Rock rose (Pavonia lasiopetala): A Seasonal Look

Posted on February 25, 2018 by Tina

If you’re a fan of pink, this is the post for you!

Rock rose, Pavonia lasiopetala, is a small shrub adorned with blooming Barbie-doll pink flowers through much of the growing season. In my Austin garden, the first blooms appear in late April, with stragglers showing up as far into the calendar year as early December. The charming hibiscus-like flowers,

…framed by fuzzy, scalloped foliage, are congenial and reliable garden partners. A water-wise perennial shrub, Rock rose flowers are visited by many winged things: butterflies, bees (both native and honey), and hummingbirds. I guess all that pollination activity explains why they seed out so readily–I always have many seedlings to share.

Honeybees and several varieties of native bees regularly work the blooms. Most of the butterflies who visit Rock rose blossoms are smaller skippers and hairstreaks.

With its mallow blooms ranging from subtle, sweet pink,

…to garish, stopp’em-in-their-tracks pink,

…this shrub is a must-have for anyone gardening in Central Texas and southward into Mexico.

Masses of blooms

A single flower paired with blooms-about-to-happen. Rock rose isn’t a host plant for any insect that I’m aware of, but someone’s been nibbling at these leaves.

In winter, Rock rose retains some of its leaves, but definitely thins out; I guess I’d label it as semi-evergreen. I typically wait until late February to prune back the shrubs to about 10-12 inches in height. In fact, I just completed this winter chore.

Look closely to see the nearly naked limbs of February just-pruned Rock rose shrubs. This garden boasts a cluster of Rock rose shrubs which border a walkway.

As with all things winter in my zone 8b garden, now is a good time to prune and clean out garden detritus which has accumulated.

The leaves of my American sycamore, Platanus occidentalis tangle in the web of Rock rose limbs.

Throughout March and April, the foliage will return–vigorous and verdant–ahead of the rosy charmers.

This is an April shot of several Rock rose shrubs bordering a walkway.

The first set of blossoms sprout in spring, blooming prolifically through summer, depending upon rainfall and /or irrigation.

Opening at dawn, the flowers remain available for critter pollinating and gardener viewing until afternoon, when they shutter their petals for the night. As summer temperatures creep upwards, the blooms close earlier, often by mid-afternoon. This is especially true of those growing in full sun. Well, why not?? It’s hot out there and closing the flower shop early in the day is how these plants conserve moisture during the dry, toasty summer months.

Because Rock rose produces masses of flowers, with heaps of seeds following, I typically prune a second time, by about one-third, sometime between May and late June, depending upon rainfall. I do this for two reasons: one–to limit seed dispersion after blooming (read: a good, old-fashioned “dead-heading”); two–to shape the shrubs and encourage new growth. Rock rose blooms on new wood, and if the gardener prunes the shrub 2-3 times in the growing season, the plants look tidier. That said, I’ve seen many Rock rose shrubs go unpruned during the growing season and the worst result is that they’re leggy and floppy and produce multitudes of seeds, resulting in more Rock rose plants.

That’s not a bad thing.

Flowers open alongside developing and developed seeds.

Rock rose is a stellar summer bloomer, even during drought, but the flower show declines unless there’s measurable rainfall. In the driest period of summer, supplemental watering is appreciated, but Rock rose is a water-wise plant and thrives without much irrigation.

I prune once more in late August, ahead of the autumn rains, shorter days, and the promise of cooler temperatures. This readies the pink wonders for their autumn show!

As the temperatures cool in autumn, the flowers still open early, but stay open until sundown.

I like Rock rose planted in groups of three, or more. This maximizes visual impact in the garden and pollinators have plenty of pink to partake of. It combines beautifully with other plants:

Rock rose paired with Katie’s Dwarf Ruellia.

One of my favorite combinations is rosy Rock rose planted with sunshine yellow Zexmenia (Wedelia acapulcensis var. hispida).

