Friday, August 28, 2015

My favorites feature, for August 2015

Last week, when I wrote a fav post about Correa backhouseana, I was tempted to include the Teucridium parvifolium, a New Zealand shrub, growing right next to it...

Tiny leaves...

On wiry orange stems, what's not to love? Plus it's got that "weave in and out" - while not taking up much space - quality that I need in plants I'm squeezing in where there is really no room.

I bought it last spring at Xera Plants, here's what they have to say about it: "Teucridium parviflorum Zn8a (10º to 15ºF) A great textural plant that performs well as a seasonal plant in containers or as a sub-shrub in the ground. Thin, wiry stems with small spoon-shaped leaves and in late spring through summer small white flowers. Semi-evergreen to deciduous. To 30" tall  and as wide in a single season if frozen to the ground.  Regrows in spring, otherwise a small shrub. Full sun to light shade, rich soil and occasional irrigation."

It is nearly impossible to get a good photo of...

Speaking of wiry, may I present Muehlenbeckia astonii, another odd looking plant that I simply adore.

All summer long I've been admiring how well it works with the Sedum palmeri, even when seen through a photo bombing Yucca schottii.

From Cistus Nursery: "This is one of the most unusual of the wire vines -- and it's not even really a vine! Another archetypically New Zealand plant with its wonderful divaricating, beak-proof adaptation. M. astonii forms a 3', very dense mound of black, wiry stems adorned with tiny round leaves and minute flowers pollinated by who-knows what, but something really, really small. Has the same architecture as the genus Corokia but tighter and smaller. Prefers moist, well-drained soil and bright light for best form. Frost hardy in USDA zone 8."

And about the Sedum palmeri Xera says: "A wonderful evergreen Sedum that is an excellent garden performer in the PNW. This form was found at 10,000' elevation in Mexico and has been reliably hardy down to 0 °F. Lovely gray/blue rosettes at the end of trailing stems. Yellow flowers in late winter. Full sun to light shade in well drained soil. Performs with or without water in summer. Cut back in spring to tighten up the new rosette. 10" x 10". Great container plant."

They both look great with the Dasylirion wheeleri too, but I've already "fav'd" that one (read it here).

Sedum palmeri really is a great plant for tucking in just about anywhere...and it looks like a less-hardy succulent than it actually is.

A new variegated version? No...this is what happens when you bring it home from the nursery and put it in too much sun.

Finally, my last featured plant Pyrrosia lingua 'Variegata'...

I am a fan of the regular Pyrrosia lingua so you throw in a striking dark green on chartreuse variegation and yes please, I'll take several! (current count is two)

This is an older leaf...

I first spotted this plant at Cistus Nursery but foolishly waited to long to make the purchase and lost out on them. Later in the season they turned up at Xera and that's where I grabbed mine: "A striking form of the vigorous and handsome leather fern. New growth is irregularly marked with yellow before settling down to a rich army green. The 1' elongated leaves rise from a spreading clump that will slowly-but eventually stretch 2' wide. To 2' tall. Spread by stolons on the surface of the ground. Excellent in shady containers and well as in the ground in shade. Regular summer water in well drained soil. Evergreen - handsome year round."

So that's my "too lazy to type so I just copy/pasted nursery descriptions" favorites wrap-up for the month of August (ugh! it's the end of August!!!)...what's looking in good in your garden this month? Tell us in the comments! (please)

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

26 comments:

  1. Muehlenbeckia astonii, that's what I need. I like Corokia but it grows too large.

    The other plants are awesome, too.

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    1. Yes, you do need it! Maybe from Cistus when you come up to Portland this coming spring.

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  2. That Pyrossia, so beautiful!!

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  3. I could use more wiry weavers in my own garden. I included one, Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy', in my own favorites post, found here: http://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2015/08/august-favorites.html

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    1. Oh that Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy' is a good one!

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  4. I really loved your composition with the Teucridium parvifolium - I bought one for the roof deck this year - I just love it also... I was going to plant it by itself but after seeing the way it plays so well with others and makes everything pop I am having a change of heart :) ... and I just love this Pyrrosia lingua!!! Thanks for mentioning where you found it - I need to find some shade for it!! ... maybe the buddha garden :)

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    1. I stopped by Xera today on my way home, I'd intended to grab another Pyrrosia but sadly they were all out.

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  5. ... oh btw - last week at Cistus I saw this crocodile fern Microsorum musifolium 'Crocodyllus'... do you have this one? its so pretty and kind of freaky how much it looks like a reptile skin

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    1. It does look like reptile skin! I don't have one though, and would probably pass simply because its not hardy and I don't do so well with not hardy plants like ferns. They're so much more needy than Agaves!

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  6. I've been on a fern kick of late...hope they still have that one at Xera.

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    1. Sorry. They do not. Maybe Sean has more though...and he's closer!

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  7. Note to self: Must get Pyrrosia lingua 'Variegata'....Must!!

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    1. Let me know if you find it out there somewhere!

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  8. Love the variegated Pyrrosia, I've never seen that at Xera or Cistus. I'm going to keep an eye out for the Sedum palmeri too. You're right that it looks like it shouldn't be hardy, it reminds me of a Graptoveria.

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    1. And to me it looks like a tiny Aeonium.

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  9. I have to admit, the first few photos I was completely distracted by the grevillea. I love Sedum palmeri and need to bring some more home from work. It does look like a much more tender succulent. I love that fern, too. Here's my favorites post: http://practicalplantgeek.blogspot.com/2015/08/it-really-be-end-of-august-already-time.html

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    1. I understand, it is very distracting! Off to see your fav's!

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  10. Muehlenbeckia astonii does look great in amongst everything else. Dasylirion wheeleri is lovely (wish it was available here), but couldn't help but think it must just shred you if you got too close. Have you been unfortunate enough to have done that yet? (Maybe I'm thinking this way because I was stabbed by an agave today and it's fresh in my mind)
    My favourites

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    1. Wow, it kind of surprises me that the Dasylirion isn't available there...and yes! It is fairly lethal. Right now the ones out in the front garden as loaded up with debris. I need to clean them out but I'm kind of dreading it.

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  11. Great faves! Sedum palmeri is such an easy plant to please and propagate and looks great year round. Love Pyrrosia lingua but passed up a variegated one at Fancy Fronds but yours makes me wish I hadn't! Can you believe that it's almost September?

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  12. Excellent favorites for this week. I had never heard of Teucridium parvifolium. It reminds me a bit of Cotoneaster horizontalis--one of my all-time favorites. Yet, of course, they're very different. It's frustrating when the structure or form of a plant makes it difficult to photograph. You've done a great job of showing this unique, fascinating plant. I really like the second photo down.

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  13. Gorgeous, all of them. The Pyrrosia is great, I'll have to seek it out. The Sedum palmerii is a favorite of mine, I have it tucked here and there and it does perform really well here in Portland. Love them all, though - nice choices.

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    1. Darn...see below, I should have pointed out the Pyrrosia in the Cistus booth!!!

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  14. Just bought three of the Pyrrosia from Sean today at the HPSO Fall Fest.

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    1. Good for you! And you must have left one? Cause that's all that was left when I got there...

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