Foliage Friday: Indian Hawthorn 'Umbellata Minor'

This Indian Hawthorn, Raphiolepis umbellata, is similar the traditional (and more common) Indian Hawthorn, Raphiolepis indica.  Both are native to Asia, and both make a nice, low-growing hedge.  But I prefer the umbellata minor, because it seems to have a cheerier disposition. The standard Indian Hawthorn always seems crouched over to me, a little too hunchbacked.

Raphiolepis umbellata 'Minor'

The umbellata has a more upright form and slightly smaller leaves and to me, the leaves are often a darker green.   It also seems to resist fungal disease better than the indica.  Umbellata slowly reaches a height of 4-5 feet, but it's nicer when trimmed to 3-4 feet, preventing it from splaying open.  When it blooms in the spring, the flowers are small, white and fragrant.  New growth is reddish, and in spring will sometimes resemble a miniature version of Red-Tip Photinia.

This dwarf hawthorn does best in sunny or mostly sunny areas, with good drainage.  It makes a nice low, evergreen hedge or small group and has just a little bit different approach to life!

Foliage Friday: Variegated Aspidistra

Variegated Cast Iron Plant

Or Aspidistra elatior variegata.  I have a thing for variegated plants, particularly white shades.  I have been so pleased with this variegated Aspidistra, which was the centerpiece in a summer arrangement with caladiums, pink sweet potato vine and pentas. 

Aspidistra elatior variegata

Some gardeners around here look down their noses at Aspidistra.  It's common, they sniff.  Overused.  Uninteresting.  But perhaps they haven't seen the striking variegated version.  Just as tough as the solid green "Cast Iron Plant," variegated aspidistra performs well in light shade and can burn if scorched by the hot rays of the afternoon sun.

Fancy in white stripes

It's rather slow-growing, which makes it a perfect addition to a container garden.  Although it's well-adapted to our zone 9A winters, frost can burn new growth.  I admit, I've never had this problem, since mine is growing under the protective canopy of a live oak.  Aspidistra is very drought-tolerant once established and if you can bear to cut the pretty variegated leaves, you can use them in bouquets indoors.  The leaves last a long time in vases.  The only trouble I've ever had with aspidistra?  Snails.  In this world, I'll never escape them.

Foliage Friday: Mahonia 'Soft Caress'

Mahonia 'Soft Caress'

I'm excited about this plant.  You're probably familiar with the more traditional mahonias.  Around here, they are very dependable shade plants.  Chinese mahonia get about 5' tall, and, though they have slender leaves, are rather spiny and tough.  Leatherleaf mahonia is even more spiny, having a holly-shaped leaf and a rough-looking, coarse texture.  I always thought I should like them.  They are fairly drought-tolerant and extremely dependable for most people.  But that spiny texture always disagreed with me.  I just could never warm to mahonia.

Mahonia 'Soft Caress'

Until I saw this beautiful Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress,' whose elegant, bamboo-like leaves are so inviting.  This one was developed by ItSaul Plants, and is more similar to Chinese mahonia.  It's also evergreen, and a little smaller, reaching only about 3 feet tall.  It has yellow flowers, arranged in racemes, but I love it for its delicate leaves.  It seems so much more friendly than other mahonia -- makes you just want to pet it, doesn't it?

Foliage Friday: Dianella tasmanica variegata

This is one of my favorite foliage plants.  Don't be fooled: the plant label will mention a flower, but it's insignificant.  The main attraction is the bright, clear variegated pattern of the leaves.  You may read that this plant can take full sun, but I think it performs better in morning sun or light shade. The variegated one seems especially sensitive to full sun and may suffer from burning on the margins if left to bake in the August heat.

See the tiny flowers?

Dianella tasmanica is more often called Flax Lily and is almost always evergreen here in zone 9A.  If you want to avoid freezer burn, cover the newly planted ones on frosty nights.  This species of Dianella gets about 2 feet tall and is getting more and more popular as a landscape plant.  You should be able to find it at most area nurseries.  Start with a rather larger plant, because it tends to grow rather slowly.  Dianella is a tough little plant, though, and should be relatively trouble-free once established.

Wonderful massed as a groundcover.

