Should it stay or should it go? (round 2)

The dwarf Jacaranda 'Bonsai Blue' I raised questions about two weeks ago is still in place but, absent a remarkable change in its appearance it isn't reasonable to expect, it'll probably go as soon as I find the right plant to replace it.  That sorted, as I scrutinized the area surrounding it, questions came to mind concerning two other plants.

After digging out the rampant native aster in the bed adjoining the backyard fountain last fall, I didn't have a full complement of plants in mind to fill the space.  I was open to trying new plants and happened upon one unfamiliar prospect at my local garden center.  It wasn't labeled and no one there was able to identify it for me but, intrigued by the flowers and foliage, I brought three plants home with me.

I planted the three plants in a triangle to play off the foliage color of the 2 Cistus 'Little Miss Sunshine' nearby

Based on its the mystery plants' growth habit, I was a little concerned about them from the start.  I posted a photo of it on Instagram asking if I'd just purchased weeds.  One commentator identified the genus for me as Grindelia but I wasn't able to identify the species until a couple months later when the garden center got new stock of the same plant, this time with labels.  When I confirmed the plant's identity as Grindelia camporum, a native California herb, I removed two of the plants leaving just one in place.  Now, seven months after the one remaining specimen was planted, I still have questions about its placement there.

One source claimed that this plant grows 18-24 inches tall, whereas another said it may grow 2-6 feet tall and 3 feet wide.  Of even greater concern was the floppy habit it demonstrated early on.  It entangles itself in neighboring plants.  I also learned that it's semi-deciduous in summer.

While I planned to use a mix of blue, white and yellow plants in this bed, I also think I've gone overboard with yellow.  I'm feeling the need to eliminate some of the yellow, preferably in favor of adding more blue.

 

Given it's floppy habit and my concerns with the excess of yellow in this bed, I'm inclined to move it to the back of a bed elsewhere in my garden or even to the back slope.  As summer isn't a great time to move plants, I may hold off on taking this action until fall, although, if I find a suitable replacement for its spot, I might pot it up until conditions are more conducive to planting it out in the garden.

The second plant that brought me up short is a Yucca 'Blue Boy'.  I have five of these plants but the one that concerns me most is the largest one directly adjacent to the back patio.  Its foliage was badly scarred last year by an unidentified pest that left it encrusted with what appears to be dried honeydew.  I treated it but it's still not looking particularly good.

I don't have record of exactly when I planted it but I think this photo taken in March 2019 was early on

This is what the foliage looked like in June 2021.  Two other specimens were affected as well but not as badly.

This is the plant after I treated it for unknown insect pests and cut off the most damaged foliage

This is what it looks like on its east-facing side.  It's a little wonky but doesn't look too bad from this angle.

On the patio side, it doesn't look as good

Closer inspection shows more evidence that the insect pests are back at work

'Blue Boy' is the only one of my Yuccas that has experienced this particular problem.  I don't know if it's related to this cultivar or if it has something to go with its placement in this area.  Three of the other four plants, all located nearly, look fine, although one that I also treated last year shows signs of the same crusty honeydew

These two Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata' have never presented a problem.  The one on the left, tucked into the cavity of a tree stump, never gets watered and, in the past, raccoons have used that cavity as their on-site toilet but it's still held up better than 'Blue Boy'.

In this case, I'm inclined to cut the large Yucca 'Blue Boy' down level with the ground to see if it will regenerate from its base as Yucca 'Bright Star' has done.  I'll try treating the smaller affected Yucca with alcohol, followed by a weekly regime of insecticidal soap to see if that takes care of whatever pests (aphids, mealy bugs, or soft scale) are causing disfiguration of the foliage.

Any other suggestions?

All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

What happened here?

As we transition from spring to summer, I've done a round of general clean-up in the garden.  Not that gardens here are ever really prepared for what summer's going to throw at them but I felt mine was at least looking fairly tidy.  Then, I saw this:

The leaves of this Yucca 'Blue Boy' were encrusted with dried honeydew

I assumed that insects of some kind were responsible for the damage but I was unable to detect any sign of the culprits.  My attempt to remedy the situation using the hose's jet spray failed to make a difference and a couple of days later I noticed that my largest Yucca 'Blue Boy' was showing signs of the same problem.

These are the two largest 'Blue Boy' Yuccas in a bed that contains a total of five

Internet sources generally attribute leaf damage on yuccas to soft scale, mealybugs, or two-spotted mites.  Given the crust of what appears to be honeydew excretions and the fact that I couldn't see anything that resembles a mealybug, I guessed the first was the most likely cause.  I removed what I could with another jet spray treatment, wiped the affected leaves with alcohol, and sprayed with insecticidal soap for good measure.  Then, because I couldn't stand the look of them, I trimmed the affected leaves.

I'm hoping the plants will outgrow the disfigured leaves but I'm a little nervous they may not.  I'm going to spray all the Yuccas here with neem oil in an effort to prevent any spread to the plants that aren't already affected.

One of my smaller 'Blue Boys' had a problem of another sort.

I think the white material surrounding the plant's base may be what's commonly known as dog vomit slime mold, which showed up in other areas of my garden last summer

Fortunately, that was easy to resolve with no apparent harm to the plant.

Last week's heat cooked the mold and it was relatively easy to remove

I think of Yuccas as tough plants but no plant is actually care free, is it?

On a more positive note, summer blooms are starting to arrive on the scene.  I don't have any dahlia flowers yet but I have ten sprouted plants so I can hope for flowers within the next couple of months.  Meanwhile, other plants are standing in the wings, readying themselves to take the stage.

At last, I have my first Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) bloom of the year, as well as many more buds

I used a few ruffled Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum) in an arrangement this week and there are plenty of buds ready to take-off

One noID lily bloomed earlier this month but I've got 6 lily tree plants with buds.  I haven't had much luck with lilies in the past but the fact that the bulbs are preparing to bloom after a year of very low rainfall is a positive sign.

Hopefully, the good moments will balance the bad ones this summer.

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party