Native Texas Plant Week and Foliage Follow-Up–October 2012

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Tina

Joining Pam at Digging for Foliage Follow-Up and celebrating Native Texas Plant Week, I’ll focus on some of the lovely Texas plants currently wowing with interesting foliage in my garden.

Or, as in the case of the Big Muhly (Muhlenbergia lindheimeri), showing off its slender foliage and its magnificent inflorescence. Fall has arrived with the plumes of native grasses entering their full glory. Sigh. So beautiful.

This Silver Ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea) augments the brighter green and blooming perennials around it.

Its creeping habit is graceful as it spills over edges and rocks.

Most people in Texas would consider this plant, Horseherb (Calyptocarpus vialis),

an obnoxious weed. I’ve found many of these hardy, drought tolerant plants insinuating themselves in cracks between stepping-stones or at the base of raised beds. I had so many individual mats that I decided to plant as many as possible in a sitting area that was once grass, but has been a mulched area for about ten years.

I planted the left side after some heavy rains last May and the right side, after rains during the summer. The Horseherb has filled in remarkably well. Scarily so. I hope I don’t regret have this tough plant so close to a more formal garden. I’ll need to keep it tidy with a line trimmer, but the area is almost completely shaded, so it won’t need extra water and Horseherb can handle moderate foot traffic.

Inland Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) is sporting its tawny seeds for fall.

Although the pretty yellow blooms of the Lindheimer’s Senna (Senna lindheimeriana) are all but gone and the seeds are ripening for the birds, I still love the beautiful soft grey-green foliage of this native perennial.

Lindheimer’s Senna is especially nice paired with the bright green, more tropical looking leaves of the ‘Esparanza’ Yellow Bells (Tacoma stans).

The always elegant Mexican Feathergrass (Nasella tenuissima), softens gardens with its thread-like shimmery green to golden brown leaves.

Years ago, someone shared their White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) with me. Yarrow is a favorite of mine because of its beauty and durability. Best in shade, it grows well in even the driest of summers; its blooms are long-lasting. By this time of year, I’ve pruned the flower stalks, but the leaves remain lush.

This Retama is about seven years old. It’s grown tall and has yellow flowers all summer. The bloom cycle is toward its end, but the delicate, feathery leaves are fetching.

Be STILL my beating heart! I love Gulf Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris).

I love it! Although my little Muhly is no rival for some of the beauties of this species that I see around Austin, I’m still thrilled that I have some plumage. Someday, little Muhly, someday!

Glory in both blooms and foliage! And if you live in Texas, happy Native Plants Week! Wherever you live, try native plants for your garden. For more information about North American native plants, check out the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center site.

Mexican Orchid Tree Blooms–Finally!

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Tina

The Mexican Orchid Tree (Bauhinia mexicana), I planted as a tiny seedling in October 2010 bloomed recently.

Yeah, I think it was worth the wait.

A friend gave me a 4 inch seedling while I was helping with her garden. I knew a little about the plant and that the Mexican Orchid Tree grows well in shade, though it doesn’t get as large, nor blooms as prolifically as in full sun. I dutifully planted the seedling in a dappled shade spot and waited.

The seedling died back during winter. I didn’t expect it to survive because of two very hard freezes and the seedling, while well-mulched, hadn’t much time to establish. The Mexican Orchid Tree reemerged in late spring of 2011. It survived the Summer from Hell (2011) and grew throughout last year, only to die to the ground again during winter, 2012.

Planted in a shady spot, my Mexican Orchid Tree will never become a “tree” for me. It’s an open and airy shrub, with (for now) two main branches. Planted in a garden with Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus), Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior), Inland Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) and assorted shade-tolerant plants,

it adds interesting foliage,

and lovely white blooms which brighten the shady area.

If planted in full sun, the Mexican Orchid Tree grows to 8-12 feet in height with a 6-8 foot spread. Reportedly deer resistant, it’s known as a great butterfly attracting plant, although. I haven’t observed any butterflies on my blooms. I would consider it a xeric plant. I haven’t given any extra water other than the two times/month that is my norm and it’s grown well.

The flowers are beautiful,

and fragrant, too.

Here in Austin, the only two nurseries which regularly carry the Mexican Orchid Tree in stock are Barton Springs Nursery and The Natural Gardener.

Patience is a virtue (so I’m told) and I’m glad that I waited for this lovely addition to my garden.

Springtime For Inland Sea Oats

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Tina

I’ve written about Inland Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) previously, but didn’t have photos of these plants during spring to share with readers. Inland Sea Oats is a native grass which is elegant, easy to grow and an excellent choice for the shady garden. You can read about this plant further in my post at: https://mygardenersays.wordpress.com/category/inland-sea-oats/.

This is what one group looked like in March,

and what they look like more recently.

Inland Sea Oats die back during the winter and arise from their roots in spring . As a general rule, once they emerge from their winter doldrums, they grow quickly.

The green of the Inland Sea Oats is brilliant and dramatic,

and pairs well with evergreens such as Giant Liriope (Liriope muscari ‘Evergreen Giant’), Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)

and Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala).

In late March-April, the graceful seedheads develop,

and remain a fetching, translucent green throughout the summer. In the late summer, the seeds turn a soft cream color and later in the fall, a warm, toasty brown.

Watch out in spring though, for the proliferation of Sea Oat seedlings.

It’s a great plant for the home gardener, but with regular irrigation and/or rainfall, these seedlings can be a nuisance. To keep them in control, I simply pull them up as I have the time and inclination. As long as you don’t allow them to become too tall (more than a foot), they’re easy to yank out. However, if you’re not willing to engage in some maintenance with these plants (weeding them!), I wouldn’t recommend Inland Sea Oats for your garden.

But if you’re willing to weed what you don’t want and you love the grace and beauty of this shade loving, ornamental grass,