Foliage that can handle the heat

Trying to look beyond my garden's late-summer woes, I conducted a haphazard assessment of the foliage in my garden just before Tropical Storm Hilary arrived.  My focus was the foliage that holds up best to summer's heat.

Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' looks good year-round, at least on the surface.  It's twiggy undergrowth needs periodic cleanups and I generally rake out the leaf debris that builds up underneath it twice a year to ensure that I don't provide fuel for any fire that might come our way.  The Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' next to it adds a little pizzazz.

Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku' gained height and girth in response to this year's heavier-than-usual rain.  On the shady side of the garage it doesn't burn to a crisp.

Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue' no longer has to share the limelight in this area with Agave vilmoriniana, which we removed earlier this month after it bloomed out. Leucadendron salignum 'Chief' provides a nice backdrop.

One of 6 peppermint willows (Agonis flexuosa), the one in the background of this shot is framed by Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', a western redbud, and the manicured Xylosma congestum hedge

Another, less shaggy peppermint willow

One of 4 strawberry trees (Arbutus 'Marina'), this one in the back garden is underplanted with a variety of Aeoniums that appreciate the shade it provides

Another strawberry tree, this one in the front garden.  Even though all these trees were thinned last December, their foliage is thicker than ever due to all the rain they've had.  I'm hoping to have the tree trimmers out in October this year.

The roundish green ball is one of several bush violets (Barleria obtusa) in my garden.   It handles hot, dry conditions beautifully and has only a brief ugly period when I cut it back to the ground once it finishes blooming.  And it's covered in blue flowers from October into November!  I really should add it to more dry of my driest areas.

Golden breath of heaven (Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold') brightens up any space with its chartreuse foliage.  My only warning is to keep its growth in check by pruning it at least once a year when it reaches its mature size.  It can get a lot taller than some growers advertise.

I considered pulling out this dwarf Jacaranda 'Blue Bonsai' last year.  However, without anything in mind to replace it, I settled with cutting it back hard.  It responded by filling our nicely but it still didn't bloom this year.  I've supplemented its water with a bottle feeder this summer.  I'm giving it another year.

The 2 Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' have retained the reddish color they developed after I cut them back last winter

Since January, I've managed to keep the gardeners from taking electric pruners to this Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' by pruning it before they get to it.  I haven't been quite as successful in keeping them away from the other 'Wilson't Wonder' but my plan is to be more vigilant about staying one step ahead of them.

Lomandra is my favorite grass substitute and I've used them in spots throughout my garden.  The plants on top are Lomandra longifolia 'Breeze'.  Those on the bottom left are Lomandra 'Platinum Beauty' and the one on the right is Lomandra hystrix 'Tropic Belle'.

I've accumulated a lot of Mangaves over the last several years.  Two of the most pristine are Mangave 'Aztec King' (left) and M. 'Lavender Lady' (right).

Melianthus major has gotten huge this year, stretching way up inside the canopy of that Arbutus 'Marina'

I'm happy with this combination on the north end of my front garden featuring Phormium 'Maori Queen', Coprosma repens 'Evening Glow', and Carex 'Feather Falls'. These Phormiums haven't outgrown their spots (as some others have); the Coprosma has retained its color and its foliage despite the summer heat; and the Carex have outgrown the bad haircuts given them by local rabbits.

Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Limewire' (aka coleus) can outshine any flower

 

We're thankful for the two inches of rain the tropical storm provided us in August (when we generally have none) and it gave us nothing much to complain about beyond a lot of leaf litter and dirty windows.  I lost one zinnia, which broke at the soil line, and a major limb of our tree-sized Leucadendron 'Pisa' was badly bent, although it didn't break or tear.

I took the photo on the left during the tropical storm.  The branch didn't straighten up even after it dried out so I took the opportunity to prune back some of its top-heavy growth.  Sadly, this tree-sized shrub has developed a spindly framework in recent years and I expect I'll eventually pull it out but I'm not ready to do that yet.

 

There are some notable warts I find hard to ignore.

Echiums respond to tip pruning but eventually get too woody for my taste.  I'd hoped to get another year out of this Echium webbii but it's bugging me.  I recently ordered a replacement plant but I'm certain the seller sent me the wrong species.  I've tried unsuccessfully to propagate it from cuttings before but I may give that another go unless the seller provides a replacement.  I've already replaced the woody Echium 'Star of Madiera' in my front garden with a new plant.

Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' on the left dropped more than half of its leaves this year without replacing them at the same rate.  I'm not sure why, although gopher activity may have been a factor.  As you can see from the healthy Grevillea 'Superb' on the right, 'Peaches & Cream' should be a lot fuller.

That's it from me this week.  The storm last weekend brought temperatures down temporarily but they're back to pre-storm levels again, hovering in the mid-to-upper 80sF.  Another heatwave is in the forecast for next week.  Enjoy your weekend!

All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party