We don't get much in the way of a seasonal foliage color change in Southern California, at least not by comparison to the northeastern parts of the United States. The only plant in my garden that's showing a definite color shift right now is the coral-bark Japanese maple planted in the vegetable garden alongside our garage. Its tips tend to burn when the temperatures soar but, in its current placement, it gets full sun only in the morning, which helps to reduce the leaf scorch.
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| Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku' in the morning sunlight |
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| Close-up of the Japanese maple's leaves, now shifting from light green to an apricot color |
Other plants showing similar coloration unrelated to the seasonal changes in temperature and day length include:
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| Agonis flexuosa 'Nana,' with new growth in an orangey pink |
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| Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire,' which develops a bright salmon-pink color in full sun |
The gray-leaved plants look good regardless of the season.
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| The artichoke in the half-barrel in my vegetable garden is finally gaining size |
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| I still have some reservations about this combination of Helichrysum petiolare 'White Licorice' and Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' - the Helichrysum constantly threatens to overwhelm the grass and other nearby plants |
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| I have no reservations about Stachys byzantina 'Helen Von Stein,' my favorite form of lamb's ear |
Other foliage that caught my eye during my garden rounds included:
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| Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey,' which is at risk of being swallowed up by the rampant growth of the Pelargonium tomentosum (aka peppermint geranium). I think the latter is enjoying the extra water I've been giving the new plants nearby a little too much. |
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| Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star,' in the border along our living room windows - this slow-growing plant looks identical to a plant I saw labeled as a Strobilanthus at a nearby nursery |
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| Schlumbergera x buckleyi (aka Christmas Cactus), showing the beginnings of tiny flower buds |
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| Solenostemon scutellariodes 'Electric Lime Coleus' and 'Mocha Mint Coleus,' which made it through the summer heat relatively unscathed |
That's it for this month's foliage round-up. Please
visit Pam at Digging to view her foliage picks for the month and to find links to other gardeners' selections.
I had to laugh at the Helichrysum takeover. I have to plant a new one each year. Just about the time it starts to take over its pot, the weather knocks it down. Must remember to give 'Sticks of Fire' more sun the next time it gets let out for the summer.
ReplyDeleteWe rarely get frost in this area (none at all since we moved here) so there's nothing to control the Helichrysum, which is a good-bad thing...
DeleteYour artichoke, wow. Spectacular. I've never heard of Agonis. It looks very intriguing. Great plants!
ReplyDeleteI have grown a taller, dark-leaved Agonis ('After Dark') before but this is my 1st experiment with the "dwarf" Agonis. It still gets big (wide) - I'm hoping I didn't go overboard in getting 3.
DeleteI do quite like the Helichrysum and Festuca combination but I suppose the vigour of the former is a big combination. The Stachys is nice as well.
ReplyDeleteYes, I like the combination too; however, that Helichrysum is going to demand more space whether I (or the Festuca) want to provide it.
DeleteAre Coleus hardy for you? They are among my favorite plants and I so hate to see them go when colder weather starts to set in. I should send my 'Sticks on Fire' to you. After months outside in fairly good sun, it never colored up well. Now I have to decide if it comes in for the winter or suffers a quick demise outside.
ReplyDeleteWell, coleus is hardy in the sense that it doesn't die down to the ground here - but it certainly doesn't look good either as the weather gets consistently cooler. I'll probably pull the plants in November sometime.
DeleteKris, first of all, thank you for visiting my blog - it was nice to hear from you!
ReplyDeleteYou have a gorgeous garden and many plants that would not survive here in Scotland.
The Euphorbia is Sticks on Fire - is AWESOME!
You've got a new follower and I so look forward to hankering after yet more plants I just couldn't grow!
I have the same problem with some of great plants in your posts, Angie. Thanks for visiting my blog!
DeleteYour Sticks on Fire looks amazing! Mine is quite green right now. It clearly needs more stress. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat Euphorbia certainly gets its fair share of stress - I pretty much ignore it.
DeleteGreat foliage! I didn't think that acer palmatums did very well that far south. Yours looks very happy there!
ReplyDeleteSummer leaf scorch is the biggest problem with the Japanese maples here. They do best with afternoon shade - and being close to the coast helps too.
DeleteI love all of your silvery foliage! And it's fun to see 'Sticks on Fire' a little larger--I just have a baby pot of it right now. Hoping it gets to be as big and beautiful as yours next summer.
ReplyDeleteI've toyed with putting my 'Sticks on fire' in the ground - there's a huge one growing in a garden bed on the Getty museum's property in West Los Angeles.
DeleteThanks for linking your post to GBFD, you have some great foliage colour and form happening in your garden, as you say we have many of the same plants but you also have some I would love to be able to find. Your temperatures in winter are warmer than ours but I would really love to have that Euphorbia.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as though your area also gets more fall/winter rain. We did get an early rain a couple of weeks ago but it totaled less than a quarter of an inch. We've been under serious drought conditions for years now.
DeleteYou have some amazing plants that I would love to have but which wouldn't survive in our garden in the UK. Your Sticks on Fire is such an unusual euphorbia, we see nothing like it here. Colour plays a large part in making foliage interesting, you certainly have plenty of that. I found you through Christina's blog and have enjoyed my peek at your garden!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Pauline!
DeleteLots of beautiful foliage, 'Sango Kaku' is one of my favourite acers. I really like the contrasting forms of your Helichrysum petiolare 'White Licorice' and Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' - will the festuca not grow large enough to balance the Helichrysum in time?
ReplyDeleteThat Helichrysum could take over the world given half a chance, Janet. I'm thinking of removing 1 plant to see if that helps - my alternative is to just move the Fescue elsewhere.
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