PK,
Don't pass up using the search engine, Native Plants of TX, that Josephine (Frostweed) maintains. You can look up natives by color and other categories. http://www.npot.org/
Sheila_FW
What to sow in Austin?
Is sweet almond the same thing as almond verbene? That's the name they told me at the Antique Rose Emporium for this large shrub/small tree like thing. The flowers have an awesome scent, but they are very tiny and white - not really anything to look at. Mine gets a little direct sun in the morning, and afternoon shade, and no supplemental water. Very tuff plant, but probably invasive according to the ARE.
On the sweet almond, do you leave in out, in ground, through winter?
I was given a start of the Almond verbena. Somewhere, I go the notion it was not hardy in this zone...
Are they different plants then?
Podster, they told me at ARE that they weren't sure how hardy it would be here, but it's doing fine.
Well, zones 8b to 10 were listed on Caldwell Nursery for these plants. PlantFiles say 10a to ll ~ that may be where I got that idea. Does yours look like this http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/59091/
Maybe I am just being overprotective...
Yep Pod, that's it for sure. I put it in the ground and forgot about it. It just keeps on truckin'.
Good! I will buck up and be brave with it... thank you!
It's a bush, I don't know where the invasive part comes from. I have 3 or them they're really nice.
Well at the ARE they told me it was in the alocasia family and it would probably reseed like crazy. I don't know anything about alocasias, but I haven't noticed any seedlings. I think they said alocasias. Maybe I'm not remembering that right, but I she did say that she thought it would reseed a lot.
Aloysia ~ I believe they meant. The Alocasia would be like elephant ears.
Oh, yes. You're right Podster. It was aloysia. Well atleast it started with an "a".:)
LOL ~ how long a bloom season does your plant share with you?
It's awful, but I really can't remember when it starts. Probably in April. It's way at the back of the lot. I wish I could find a place near the house for another one. If it could be an understory tree I could find lots of places for it.
From what I understand, the fragrance of the blooms would merit planting it near a porch, walkway or open window. I hope to enjoy the blooms some day on my tiny plant.
Yes, I hope you do. It's definitely a scent to remember.:)
I just started a thread in the Fragrant gardening forum about whether this can be an understory tree/shrub, just in case anybody's interested.
I'll probably see you there ~ 8 )