Wild & Weedy Wednesday: Not quite weeds

I'm joining Cathy of Words and Herbs once again this week to share four plants that aren't classified as weeds (at least in California) but behave a bit like them.  I've found the first three of the four somewhat difficult to manage as they self-seed wherever they like and can be difficult to remove when they settle where they're not wanted.

The first one is known by the colorful common name of Hairy Canary Clover.  Despite its common name it's native to Portugal, not the Canary Islands.  It's now classified as Lotus hirsutus but it's appeared in my blog posts on earlier occasions under its former classification, Dorycnium hirsutum.  Its foliage is soft and ever-gray.

As I recall, I originally planted it from a 4-inch pot in one of the driest areas of my garden.  It's since spread widely within that area and, although it prefers to seed itself, I've managed to transfer seedlings into my front garden as well.

As you can see in this closeup, the flowers look very much like clover.  The bees love it too.

One transplant in my front garden overtook its space and grew into the driveway following this year's heavier rain.  It doesn't look so good after being cut back (right) and I'm tempted to pull up the mother plant and let the fallen seeds replant the area.

It produces gobs of seeds

It likes to plant itself in gravel but its takes some effort to get those seedlings out.  The seedlings take their time to get established if they're moved.

It's an attractive groundcover and lovely in and out of flower, although as the photo of the plant adjacent to our driveway shows, it doesn't look great immediately after it's been pruned back hard.

Gaura lindheimeri is another plant that seeds itself wherever it likes but it's not as prolific as the Lotus.  I like its airy look but I wish it was more accommodating about its placement as it's seedlings don't transplant well.

In my garden it looks best early in the season as it's just taking off.  This photo was taken in mid-June.

These plants seeded themselves right in the middle of a path.  I haven't removed them yet but that's in my near-term plans.

 

I sowed seeds of the third wildflower, Daucus carota 'Dara', and then promptly forgot about it until a large plant appeared.  Before it flowered for the first time back in 2019, I was afraid that poison hemlock, a plant it resembles, had sprung up in my garden.  This one is regarded as a noxious weed in Washington state but not in California.  It's known for planting itself in disturbed places and is said to compete with native grasses and impact agricultural sites.  It's very pretty but it has a deep taproot so it isn't always easy to remove.  It also self-seeds broadly.

The plants shown here have self-sown close to its original position but seedlings have also appeared elsewhere in my back garden

It's a useful cut flower; however, it's best cut before it's fully developed as it drops seed once it's in full bloom

The last plant is native to California and, like the Daucus, it spreads in disturbed areas and is reportedly often found in ditches and along roadsides, although I can't say I'd ever seen it before I purchased an unlabeled plant from my neighborhood garden center on a whim.  I later learned that it's a form of gumweed, Grindelia (probably Grindelia camporum).  It's semi-deciduous in summer.  After it finished blooming last year I cut it down nearly to the ground.  It formed a nice compact clump this year - until it suddenly shot up over three feet in height and flopped all over its neighbors.

Loaded with buds, it produced its first bright yellow daisy flowers last week

It was planted in a spot way too small for its current size and flopped over all its neighbors

It had to go and I made relatively quick work of its removal.  The surrounding plants looked much better afterwards.

I cut a few stems and put them in a small vase.  The only criticism of the plant I have is that every part of it - the flowers, the leaves and the stems - are super-sticky.

The Grindelia didn't belong where I originally placed it when I had no idea what I was dealing with.  It needs a larger, open space where it can spread out.  If I find such a spot elsewhere, I may plant it again as it's said to be attractive to pollinators.

That's this week's weed report.  To find more wildflowers, visit Cathy at Words and Herbs.

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

June's Top 10 Blooms

Chloris at The Blooming Garden hosts a monthly recap of the top 10 blooms selected by gardeners each month.  I'm joining this month with my own list.  While my Bloom Day posts are free-for-alls that cram together virtually everything I find in flower, the top 10 exercise requires more thought and, better perhaps for readers of my blog, much less to digest.  The exercise of distilling my list down to 10 plants was surprisingly difficult, at least at this time of year.  What is the basis for selecting such favorites?  Do I apply that rationale consistently?  Should I rule out plants that bloom all or most of the year to focus only on plants that peak during the month in question?  Am I over-thinking this?  The answer to the last question is "probably."

I often over-analyze things; however, in this case, I found that the blooms that are the most profuse in my garden generally rose to the top of my list, followed by flashy plants that put on a limited show.  Then, once I ruled out plants that I'd previously listed as favorites this year, plants that are new and haven't yet proven their value, and plants that are only just starting their bloom cycle, I was able to settle on my top 10.

Agapanthus was an easy choice.  It's blooming en masse this month.

