Friday, November 25, 2016

Mahonia, they're my favs at the end of November

Here it is, the last Friday of the month. Also that infamous shopping day, which I'll be completely ignoring, unless it's a nursery visit or maybe a stop at a thrift shop if I'm really feeling crazy. Most importantly — for purposes of the blog — it's the day I post about some favorite plants, ones that are currently standouts in the garden...

I came up with the idea to do a Mahonia theme this month, seemed like something I might have done before so I checked, nope! Then after taking pics, editing and uploading them I discover that I did do a similar post in January of 2015, oh well...they can't all be original ideas!

It's the time of year the Mahonia gracilipes develops its fetching pink stems and blue/purple berries. I love this plant!

The white undersides of the leaves are pretty cool too.

While visiting a nursery late last autumn, I mentioned my Mahonia gracilipes didn't color up as well as theirs was had. The owner thought maybe it's because mine was in too much shade, so I bought a second and planted it out where it would get more sun.

Yellow wasn't the color I was hoping for.

Mahonia fortunei 'Curlyque' and M. x media 'Charity'  on the north side of our house, that's our neighbor's driveway.

The new growth on this M. fortunei 'Curlyque' is to die for. Sort of a semi-glossy brown/red.

The older leaves have a twisty-ness to them, thus the 'Curlyque' part of the name.

Unfortunately this is also a characteristic of this plant, at least for me. I hacked it way back last spring and it made a nice rebound, with less ugliness.

Mahonia x media 'Charity' never misses a beat, it always looks fabulous.

Well except for this. I don't remember the previous year's bloom sticks being around into the next bloom cycle. If I weren't feeling so lazy when I took this photo I would have stopped to pick them all off.

I'm glad I gave this plant the room it needs to really spread out. Of course my neighbor who parks near it might have a different opinion on that.

I usually include cultural information when doing these "favorites" posts but today I'm just linking the name to the plantlust.com listing for each. The info, as well as nurseries that have grown the plants, is all there! The low ferns are Adiantum venustum, and that's a Fatsia japonia on the other side of the chimney.

Now we're in the back garden. On the left is another Mahonia fortunei, this one is ‘Dan Hinkley’

It's growing in the corner behind our garage and next to the fence. You can't really see it in the garden, because it's behind the Podophyllum pleianthum stock tank. My hope is that it will grow up and block the corner where the garage and fence meet. Since I cramscape everything there's also Aucuba japonica var. longifolia on the left for the same purpose. That container used to hold a Ligularia but it's either gone dormant or died. Don't judge!

Finally I am thrilled the Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress' is looking so good...

Andrew refers to this Mahonia as "that short palm by the patio"...I guess I can see why.

Did you spy the small Mahonia eurybracteata 'Indianola Silver' under the 'Soft Caress'? I am also quite pleased with how it's doing. I'd allowed it to become hidden by a sprawling Persicaria and moved it last spring. It's put on a lot of growth. In previous years it colored up like Evan's in this post, fingers crossed it will do it again this year. And yes it really is that pearly silver/celadon color.

That's my Mahonia-centric favorites post! I left out another Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress' that's in a container and looking bad. Note to self...get that thing in the ground! Also missing is a Mahonia nervosa that's camouflaged under a monster Cordyline. I haven't moved it because I know the Cordylines are living on borrowed time and will get cut back by a harsh winter. It's happened twice before, they always return from the roots. In the mean time the Mahonia will get to star in that space for awhile. Sooo...anything you want to report, "favorites-wise" from your garden? Please tell us about it in the comments!

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

26 comments:

  1. So many beautiful species! It utterly amazes me that I waited until a week ago to plant my first one. It's also surprising that I had some difficulty finding one. I have a hodge-podge of favorites this month: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2016/11/november-favorites.html

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    1. I don't know, I think you're being a little hard on yourself -- considering where you live. It's not Oregon after all! (Mahonia aquifolium is our state flower)

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  2. You are spoilt for choice over there. We've got M. lomariifolia planted as a group to dissuade unruly youth from the front corner of the garden. It dissuades me from weeding there too, but when it is bloom we fight the spikes to bend down a cane and get a deep whiff. Marvelous thing. Has an architectural whirliness about it.