Rock rose, Zexmenia, and Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) are a winning combo in spring and summer.

Rock rose performs best in full sun, but handles significant shade, with diminished flowering; I wouldn’t recommend it for deep shade. Shrubs growing in shade (and sometimes, those in sun) may develop mildew on the foliage. Typically, the mildew resolves and other than temporary unsightliness, isn’t an issue, but it’s something the gardener should consider when choosing to plant this perennial. When it happens, I prune offending shrubs and the foliage rebounds.

Another issue with Rock rose is its proclivity for seed production. If you grow this shrub, you will have Rock rose babies each year.

A volunteer Rock rose beside the pond.

The Rock rose which border the raised bed are all volunteers. They’ve grown out of the crack between the retaining wall and the driveway. Even in full, west sun, these Rock rose shrubs never wilt. Who knew that concrete is such an effective mulch?

You can pull seedlings and compost, transplant them elsewhere in your garden, or give them away. More than likely, you’ll do all three of those things. The seed bounty of this native plant–while annoying–is a gift.

From left to right: two open blooms, a bloom about to open, a newly closed bloom with developing seeds, and in the background, a seedhead with seeds nearly ready to disperse.

When my shrubs develop this many seedheads, I grab my Felco pruners and have at it! I prune the branches as little as 4-5 inches to as much as 12 inches, all depending upon how big I’ve let my shrubs get (ahem!). The goal is new stem growth and a new set of blooms.

The seeds in the middle of this photo are ready for dispersal.

Newly formed seeds (green) and mature seeds (brown).

As well as providing for pollinators, I have witnessed various finches nibbling at the seeds, so Rock rose’s worth for wildlife extends beyond the blooms.

For those gardening with deer guests, Rock rose is only mildly deer-resistant.

Rock rose is not a long-lived shrub. I’ve read that individual plants live approximately 5 years. I can vouch that some of my plants have died at around 5 years, but most have lived far longer. If you notice foliage turning yellow and withering as if needing water (and you’ve irrigated or have had rain), don’t try to save the plant–it’s done. Your best bet is to yank it out and plant one of the many seedlings which have popped up in your garden.

Rock rose is a lovely, tough, blooming shrub providing plenty for pollinators and birds. It requires some maintenance during the growing season in the form of regular pruning, but is otherwise an easy-peasy plant to grow, with rewards aplenty.

Spring:

Summer:

Fall:

Winter:

In mild winters, the foliage remains. In colder winters, more of that foliage will disappear.

Frost Fest

Posted on January 4, 2018 by Tina

Everyone is talking about it! It’s the plant of the week, the one everyone wants to know and hang out with! My own blog statistics show a dramatic spike in views of past posts written about it! What is this trending plant, the plant with the cool vibe? Well, it’s more than cool, it’s cold–it’s Frostweed, Verbesina virginica. Of course!

Frostweed is an excellent wildlife perennial plant, native from all the way up in Pennsylvania to here in sunny–usually mild–Texas. Its striking summer-to-autumn white blooms, which feed many, are quite enough for me to adore Frostweed, but it’s the transitory ice show, as seen during the first hard freeze of winter, that gives this summer and autumn blooming, pollinator-loving perennial its name.

Frostweed.

Luscious ice sculpture!

In the first winter hard freeze, this week, my Frostweed strutted its icy, frosty stuff for almost three full days, due to the temperatures dropping late Sunday and not reaching above freezing until mid-day Wednesday. The first thing I thought about on Monday morning, January 1, 2018, (okay, second–the first was about coffee…), was Oooh, I need to check out the frostweed, I’ll bet they’ve all burst open!

Indeed, burst open they had–and how!

The moisture from the stem blasts open the epidermis of the stalk.

Breaks through the stalk, with additional curling (upper left) of the ice, occurs as moisture, forming additional ice, moves outward.