The plants and their flowers are often dismissed as common here because you see them everywhere but that's because they're tough, attractive in and out of bloom, and fairly drought resistant

These 2 large masses consisting of multiple clumps of Agapanthus are located in my front garden.  There are similar masses in other areas of the front and back gardens.

All my Agapanthus came with the garden, although I've dug up, divided and moved some clumps over the course of our time here.  This group sits under the mimosa tree in the back garden.

Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga Lily) is also blooming in spots throughout my garden.

This is a plant I introduced in this garden.  I purchased 3 plants by mail order from Annie's Annuals & Perennials our first year here and I've divided them several times already.  I've spread them throughout the garden.  They bloom best when given morning sun and afternoon shade.

Another profuse bloomer is Crassula pubescens ssp radicans.

This Crassula with its tiny yellow flowers is another one I've spread throughout my garden but the flowers show up best against the larger agaves in this area

My choice of Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' surprised me a bit but, after doing little or nothing last year, it's come into its own this summer.

It looks best when backlit.  Between the Cuphea and the Grevillea 'Superb' (right) the hummingbirds are in heaven here.

Gazanias Gaillardias are one of the flowers with an exceptionally long bloom period in my garden, although unlike some of my Grevilleas they don't actually bloom all year.  However, 'Arizona Sun' is at its best this time of year.

I've used 'Arizona Sun' in a number of areas as it nicely echoes the reds, oranges and yellows in many of my beds

This clump is in the front garden.  Even though this photo was taken at dusk, 'Arizona Sun' still shines.

Gaura lindheimeri also has a long bloom period.  In addition, its delicate bloom stalks blow in the wind, adding movement in the garden.

Gaura is admittedly a rampant self-seeder but, if you're watchful, you can pull up the seedlings easily when they're small

Perhaps you noticed the flowers of Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' in the photo of the Gaura above.  That photo was taken in the late afternoon after a day of intense sun and the flowers look more washed out that they appeared earlier in the day.

'Spanish Harlem' was one of the first daylilies I introduced to this garden.  It's flowered well this year despite our pitifully low winter rainfall.  It also hasn't had the rust issues I've noticed in prior years.

No one can claim that this bloom looks washed out!

Leucanthemum x superbum (aka Shasta Daisies) are common in gardens all across the country but I love the ruffled form that grows in my garden.  A friend gifted me with 6 plants in 4-inch pots following my mother's death in 2013.  They come back more strongly every year.

If the plants came with a tag identifying the cultivar, I've no record of it.  This mass of blooms is in my back garden.

And this is one of several in my front garden

My next choice, Polygala, almost didn't make the cut for this list because it doesn't photograph well, or, more accurately, I never managed to capture it well.  Still, I notice it every time I walk through both the front and back gardens so it deserves a place on the list.

This is a smaller variety, Polygala fruticosa 'Petite Butterfly'.  It's self-seeded a bit in my front garden.

This taller variety is Polygala myrtifolia 'Mariposa'.  The flowers are identical to those of 'Petite Butterfly'.  Only the plant's mature size seems to be different.  These in the back garden get more sun and the foliage tends to yellow a bit.

My last selection, Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman', also didn't show up especially well in its photos but its flowers are a bright blue so I'll forgive it just about anything.

This Salvia has been in the ground just 2 years and it's still well shy of its projected mature size

That's my top 10 list of blooms.  What's on yours?  To see others, visit Chloris at The Blooming Garden.


All material © 2012-2018 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Bloom Day - May 2018

People who regularly read my Bloom Day posts are probably used to a glut of flowers.  Well, May usually represents the floral peak in my garden and, despite the return of drought conditions, this year is no exception.  So consider yourself warned.

I'm going to start with a photo of a relatively ordinary plant that I caught in extraordinary light, just because I'm thrilled with the photograph.

Cerinthe major purpurascens backlit by the sun

Next up are the Leucospermum blooms (aka pincushion flowers).  I've admired this genus of South African plants for many years and repeatedly failed in my attempts to grow them.  My luck finally seems to have turned.  I've got 4 plants and every one of them currently has blooms.

Planted in March 2016, Leucospermum 'Brandi' has finally produced her first blooms

I photographed Leucospermum 'Goldie' last month but she's still blooming and even has new foliage growth

The plant on the left, a relatively recent acquisition currently in a pot, is Leucospermum 'Spider Hybrid'.  The plant on the right, purchased last year, is L. 'Spider', which looks identical in all but its foliage color.

April was a floriferous month but a large number of shrubs, perennials, annuals and even some bulbs have joined the chorus of blooms in May.

Achillea 'Moonshine' is just beginning to get its bloom on.  It's a bit late this year.

I've never had much luck with Alliums but I planted 3 different species this year.  Two of these don't appear to be doing well at all but Allium rosenbachianum is a star.  I wish I'd planted more than 3!

This is Dorycnium hirsutum (aka Hairy Canary Clover).  It self-seeds freely and I've got a lot of it, which is fine as it's a good ground cover and attractive in and out of bloom.

