Thursday, September 19, 2013

Fatshedera 'Aureo Maculata' is my favorite plant in the garden (this week)…


There was a little sneak peek of this plant on last Sunday’s bloomday post, ever since taking that photo I’m obsessed with this plant and find myself trying to figure out where I can put another. This one is on the north-side of our house, someplace I rarely am.

In fact it’s right up against the neighbor’s garage and driveway. The now horizontal branches were tall and proud until the strong rain a couple of weeks ago knocked them over. Yes that's a car tire/wheel right next to them, danger!

The name I used above, Fatshedera 'Aureo Maculata,' is the name on my plant tag, but it seems better known as x Fatshedera lizei 'Annemieke.'

This description from Xera Plants seems to sum things up quite well: “This form is also known as 'Aureomaculata'- just to include a little confusion in your gardening day. This hybrid between Fatsia japonica and Hedera is even more bold in that it has leaves with a center of light yellow. The variegation is striking on this scandant vine/shrub and is excellent for lighting up dark corners. A curious plant that will be self clinging in areas with no wind or may be grown as a large scale mounding groundcover. Tip prune to encourage branching and a denser habit. Susceptible to winter damage if exposed to subfreezing winds, best sited in part shade to shade in protected locations. Ideal for a large trellis on shaded walls. Though leaves may be damaged by temperatures below 15 °F, established plants recover in spring with phenomenal speed. Takes dry shade VERY well. Has survived 0 °F. EVERGREEN.

As you probably noticed my plant is mixed in with a clematis and perhaps a bit of Virginia Creeper too, just to make things really messy. I need to get in there and clean out some of that mess before the Fatshedera gets eaten up. It would be a shame to obscure any of those colorful leaves.

Oh and I can’t forget to share this random branch with pure white leaves. They get toasted whenever we have a really sunny and hot couple of days but always fight their way back.

The stats:
  • hardy in zones 7b – 10b
  • can reach 60” tall
  • likes well drained soil with even moisture although can handle being on the drier side
  • shade to part sun

One last look at it’s (almost) bloom…

What's your favorite plant in your garden this week?

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

35 comments:

  1. Anytime I am on the fence about a plant, you convince me of its worthiness. I guess a fatshedera is in my future. :)

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    1. Yay! You know for the longest time I just didn't get the appeal of this plant. Even when I bought it I wasn't in love with it, it just happened to fit all the needs for the space.

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  2. I need to look into this. We have lots of dry shade and so little will truly thrive there. Gorgeous leaves for sure. I'm worried about the ivy parentage (I hate ivy for many reasons) but I love Fatsia japonica...

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    1. I really don't see any aggressive ivy tendencies in this plant...hope it works for your "problem areas" (yikes...that sounds like I'm talking about something else).

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    2. I've grown it before, in N Carolina, too (zone 7), where all things seem to go wile (wisteria, kudzu) and not had any problem. The ivy-ness are the climbing tendrils and lax branches; it gains a compact nature and larger leaves from its Fatsia parent. Worth a try.

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    3. Bought one today for under the bay trees in our backyard. Keeping my fingers crossed that it will thrive in what is relatively deep shade.

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  3. a beautiful plant! I always oogle over them at Southlands. They are definitely attention grabbing!

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    1. I was just thinking the other day how long it's been since we've made the trip to Vancouver (the last time we were there I visited Southlands). When I lived in Seattle the trip up was so easy I did it often...

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    2. You guys thinking of a trip up this way? Let me know if you do. And I'll let you know if I head down to Portland! I'm still hoping it might work this fall.

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    3. We haven't seriously talked about it yet, I definitely will let you know if we do!

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  4. I planted one this year..in my never-ending quest to cover the fences. This will do it!

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    1. Linda, where did you buy this one? I can think of nine places I need to plant this.

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  5. I love this one too. We had one as a house plant in Alaska to see them grow in the ground here still makes me happy! My favorite this week is here. http://www.outlawgarden.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-tale-of-two-oaks-my-favorite-plant-in.html

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    1. A house plant? Uhm...I suppose it probably held up pretty well.

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  6. Another plant suitable to my area that I've never seen at my local nurseries! Any plant that tolerates dry shade is welcome. I really like the variegation.

    Here's my contribution this week: http://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2013/09/my-favorite-plant-this-week.html

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    1. And how fitting that your fav is nicely variegated too!

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  7. A stand-in for invasive English ivy? How cool is that?

    Here's my contribution: http://bannersbyricki.com/archives/3345

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  8. Love this climber/scrambler! There's also a white variegated one and I'm pondering on planting both side by side, might look interesting once they start intermingling :)

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    1. I don't do so well with white variegation in my garden, but I love your idea and hope to see how it works out.

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  9. Nice shiny variegated leaves, and hardy too! Very pretty. My favorite plant for the week is at:

    http://weedingonthewildside.blogspot.com/2013/09/favorite-plant-of-week-aronia-september.html

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    1. Well at least hardy for us...I need to try and find a few super super hardy plants to feature soon!

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  10. Like Gerhard the Hedera thing makes me nervous, but I love those leaves ! Here is my selection for this week...

    http://gardenbook-ks.blogspot.com/2013/09/this-weeks-favorite.html

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  11. I am sooo jealous that we don't have available plants like these here in Australia. I always like the unusual cultivars of plants that you put in your posts but they are not here! I suppose we do have excellent Australian Native nurseries though which you would love. Cheers treedog

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    1. Indeed I would be in heaven with your native plants available all around me! So many good ones...

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  12. What a gorgeous plant! you have convinced me...

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  13. I just picked one of these up on Friday, thanks to you! Well played, lady.

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  14. Loree, what are your feelings on this plant now that it's been a few more years? I just purchased 3 from Plant Delights...I probably should have asked this question before I did that. :-)

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    1. I absolutely love it! For some reason my older plant (the one I wrote about here - I've since bought another) had a few branches that died back this spring, the rest is still going strong. I think you'll be very happy with yours!

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  15. I'm from the Okanagan in BC but do make it down to Vancouver sometimes. Where can you buy this? I love it!

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  16. Hi Loree, could you comment on the winter dieback or leaf damage temps of this fatshedera over the years?

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    1. Hi Joshua—I don't remember ever seeing winter die back or leaf damage. I do get some yellowing and dropping of leaves in the late spring, more like that you would expect from any evergreen.

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