Some sources claim that Dianella is named after Diana, the Roman goddess of nature and hunting.  Maybe so!

Foliage Friday: Sacred Fig

Ficus religiosa at the San Antonio Botanical Garden

Aren't those leaves pretty?  This is Sacred Fig, or Ficus religiosa.  It's considered sacred by followers of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.  Siddhartha Gautama was sitting under a Sacred Fig tree when he was enlightened. That tree was known as the Bodhi Tree and was destroyed in the second century B.C.

The Sri Maha Bodhi Tree.  Photo: N.Chamal, licensed under the Creative Commons Act.

A direct descendant of that original holy tree, the Bodhi Tree, still survives.  Known as the Sri Maha Bodhi, it was brought to Sri Lanka in 249 B.C. and is perhaps the oldest living angiosperm in the world. Certainly it is one of the world's great historical trees.  It serves as the parent for other Sacred Figs planted around the world.  Below is a Bodhi tree descendant, planted in the Foster Botanical Gardens in Hawaii.

Licensed under the Creative Commons Act.

These trees are native to India and prefer a tropical climate, but will tolerate life as a houseplant.  Treat as you would a Ficus benjamina.

Foliage Friday: Kalanchoe Tomentosa

I'm a sucker for Kalanchoe of all kinds.  I particularly love the common, old-fashioned K. blossfeldiana, but since this is Friday, I thought I'd share a photo of the Panda plant, more formally known as Kalanchoe tomentosa.

Kalanchoe tomentosa

"Tomentosa" means woolly, and that certainly describes this little succulent.  Its leaves are covered with fine, soft hairs, giving it a furry appearance. Panda plant is native to Madagascar and only gets about 18" tall.  It's tender, so bring it inside during the winter.  They are said to tolerate full sun, but here in zone 9A, I think it does better with a bit of protection from the afternoon summer sun.  Like any succulent, it prefers a well-draining soil and cannot tolerate overwatering.

Kalanchoes are related to the Jade plants, and can be propagated the same way: carefully detach a leaf from the main plant and nestle it about an eighth of an inch down in some good-quality potting medium.  In about four weeks,  you may have a little baby panda!

By the way, I have heard that the proper pronunciation of this plant is "kallan-COE-ee."  I have to confess, in my family we stubbornly continue to say "kuh-LAWN-cho."  This is what happens when you learn plant names from books!  Here's a link to Fine Gardening's Online Pronunciation Guide.  What do they think YOU mispronounce?

Foliage Friday: Crotons

In a way, it's strange to be thinking of crotons as the weather gets cooler.  These tropical shrubs are native to southeast Asia and really love warm, humid climates.  But the colors are perfect for fall, and croton breeders have introduced so many varieties that there's sure to be something for everyone.

Crotons for fall color

I have better luck, in fact, keeping my crotons alive from season to season than I do with mums.  I'm done with mums, I think.  They never look good once I get them home from the nursery but they never die, either.  Which is the worst of both worlds, if you know what I mean.  I planted mums in my east-facing flowerbed four or five years ago and they've survived just fine.  They spread, and they bloom (in their own good time -- spring), but they aren't all that pretty.  If there were something wrong with them, I could get rid of them.  But no.  For me, they're just adequate.

I'll take the crotons, please!

Unlike crotons, which are showy container plants in our three hot seasons and houseplants for our short winter.  My crotons fuss a bit if I leave them outside once the nights are in the low 40s.  They also like to be watered evenly, in that famous "moist yet well-draining" soil.  (Where do you get that, I wonder?)  Once they drop those lower leaves, they don't replace them.  Keep them out of the hot afternoon sun but brighter light means better colors.  I love those rich colors and interesting leaves.  Look for newer varieties like 'Picasso's Paintbrush' and 'Revolution,' but don't forget the old favorites, like 'Petra' and 'Mamey.'

Picasso's Paintbrush

Revolution

Petra

Mamey

Foliage Friday: Selaginella

Selaginella

 Selaginella belongs to a large family of plants known collectively as spikemoss.  They are rather fern-like in appearance but aren't really true ferns.  Most of them are tropical or subtropical, but some, like the Resurrection Plants, are native to deserts.  Resurrection Plants are dry and brown until it rains.  Then they quickly unfurl and are a beautiful bright green.