Gaura lindheimeri 'Snow Fountain' also self-seeds freely but it's easy to pull out where you don't want it.  My only problem with it is that the aphids like it too.

Daylilies don't like drought but Hemerocallis 'Elizabeth Salter' (left) and 'For Pete's Sake' (right) have thrown up a handful of blooms.  'Spanish Harlem' is apparently holding out until after Bloom Day to show its stuff.

Hymenolepis parviflora (aka Golden Coulter Bush), planted in April 2016, is blooming for the first time

I didn't think my annual sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) were going to bloom this year as something kept nibbling them but they came through.  If the bunnies are here to stay, I'm going to need new barriers to protect my seedlings next year.

Leucadendron 'Pisa' is now sporting its luminous yellow flower-like bracts

Some people think I'm crazy to allow Oenothera speciosa (Mexican Evening Primrose) to take hold in my garden.  I admit it spreads freely but our dry conditions seem to keep it under control and the cheerful pink blooms are a welcome presence in the driest areas of my garden.

Ozothamnus diosmifolius (aka Rice Flower) looked terrible after it finished flowering last year and I was tempted to pull it out.  Instead I cut it back hard.  It's back to its shapely shrub self this spring.

I inherited several Phlomis fruticosa (Jerusalem sage) with the garden, all of which were a woody mess last year.  I took one or 2 out and cut the rest back hard.  It seems to have done them good.

I purchased this plant, simply labeled Plectranthus species, from my local botanic garden a year or 2 ago.  I suspect it's a variegated form of P. neochilus.  It's a tough plant and it's spread out nicely but it does have a somewhat unpleasant skunky odor.

This interesting plant with its alien-looking terracotta-colored blooms is Salvia africana-lutea (aka Beach Sage).  I picked up the plant in a sale at my local botanic garden, which features several large specimens of this plant.

Like Salvia africana, this Salvia lanceolata (aka Rocky Mountain Sage) also hails from South Africa.  It has velvety soft gray foliage.

This is a succulent, Senecio fulgens (aka Coral Senecio)

After a hard pruning following its winter bloom cycle, Tagetes lemmonii (aka Copper Canyon Daisy) is back in flower 

Meanwhile, some plants I featured last month are continuing to put on a good show.

Echium webbii still dominates the back garden.  Hummingbirds fight over the plant in the early morning before ceding control over to the bees in the afternoon.

After a light trim, Lantana 'Lucky White' is back in top form

Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' has more room to spread now that we took out the guava tree that had been crowding it

Limonium perezii (Sea Lavender) is blooming in earnest now

I cut back Lotus berthelotii 'Amazon Sunset' by at least a third after April's Bloom Day but it's already back to flowering

Osteospermum '4D Silver' could use a trimming too but it continues to pump out flowers

I'll end this post as has been my practice with collages of other flowers currently in bloom in the garden.  I'd like to say this is a complete wrap-up but that wouldn't be entirely true - I've omitted some.  Even I get tired to taking photos of flowers after a while.

Clockwise from the upper left are: Sisyrinchium 'Devon Skies' (new), Campanula portenschlagiana, noID Ceanothus, Aquilegia 'Spring Magic', Consolida ajacis, Euphorbia characias 'Black Pearl', Felicia aethiopica, Geranium 'Tiny Monster', Lavandula stoechas 'Double Anouk', Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', Osteospermum 'Violet Ice', Polygala fruticosa 'Petite Butterfly', Scabiosa 'Fama Blue', and, in the center, Convolvulus sabatius 'Moroccan Beauty'

Top row: Abutilon 'Talini's Pink', noID Alstroemeria, and Argyranthemum frutescens
Middle row: Cistus 'Grayswood Pink', Cistus 'Sunset', and Hebe 'Wiri Blush'
Bottom row: Pelargonium citroenellum, P. 'Oldbury Duet', and P. peltatum 'Pink Blizzard'

Clockwise from the upper left: Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin' (reseeding far from its original location), Cotula lineariloba, Fuchsia 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt', Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun', Graptoveria 'Fred Ives', Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite', Grevillea 'Superb', Hunnemannia fumariifolia, Lantana camara 'Irene', Lobelia laxiflora, Pelargonium peltatum, Pelargonium 'Tweedle Dee', Ornithogalum dubium, and, in the center, Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer'

Top row: noID white Agapanthus (one of the first to flower this season), Alstroemeria 'Claire', and Argyranthemum frutescens
Middle row: Centranthus ruber 'Albus', Coriandrum sativum, and Digitalis purpurea (with African Blue Basil)
Bottom row: Lagurus ovatus, Myoporum parvifolium, and Orlaya grandiflora (the only bloom since the bunny invasion)

That's it for this month!  For more Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.


All material © 2012-2018 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party