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    1. I didn't know that one by name, but looking it up I can see why you like it AND why you plant it as a defense plant. They are deceptively painful.

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  3. That's some Mahonia collection you have there. I just bought a tiny M. nevinii, which I am told is rare. My first Mahonia put me off them: 'King's Ransom' has looked ratty from the start. Then I fell for 'Arthur Menzies' and it did not disappoint. You have some beauties...so I guess Mahonias are back in my good graces.
    http://bannersbyricki.com/archives/5673

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    1. Oh M. nevinii looks like a good one! A Joy Creek find?

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    2. You betcha...T brought it to my attention and talked me into it (love that girl).

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  4. Nice collection of Mahonia there. I'm guessing yours don't get skeleton iced foliage by caterpillars like some Mahonia here get, especially the native M. aquifolium. After seeing the Mahonia 'Soft Caress' in your garden I finally got some for myself.

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    1. Okay...reading your comment as "skeleton iced foliage" I'm thinking..."how does he know?"...because they do have the best icy shapes that form when freezing rain falls and coats their leaves, nothing you would know about however. And I'm glad to read you got yourself some M. 'Soft Caress' -- it's a good one!

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  5. MMMmahonias! Even tastier than Thanksgiving leftovers. Jealous of your 'Indianola Silver' winter color. Mine doesn't get enough sun or something and stays green in the winter.

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    1. Really? You're eating the wrong leftovers then... (hehe)

      My'Indianola Silver' may be joining yours this year, we shall see...

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  6. You have quite a lovely collection! I didn't know much about Mahonias until recently. I also didn't realize many of them are hardy to zone 5 and that some thrive in shade. This could be dangerous...

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    1. Yay! Do not resist the power of the shade tolerant hardy Mahonia...give in!

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  7. My Mahonia 'Charity' always hangs onto the stems from last year's berries. I always have to pick them off, which can be a prickly chore. I've been meaning to try M. gracilipes or 'Soft Caress." Maybe next year.

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    1. Oh yes Alison you really should try both M. gracilipes and 'Soft Caress' they're really fabulous, a little slow to establish, but fabulous.

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  8. You have beautiful examples of a beautiful genus. They are mostly under the radar here--wonder why? I've seen 'Soft Caress' for sale. It looks so fine where you have it contrasting with other foliage--well done.

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    1. Because you live where you can grow so many other cool things that we can't? And thank you, that's a very nice compliment!

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  9. Love this post, Loree! That "Charity" next to the neighbors driveway has always been a looker, and "Soft Caress" is a perennial favorite.

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    1. Hey, nice to hear from you! Are there many Mahonia available in Louisville?

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    2. There are a couple of uninteresting varieties. I special ordered 'Soft Caress' (which, by the way, I hate the name of almost as much as I hate the name of that Acteae 'Black Neglige' and that Clemetis you have. Why must they name plants after lingerie?) Anyway, 'Soft Caress' is only marginally hardy here, so I may have just purchased several very expensive annuals. We'll see, I HAD to have Mahonia in the planters out in front of my store!

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  10. Oh, the mahonias you West-Coast gardeners can grow leave me turning green-bronzing-red with envy. I have a Mahonia, but it's the dwarf, suckering variety, with leaves that look crappy each spring and hardly any flowers. It was a failed experiment, I guess. Will try to find another home for it.

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  11. What is the name of large leaf bamboo above the soft caress? Those leaves are wonderful

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    1. It's Sasa palmata f. nebulosa...I love it EXCEPT for the fact it insists on leaning over onto the patio.

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  12. I love your mahonias! Hopefully I can protect my gracilipes from the rabbits so they can grow up and get those wonderful red stems. I have 'Arthur Menzies' another x media, but it seems to want to grow up more before it blooms. Someday. I've simply got to keep an eye out for some affordable 'Soft Caress'. It's such a beautiful plant. Here are my (late) favorites for November: http://practicalplantgeek.blogspot.com/2016/11/november-2016-favorites-and-musings.html

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    1. 'Soft Caress' is a little pricey isn't it? I wonder why?

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