Some selaginella have dark leaves with a red reverse.

Selaginella, or Club Moss, can't really tolerate winter temperatures and even here, should probably be kept in a container.  It's a perfect terrarium plant and is easily divided if you're inclined to share.  Keep it in partial to mostly shade in a humid environment and you can enjoy Selaginella during the warm weather outdoors.  Then bring it inside for a winter break.  It might be helpful to place the container on a tray of pebbles that you water, to increase the humidity.

Perfect for fairy gardens or Wardian cases.

I can hardly believe I typed that.  We usually don't try to increase the humidity around here!

Foliage Friday: Kangaroo Fern

Kangaroo Fern on my shady back porch.

I'm so happy with this fern!  It seems to tolerate my benign neglect: sometimes overwatered, sometimes underwatered.  I bought it in early spring and it has more than doubled in size.  While I don't have the characteristic spores on the underside of the leaves yet, the plant itself has grown very well.  I'm just beginning to get the fuzzy rhizomes that (perhaps) look like kangaroo's paws. 

No spores yet!

Not sure why this one is called "Kangaroo Fern."  It could be the fuzzy rhizomes, but I also read that the shape of the leaf looks vaguely like a kangaroo's foot.  In this case, the botanical name is fairly informative:  Microsorum pustulatum.  The sori are the bodies on the underside of the leaves that carry the spores.  They must be very small, hence microsorum.  Pustulatum means "covered with blisters." 

This plant is supposed to be able to tolerate a zone 8 winter, and I live in zone 9A.  I like it on the porch, though.  Maybe next spring I'll divide it and plant some in the shade garden, on a trial basis.

Foliage Friday: Tricolor Oyster Plant

Rhoeo discolor -- one name for it.

This little groundcover or house plant is in the Tradescantia or spiderwort family, similar to Wandering Jew-type plants.  I like the white and green variegation on the front of the leaves, but it's the reverse that's really striking -- a bright clear purple.  Oyster plant does flower off and on, and the flower is contained in two clamshell-shaped bracts (hence the name) but the foliage is the real star.

Tradescantia spathacea -- another name for it.

This plant is not entirely cold-hardy here.  On most winters, it should be safe up against the house or planted in a protected bed, but it's only reliable in zone 9b and south.  I keep mine in a pot and bring it in, just in case.  It thrives outside, in everything from mostly shade to mostly sun.  It doesn't seem picky about water either.  It's often grown as a semi-epiphyte, affixed to trees where it gets plenty of rain.  But it likes regular watering too.  It's got a fancy look to it, but it's just as sturdy as its spiderwort family, if a little more tender.

Foliage Friday: Sweet Gum Tree

Palmate leaves of the Sweet Gum tree

Is this tree disappearing?  I hope not.  It seems like they were everywhere when I was a kid.  I can't recall seeing one planted in someone's yard, not for the longest time.

The drawback:  immature fruit is already spiky!

The Sweet Gum Tree is native to the warmer sections of the United States and is one of our most common hardwood trees.  North of here, it's beloved for its vivid fall color, and noted for its spiny fruit.  You don't ever want to step on a dried sweet gum ball barefooted!  Yes, it's true that the fruits can litter your yard in the fall, and the limbs sometimes break in high wind, but it's a fast-growing shade tree with a pretty, distinctive leaf.  The five-fingered foliage is much more "pronounced" than that of the maple tree, if you know what I mean.

Bark -- see the tiny holes?

Birds of all kinds like the seeds contained in the mace-shaped fruit, but one bird goes out of his way to drink the golden sap:  the yellow-bellied sapsucker.  He drills neat rows of little holes and returns time and again to the same tree for nourishment.  Other creatures, once the hard work of drilling is done, are also attracted to the sap.  You may see butterflies, honeybees and hummingbirds drinking the sap of the sweet gum tree.  Of course, the sapsuckers will actively defend their dinner table!

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  Photo: Patrick Coin

I thought this was interesting:  the Sweet Gum tree was one of the first trees introduced to England from the New World.  Missionary and plant collector John Bannister brought it to England in 1681, where it was greatly admired for its fall color.  Before New World trees arrived, fall color was scarce indeed.