The ice formations are delicate and transient–melting at touch or temperatures over freezing. Ice forms as the plant draws moisture up from the ground. The supercooled moisture breaks open the epidermis, freezing from the base of the plant and upwards along the stalk.

The resulting ice sculptures can furl (unfurl?), scroll-like, along the stalk, which is how my Frostweed usually behaves.

Monday morning.

Sometimes, the ice creates wavy, ice-taffy inspired forms.

Same plant, Wednesday morning as more moisture froze along the stalk when temperatures continued to drop.

A closer look.

Curly. Groovy. Icy. Beauty.

This winter’s show was special because in Austin, and certainly in more northern parts of the state, temperatures stayed below freezing for longer than the typical fleeting hard freeze, thus allowing the ice sculptures to expand, and remain frozen for admirers to appreciate for longer than just one morning.

Other perennials demonstrate similar freeze-n-bust action, but none do it with the verve and style of Frostweed.

As the sun warmed Wednesday afternoon, so melted away the exquisite, frosty art. The frost show ended, probably until next winter, but it was fun to see. Frostweed will be back in spring, after winter’s pruning, for another year of blooms and bust.

Frostweed–a frosty delight.

Bloom Day, November 2015

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Tina

The warmth of October leaked into November, but finally, FINALLY, Central Texas feels like autumn. From ground-cracking dry to frog-drowning rain, we’ve seen it all this past month or so. Blooming continues though and will until our first hard freeze, which will be…whenever it will be. Today I join with Carol at May Dreams Gardens in honor of blooms in gardens–let’s take a quick and colorful tour, shall we?

Opening with the autumn white of the White Mistflower, Ageratina havanensis,

…which is on the downside of its flowering cycle, though still providing for pollinators and with puffs of soft breeze, blanketing the back garden in sweet fragrance.

Flame Acanthas shrub, Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii, sport tubular scarlet blooms and remain perky and present for whomever happens by–insect or gardener.

Texas Craglily, Echeandia texensis, is a native lily dressed in autumn-glow yellow.

The Salvia species in my gardens really strut their flowering stuff during the fall months, those like this Autumn Sage, Salvia greggii.

Also, the red Tropical Sage,

…and its kissin’ cousin-hybrid, the white Tropical Sage,

…both of which are Salvia coccinea.

The West Texas native, Shrubby Blue Sage, Salvia ballotiflora, was a spontaneous purchase when I saw it covered in honeybees at a local nursery about a year ago.

This beauty is finally attracting my honeybees to its sky-blue blooms.

There are always some Purple Coneflowers, Echinacea purpurea, which perform in fall, though with shorter stature and duration than during the spring show. This year there are fewer than usual, owing to our very dry September and early October.

But what is blooming is autumn eye candy.

The above are some of the native Texas bloomers active at the moment, but there are also some lovely and hardy non-native fantastic florals, too. This Forsythia Sage, Salvia madrensis, is new to my gardens this year.

A gardening buddy gifted to me two sprigs with healthy roots last spring. I planted them and then mostly ignored them, but they’ve rewarded my gardening irresponsibility by coming into their blooming glory in recent weeks. A native to the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains of Mexico, this is a fabulous, shade-tolerant herbaceous perennial here in Austin. I look forward to more of the same.

The never-stopped-blooming-even-for-a-short-time, Firecracker Fern, Russelia equisetiformis, decorates my autumn garden.

And it decorated my spring and summer gardens too. Don’t you just love ridiculously long-blooming plants??

A big November surprise is the most recent and probably last set of blooms appearing on my Mexican Orchid Tree, Bauhina mexicana.

It’s a beautiful little tree, even without its creamy floral gifts which appear on and off during our long growing season. I’m amazed and tickled to enjoy one more round of the gorgeous orchid flowers for this year.

Thanks to May Dreams Gardens for hosting; please pop over to view blooms from all over the world. Better yet, share your blooms in celebration of November Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day.