Fanflower (Scaevola aemula) is a relatively new annual bedding plant choice. This Australian native thrives in tough environmental conditions, including the hot, humid summers in the Southern U.S. Fanflower grows well in hanging baskets, containers or garden beds. It grows in average, moderately acidic, well-drained soil and prefers full or partial sunny areas in the […]
Archive for the ‘Drought tolerant’ Category
Australian Fanflower A Hot Choice in U.S. Southern Gardens
Posted by Hugh on May 12th, 2013
Posted in acidic soil, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fan flower (Scaevola), Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant 
Comments Off on Australian Fanflower A Hot Choice in U.S. Southern GardensFloral Fragrance Of Native Fringetree Fills The Spring Air
Posted by Hugh on May 10th, 2013
Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) is treasured for its billowy masses of fragrant white flowers in the spring. It commonly grows as a large 15-20 foot tall shrub, but can be easily trained into a 20-25 foot multi-stemmed small tree. Most gardeners call this native “fringe tree” or fringetree. Regionally, it goes by a number of colloquial […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn Fruiting, Bee Favorite, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fringetree (Chionanthus), Native Plant, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Floral Fragrance Of Native Fringetree Fills The Spring AirCool Blooming Osteospermums
Posted by Hugh on April 11th, 2013
Osteospermums (Osteospermum x hybrida ) are members of the daisy (Asteraceae) family, commonly called African Daisy, Blue-eyed Daisy, or Cape Daisy. Osteos are cool season annuals that excel in northern and less so in southern U.S. gardens. Osteos bloom more profusely in full sun, but want some cooling relief during the summers. Osteos have always […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Failure to Bloom, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Osteospermum, Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on Cool Blooming OsteospermumsSilverbell Tree Are Great Additions To Your Garden
Posted by Hugh on April 6th, 2013
Carolina silverbells (Halesia spp.) bloom as the last bracts of flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) have fallen. Clusters of white or pale pink bell-shaped flowers open along the branches. Flowers appear first and medium green leaves emerge a few days later. Silverbells vary tremendously in the wild. Some grow large shrub-like, or as small multi-trunked trees […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Native Plant, Silverbell (Halesia), Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips Comments Off on Silverbell Tree Are Great Additions To Your Garden‘Appalachian Spring’ Dogwood Highly Disease Resistant
Posted by Hugh on April 1st, 2013
This may be old news, but definitely worth repeating. Twenty five years ago a dreaded dogwood disease threatened to eliminate our beautiful spring flowering tree from our gardens. Appalachian Spring flowering dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Appalachian Spring’) was found at the Camp David Presidential Retreat atop Catoctin Mountain in Maryland. Currently, Appalachian Spring is the only dogwood cultivar […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Dogwood borer, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, mulching, Ornamental fruit, plant nutrition, Spring flowering, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Appalachian Spring’ Dogwood Highly Disease ResistantTiger Eyes® Sumac Far Less Aggressive
Posted by Hugh on March 25th, 2013
I’m uneasy to recommend our native invasive sumac in a home landscape, but Tiger Eyes sumac (Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’), known as Tiger Eyes®, is far less aggressive (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). Its brightly colored cut-leaf foliage will definitely catch your attention in the summer. Leaves turn maroon-red in the autumn. This small deciduous tree or […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, alkaline soil, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Heat Tolerance, Native Plant, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Sumac (Rhus), Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness Comments Off on Tiger Eyes® Sumac Far Less AggressiveSomething New to Grow – Esperanza, Yellow Bells
Posted by Hugh on March 22nd, 2013
Esperanza or Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans) is a 6 foot tall perennial shrub that grows in South Texas and Mexico (USDA zones 8-10). Esperanza means “hope” and it is destine to become a popular flowering annual in more U.S. Southeastern gardens. It demands a well drained soil […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Esperanza (Tecoma), Heat Tolerance, Native Plant, Planting tips, Repotting plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Something New to Grow – Esperanza, Yellow BellsLittle Girl Magnolias Avoid Early Spring Frosts
Posted by Hugh on March 17th, 2013
The early flowering deciduous magnolias, namely star (Magnolia stellata) and tulip (M. soulangeana) magnolias, are often susceptible to late winter-early spring frosts. In the 1980’s the U.S. National Arboretum released the series of 8 shrub-type cultivars called the “Little Girl Magnolias”. They were crosses between M. liliiflora and M. stellata. Over ten years these deciduous […]
Posted in acidic soil, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Garden Maintenance, Magnolia liliiflora, Magnolia stellata, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (layering), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Little Girl Magnolias Avoid Early Spring FrostsEarly Blooming Cornelian Cherry In The March Garden
Posted by Hugh on March 9th, 2013
Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) is a multi-stemmed, low-branched dogwood tree or shrub. It typically grows 20-25 feet tall and slightly less in overall width (USDA hardiness zones 4-7). Tiny, golden yellow flowers appear in late winter, around March 1st in my east Tennessee garden, and remain in bloom through most of the month despite cold […]
Posted in Attracting birds, compact tree, Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Drought tolerant, Green Privacy Screen, Heat Tolerance, Ornamental fruit, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on Early Blooming Cornelian Cherry In The March GardenEpimediums Excel As Dry Shade Groundcovers
Posted by Hugh on March 7th, 2013
Epimediums, aka barrenwort or fairy wings, are slow-growing groundcovers which are hardy in USDA hardiness zones 4-9. Foliage varies by species, variety, and the season of the year. Most are deciduous, but some evergreen in the Southern Appalachian region (zones 6 and 7). The leaves of some may be chartreuse in spring, green in summer, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Barrenwort (Epimedium), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Hummingbird, Perennials, Planting tips, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Epimediums Excel As Dry Shade Groundcovers