Foliage Friday: Nephthytis

This is really a plant that anyone can grow.  It's one of the few house plants I keep around -- the only one that actually seems worth the trouble.

Nephthytis

Nephthytis, sometimes called Arrowhead Philodendron, is a member of the family of plants that includes caladiums, peace lilies, elephant ears, dieffenbachia, and, for you Houstonions, the Corpse Flower, lately of HMNS fame.  This little evergreen is a perfect housepet of a plant.  It doesn't grow too fast (so it can stay in that cute little pot you bought).  It won't tolerate a freeze, but it won't complain about brief chilly nights.  It grows well, even in the rather dim light of a kitchen window.  It's easy to root cuttings and, though it multiplies slowly, is one of the few houseplants that actually grows.  Usually I'm happy if my houseplants merely refrain from dying.

My kitchen window gets too hot during the summer months, so I put this plant outside on the back porch.  When the weather turns cold again (hurry! hurry! hurry!) I'll bring it back inside.  Usually it gets big enough to divide every year.  No flower, but no trouble either!

Foliage Friday: Arborvitae

All right, all right.  I promise after today, I'll try not to rave about foliage plants that might not do all that well here in good old hot, humid Houston.  But I think arborvitae is such a handsome plant!

Arborvitae at the Gardens at Ball

'Arborvitae' means 'Tree of Life,' so called because some specimens can live for centuries.  The aromatic leaves were also used for healing purposes.  They are often planted in cemeteries -- probably a good place for them.  They look best when left alone and don't tolerate pruning very well.  There are only five species in this genus: two are native to North America and three to Asia.  The North American native, Thuja occidentalis, was one of the first conifers imported into Europe, arriving on those shores sometime around 1536.

These plants are now known botanically as Thuja, but it's a relatively recent development.  I chuckled to read of the English distress when Linnaeus changed the name from "arborvitae" to "thuja" in 1737.  I'm afraid gardeners today get just as aggravated when botanists go around changing the name of plants.  We don't get used to things that fast!  I find I'm much more comfortable with arborvitae and it's been almost 300 years since the name was changed.

Foliage Friday: Colorado Blue Spruce

No, we can't really grow it in our area (humid zone 9a).  But it's the first thing I notice whenever I travel to cooler,drier climes.  Isn't it pretty?

Colorado Blue Spruce: Picea pungens

This beautiful evergreen looks best when left to form a pyramidal shape, with branches all the way to the ground.  It's a slow grower, but if left to its own devices, it can grow more than 50 feet tall.  The blue-green color is appealing, and the young cones are almost a violet-purple color. 

Why doesn't it work in the Houston area?  It suffers in our summer heat, and is prone to diseases like canker and insect damage from mites.  It does better in North Texas.  Which is why, probably, I really want one!

Foliage Friday: Australian Rosemary

A post from the middle of the annual summer heat wave.

It's hot and humid.  The oppressive heat knocks you back on your heels if you set foot outside your air-conditioned prison.  Gardeners in Houston love to plant chilly silver-blue foliage -- we long for even a slight cooling effect.  Alas!  The hard, cruel fact is that most silver-leafed plants do not thrive here in the humidity.

Fruticosa means shrubby, not fruity!

I'm happy to report that Australian Rosemary or Westringia fruticosa is an exception.  This mild-mannered shrub isn't related to rosemary at all, but shares the pointy-leaved look.  Australian Rosemary has softer leaves and a more open form than the herbal rosemary does.  I cut mine back fairly severely this spring after the frost, and it has returned in perfect form.  I keep it trimmed somewhat to encourage a full look.  Australian Rosemary will perform in the sun, mostly sun or morning sun.  If there's enough light, it will also produce small lavender flowers.  I have mine on the east side of the house, so it doesn't bloom much for me, but it's a nice cool little row of shrubs against that hot, red brick.

This shrub is native to Australia and can reach heights of 4-6 feet, although I think it looks nice when it's kept a little shorter.  Australian Rosemary is a member of the mint family, and though I've never tried it, I understand it's easy to propagate from cuttings.  For me, it's been absolutely immune from insects and disease.  Try it -- it may be good for a degree or two off the heat index!

