Foliage Follow-Up–February 2012–Good Nandinas

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One of my favorite plants for nice winter foliage here in mild Austin, Texas is the Nandina domestica (Atropurpurea ‘Nana’).  Nandinas are not native to North America, but are originally from Asia.  The Nana variety is a dwarf (it gets about two feet tall) which doesn’t produce berries, but is grown for its dwarf habit, hardiness in the home/commercial landscape and its foliage.  Because the Nana doesn’t develop berries, it’s not considered an invasive plant in Central Texas, unlike its brethren with berries.

Nana Nandinas can be quite striking in the winter.  During the fall and winter, the Nana’s leaves turn colors ranging from green to yellow to rust to deep red and burgundy.  There’s even a little orang-y/coral-ly thing going on sometimes!

All of the Nanas in my personal gardens are in shade for most of the year, receiving full sun only once the deciduous trees have dropped their leaves. Unfortunately, my plants don’t turn the striking red coloration that shrubs in full sun do.  This Nana belongs to some nice neighbors and is absolutely stunning, I think.

My Nanas have bits of red here and there, but tend to be less dramatic in their coloring, though still attractive and they provide good contrast to evergreens during the winter months.

The Nana Nandina is a hardy plant which doesn’t require that much effort.  This Nana  is at the edge of a street/sidewalk and brightens this spot beautifully.

In my gardens, I water sparingly and they perform well in our hot summers. During the growing season, the Nana Nandina is nondescript looking, so I like to plant them alongside showy perennials like Turk’s Cap.  This is what one Nana looked like in October planted with a Turk’s Cap,

and here it is now.

I haven’t cut this Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) back yet, so the Nana is peeking out from under and behind its overgrowth.  But had the Mexican Honeysuckle succumbed to a hard freeze, the Nana would be colorful and provide structure in this spot.

I recommend the Nana Nandina as a great plant for the home gardener because of its hardiness, form and especially its gorgeous winter foliage.  It’s also non-invasive and that’s always a consideration for the gardener to make.

For more information about invasive plants in Texas and the Austin area, check out  Texas Invasives.org.  This site has a great deal of information about problems that invasive plants cause and solutions to those problems.  It also has links to other sites for lists of plants which are not appropriate for our area and for alternatives that gardeners should use instead.

Thanks to Pam at Digging for hosting Foliage Follow-Up this February 2012.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day-February 2012-Roses, Pre-Pruning

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I don’t have many roses in my gardens, but during Central Texas’ mild winter, mine have bloomed well, especially these past few weeks.  So, before I prune them back for the year and while I’m still in a flush from Valentine’s Day,  roses are my gift to Bloggers’ Bloom Day for February 2012.  Hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens, thanks for the opportunity to post.

My Knockout Rose, (Rosa ‘Radrazz’), has bloomed for the past three weeks with welcomed fragrance and blooms.

The Mutabilis Rose, (Rosa chinensis ‘Mutabilis’) is loaded with its sweet blooms.

‘The Old Gay Hill’ Red China, which I transplanted last year, seems happy in its new spot by the pond and is showing off by blooming up early.

And finally, my ‘Martha Gonzales’ (Rosa ‘Martha Gonzales’)  continues to do what it does all year: bloom.

So, I’ll cut as many as possible to enjoy in the house as I prepare to prune the roses for the coming year of blooms.

What’s blooming where you garden?

I’ve Got A Crush On You

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It’s Valentine’s Day and I’m gushing about my love for a red, red…tubular shaped flower which blooms on a Texas tough vine.

I’m aflutter over Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens).  A vine to please wildlife and people alike, this lovely and hardy plant is native to Texas, but is found in other parts of the United States.

The vine is generally evergreen in the Austin area, although can become thin in a very cold winter.  My experience is that the vine blooms mostly during springtime, but I’ve seen it bloom well into summer with rain and/or irrigation.  I’ve also seen occasional blooms in the fall and winter. With our mild winter this year, it’s blooming earlier than usual.

The leaves are rounded or oblong, with a point at the end and are paired and opposite from one another.

I find the new leaves attractive because of their rich bronze color and during the main bloom time, the combination of the bronze leaves and new blooms is especially beautiful.

The flowers are grouped in clusters and are red with yellow interiors.  So pretty!

In spring, the well-behaved climbing vine is loaded with these gorgeous clusters of blooms.

If the timing is right and there are hummingbirds around, they’ll be courting these flowers.  Coral Honeysuckle is an excellent wildlife plant.  It provides nectar (for hummers, bees and butterflies) and a fruit that many birds love.  I’ve had fruits develop on my vine, but they never remain long because the birds snatch them up as soon as they ripen.  The mature fruit is an iridescent coral color.   It’s a little too soon after the beginning of the bloom season for mature fruit, but there are some nascent fruits developing on my vine.

Coral Honeysuckle is also the larval host for the Spring Azure butterfly and the Snowberry Clearwing Moth.  (Check out the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center page on Coral Honeysuckle.)

As with many vines which bloom prolifically, Coral Honeysuckle blooms best in full sun, but it will bloom in part shade, but probably not deep shade.  I planted this one three years ago this month.

It grows moderately quickly–I stapled a large wire mesh to the fence to assist the vine with its climbing needs and away it went.  Coral Honeysuckle is beautiful planted over an arch as an entry to a garden space.  I clip off any dead undergrowth (or at least, I should…) and any errant branches.  As the new growth reaches skyward, I’ll bend the branches into the existing vine or I’ll prune them, depending upon whether there’s room for the vine to spread.

I don’t have any irrigation on this vine, so this past hot and dry year, I only watered it when I noticed it looking sad and dejected.  In fact, according to the The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, it’s a plant that doesn’t particularly like being in heavy or wet soils.  I’ve never experienced any disease or insect problems with the vine, but the ones I’ve grown or gardened around have all received full sun.

I’ll enjoy the luscious blooms of Coral Honeysuckle and appreciate its steadfast and reliable presence in my gardens.  It’s no wonder I have a crush on this plant.