. :)
Melanie
Those are really pretty Melanie, I have had Copper Canyon daisy but they died, I have another one to set out this fall, i like the way they smell.
I have to plant all the plants I got at the swaps, so I will have to do some major rearranging, but it is all for the good. I am sure next year will hold a lot of surprises.
Josephine.
Very Nice....Melanie!
Josephine, I had also discovered that what I bought for salvia penstemonoides was in fact salvia involucrata. It IS a native, but of Mexico, not Texas. Well, Texas used to be part of Mexico! lol My plant, which I purchased while we were at the Kerrville RU, has spent the year trying to die from wind, heat, etc., but it is hanging on. No blooms unfortunately. I may need to trade you for cuttings next spring!
I went back to Natives of Texas in September and now have the real salvia penstemonoides. It had just been cut back and has not bloomed, but when I get seeds, I hope to grow some for all of us. Sorry for the mistake.
No problem Pat, I just thought that you would get a thrill out of it, Isin't it unusual?
And the color is really really pretty too, it only blooms at the tips of the branches.
Josephine.
It is beautiful, and I wish mine were blooming!
I have two Salvia penstemonoides, but I might have to move them. They were struggling this year. The heat and drought, maybe, or because we had to prune back some shading tree limbs because of another tree limb that fell last year, leaving too much sun.
I can't seem to find any info on salvia penstemonoides or any sort of photo in plantfiles. Since I really love salvias, I was just curious. Do any of you guys have any photos? For all I know, I may actually have one and not know it...lol
Melanie
Take a look Melanie http://www.highcountrygardens.com/84764.html
Here is the picture from the plant files Melanie, as they said in the other link it was thought to be extinct.
I have two that I got from the Wildscape, but mine haven't bloomed yet.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/110609/
Josephine.
lol...Well...can ya believe it? I DO have one....lol...I didn't know it was called "Big Red Sage", which is the name that I know of. I ran outside in my pjs and took this photo. (its humid out there!) Mine has yet to bloom too....and while watching it this summer, noticed that it was really beginning to struggle in the intense sun and drought here. But since the weather has turned cooler, it has new growth! :) So hopefully it will show off for me. :) Thanks for the links, guys. :)
Melanie
I think it doesn't like the extreme heat we've had. Probably needs good fairly deep soil (I have it in a few inches topsoil over caliche) and regular watering and some shade from the afternoon sun in the summer...JIMHO. Mine flowered a bit in the spring, then just stopped when it got hot, some leaves have turned brown on parts of them. It would normally have kept blooming some in the summer.
Time for fall color! In Texas we appreciate any we can get. I love Virginia creeper this time of year, thought these on my fence looked nice.
Yes! they do turn a gorgeous color.
Well...I went back out to Rainbow Gardens..waiting for the flu clinic to open. I was not going to get anything, mind you! lol...But look at what jumped into my arms...lol. It is an Andean Silver Leaf Sage. Really unusual! The blooms are almost black. It will be a nice addition to my other sages and salvias. :) Anyone else have any experience with them?
Melanie
Wow Melanie! that is really unusual, those blooms are a really dark color.
Josephine.
How unusual....a beautiful plant! How large is it Melanie?
Hmmm....about 10" or so, Lee.....a little above my knee...which is saying alot since I have long legs, lol. I know that it isn't a Texas native, originating in Peru....but it is interesting nonetheless.... :) I'm afraid to put it and all of my other SA RU plants in the ground right now...because I don't want to lose them to a killing frost. : /
Melanie
I didn't have time to read the posts as I just found this thread. Many beautiful plants! I just started ordering from High Country and I love penstemons, salvias, and the hyssops. I have to be careful ordering since I'm zone 5, but I do like what I have so far.
Frostweed, I'm really taken with your rose leaf sage!
Sally
I love hyssops and salvias as well, Sally. :) I have a wonderful anise hyssop that the hummers absolutely loved this spring and summer. And don't get me started on salvias...lol Happy Gardening :)
Melanie
Laughing. My hyssops are new additions, so didn't see much action. I'm ready to listen to anything I can use here!
I meant to say High Country Gardens, but I'm sure you knew what I meant.
Anyone grow Standing Cypress? (Ipomopsis rubra.) They really reseed and I have a hard time pulling strays since I end up with a flaming bed.
Oh my God!!! what a gorgeous picture!!!! I am in love with Standing cypress, and you know what? it doesn't like my place at all, ironic isn't it?
Josephine.
Seriously! This is next to a silver maple with feeder roots that run thru the entire bed. I know it's sucking up all the moisture. In front is my rose bed. I chose David Austins that only get 3' 4' tall and wide. I did have 15 hybred teas staggered, but most of them slowly died off. This year we were blessed with timely rains! I had roses rebloom that I didn't think were rebloomers. I even bought a sprinkler because I usually can't water the roses or daylilies deep enough just standing there with the hose. I never used it and it got covered with foliage anyway.
Edited to say, you would think I could spell foliage.
This message was edited Nov 14, 2006 12:27 PM
I guess it must be the soil, but I just don't have any luck with Standing Cypress, right now I have one in a pot that a dear man sent me this summer, actually he sent me two, but one didn't make it.
What type of soil do you have?
I want to try the Standing Cypress this next year. They grow in abundance along the road and in the field near my nephew's house. I had asked him to get me some seeds last year, but he didn't know what plant I was talking about. How could you not notice that tall beautiful red????!! I will go get them myself this year.
Frostweed, I have sort of a sandy dry soil under the tree. I don't water them. They get by being dry, or wet, since we had a wonderful year of rain. The bed does dry out fast. They are a no fuss plant. They are biennial and the new fall plants go thru my zone 5 winter almost evergreen. I'll have to go out and get a picture. I gathered fresh seed this fall as I was cutting them back. I'm waiting to find some tiny baggies or packets for mailing.Walmart didn't have any. Would you like to try again? No postage necessary.
The soil must be it, I have very heavy clay soil that, I with the help of the ( soil fauna ) have made light and crumbly, but it is very rich in organic matter, and I think the Standing cypress likes sandy soil.
I think it is very sweet of you to offer the seed, and because of that I am willing to give it another try.
This time I will try the wildflower slope, may be it will work there.
Thank you very much,
Josephine.
Sheila, I hope the seed does well for you, it is funny haw things work out sometimes.
If you try hard, nothing, and if you dont do much, it works.
Oh well, we just have to keep on doing the best we can.
Josephine.
I haven't gotten it to survive very long in my yard either. One thing that Sally Wasowski stressed for growing it is well-drained soil...sand, loam or gravel. Sounds like maybe it doesn't like clay. There's only one place I can think of where I've seen it growing wild in fairly large numbers. That was along a fairly steep road-cut area. The soil there reminded me of decomposed granite and it was certainly well-drained.
Could it be because they are biennial that it doesn't seem they are doing well? If you can get them to grow on your slope Josephine, they would really be pretty!
Yeas it would Sheila, I don't know why, but they usually die on me. I guess I don't have the right conditions for them.
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Thank you for the information Linda, maybe I could duplicate the soil they like in pots.
Josephine.