Foliage Friday: Gumpo Azalea

I know.  Usually azalea is a flower plant.  But I love this little Gumpo azalea for its foliage and its form.  It's neat and mounded, with tiny leaves, like a rounded, decorated boxwood.  Though it's slow-growing, it's tidy and dense.  This one is not quite as hardy as other varieties; perhaps only suitable for zone 7b and south.

Pink Gumpo Azalea, in August.

The Gumpo azaleas are part of the Satsuki group, first codified by the Japanese in 1692.  'Satsuki' means 'fifth month' and these azaleas bloom in the fifth month of the old lunar calendar, our equivalent of June.  They are available with white, pink and red flowers.  There's even a "Fancy" variety that is pink with a white margin.  Because they bloom later than the Southern Indicas, the flowers are somewhat hidden by the spring flush of foliage.  The color display isn't nearly as dramatic as the March extravaganza of the spring-blooming varieties.  Gumpo azaleas have a shy appearance, a little more standoffish. 

'Kinpo,' a Satsuki azalea.  Photo: Jim Trumbly

And here's one more reason I love Gumpo azaleas.  They aren't Encore™ azaleas.  I don't have anything against Encore™ azaleas.  But I miss the old varieties.  Houston is azalea country -- and those so-called "repeat bloomers" are crowding out my old favorites, like the Kurumes, the Pericats, the Glenn Dales, and the enormous number of Southern Indica hybrids.  Here's two more, just so we don't forget...

'Hinodegiri,' a Kurume azalea.  Photo: Joe Coleman

'Mary Margaret,' a Glenn Dale azalea.  Photo: Dan Krabill

Foliage Friday: Gold and Silver Chrysanthemum

This pretty little perennial does flower, in late summer and early fall, but I like it for the peaceful variegated foliage.  Gold and Silver Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum pacificum) is native to the Japanese island of Honshu; appropriately enough, I got mine as a cutting from the Fort Bend Master Gardeners' Japanese Garden.  All the literature says it will grow in full sun, but I've found that it does better for me in some afternoon shade.  It's reliably winter-hardy, in containers or in the ground.  Sometimes it gets leggy and I snip it back, but otherwise it's carefree.  Gold and Silver Chrysanthemum has little button-sized yellow flowers and gets to be about 18" tall. 


Note:  Sometimes this plant is listed as Ajania pacificum, Chrysanthemum ornatum, or Chrysanthemum marginatum.

Foliage Friday: Rex Begonia

Lest you get the wrong idea, let me tell you right up front:  I don't grow Rex Begonias, though I think they are the most beautiful ones of all.  I have trouble in my garden with snails.  For me, Rex Begonias are snail candy.

But oh how I love the foliage!  These little beauties are good for a shady spot that's high in humidity -- maybe under a philodendron or tucked up into the hostas.   They can freeze in our winters, and your safest best is to keep them in containers.  Don't overwater, and provide a bit more fertilizer than you normally would use on foliage plants.  I think they do best with a regular dose of a dilute liquid formulation.  In cool weather, morning sun is probably okay.  Don't be surprised if your Rex Begonias fade out a bit in the summer: they prefer cooler temps.  If you have them in pots, you can bring them in winter and summer, leaving them outside in the spring and fall.

There are a great many Rex Begonia cultivars -- look for them where florist-quality plants are sold.  This isn't your average bedding plant.

Foliage Friday!

Join Pam at Digging for Foliage Followup, the sequel to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!  See the Comments section for links to gardens all over!  Thanks, Pam, for hosting!

One of my favorite foliage plants is Calathea, sometimes called Prayer Plant because it folds its leaves in the evening like praying hands.  These tropicals are popular houseplants because the leaves are so decorative.  Gardeners in Southern zones can try them outside in containers. Last fall, I read about gardeners in Georgia planting them in beds.  I remember being amazed -- and not willing to risk it.  They are tender and cannot take a frost or a freeze.  Calatheas prefer a warm, humid location (perfect for us!) and just the right amount of light.  Too little light and their leaves might not fold at night.  Too much light and the beautiful colors will fade.  Mine do best in the shade of the back porch.

There are all different kinds of calathea species -- these are just a few!

(They flower too! I think this is Calathea 'Medallion.')

(Calathea zebrina, I think...)

(Calathea lancifolia, I think...)