Black Dalea, Dalea frutescens, is a lovely delicate small shrub. Drought resistant and cold hardy it makes a lovely accent plant or a ground cover.
I grew it this year for the first time and I am very pleased with the results.
Native to Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, it is also a larval host for the Dogface Butterfly.
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DAFR2
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1436
A close up of the flower.
And a picture of the small plant, adorable indeed!!!
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/daleafrutescen.htm
I love the Black Daleas! I once had several, but they didn't survive after there was severe flooding back in 2002.
Maybe I can bring you a rooted cutting to the spring r.u. in College Station.
Josephine.
Do you remember it from the wildscape? I was trying to find it in the plantfiles...should have known to go native! I'd love a cutting too if possible.
Hello Anna, I will do my best, to have some by spring. I have never rooted it before so it will be a new one for me.
How do you protect all your potted plants in the winter?
I bring them into the garage when frost is predicted, half of the garage is full now.
Some potted things do fine outside in very cold weather...just depends on what it is. Sometimes just a sheet over potted plants during a freeze is fine...that's all I do for the majority of my potted plants. It's possible that daleas would do better on cuttings during the warmer part of the year, but it never hurts to try.
Hello Linda, I do leave the hardy potted plants outside if they are in a good size pot, 1 gallon or larger, but last year I had a lot of small plants in 4 inch pots,
things like turk's cap and other hardy ones and i lost over 40 of them, I believe it was because the roots didn't have enough insulation. So this year I am bringing them in, I have over a 100, and I don't want to lose them, I take them out after the danger is over.
I am planning to try the Black Dalea cuttings at the greenhouse mist bench, we shall see how it goes.
Josephine.
