Name | Ajuga |
Genus/Species | Ajuga reptans |
Family | Lamiaceae |
Type | Perennial, evergreen ground cover |
Aka | Carpet Bugle |
Origin | Europe |
General | Great coverage all year around |
Hardy | Very |
Use | Attractive leaves all year around, ground cover |
Zones | 1 - 24 |
Attract | Bees, butterflies |
Sun | Full sun to almost full shade |
Water | Moderate to regular |
Soil | Prefers acidic |
Size | Leaves to 6", flowers to 12" |
Leaf | Round bronze to green |
Flower | Blue stalks |
Bloom | Spring to summer |
Seeds | From stalks |
Prune | Cut trim and tear out with ease to control |
Prop | Ground runners re root easily |
Enemies | |
Danger | All parts are poisonous |
Picture | http://davesgarden.com/pdb/go/673/index.html |
My notes | This is in our bunny run and never have they shown any interest in it. We grow it in full shade and have received many comments about the size of the leaves, which is apprarently, larger than the norm. |
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Name |
|
Genus/Species | Agave americana varigated |
Family | Agavaceae |
Type | Succulent |
Origin | Mexico |
General | Majestic plant |
Use | Xeriscaping, center focus |
Zones | 10, 12-24 |
Sun | Full sun to partial shade |
Water | Little to moderate, grows quickly if watered |
Soil | Sandy or average, well drained |
Size | Eventually to ten feet high and wide |
Plant | Plant this out of the way where spines dont harm passerbys |
Leaf | Long thick, striped swords |
Flower | 15-40 foot flower stalk with yellow green flowers |
Bloom | Summer, blooms after ten years |
Seeds | Unknown |
Feed | Don't |
Prune | Hack it back as needed, removed dead lower leaves |
Prop | Division, babies continually form at its base |
Danger | Spines can be downright dangerous |
Notes: | Our thirty year old plant is about 8 feet wide |
After flowering, the plant will die back and suckers grow up | |
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Name |
|
Genus/Species | Aloe barbadensis or A. vera |
Family | Liliaceae |
Type | Succulent, perennial |
Origin | South Africa |
Aka | Barbados Aloe, Medicinal Aloe |
General | Garden must |
Use | Medicinal and landscape basic, excellent container plant |
Zones | 8, 9, 12-24 |
Sun | Full sun, part shade in hot climates |
Water | Little to moderate |
Soil | Sandy to average, well drained |
Size | 2 feet by 2 feet |
Leaf | Thick fleshy sword with spikes on edges |
Flower | Yellow tubular flowers on a 3 foot stalk |
Bloom | Spring and summer |
Seeds | Have not seen any yet |
Feed | A little feeding goes a long way |
Prune | Trim off deadened under leaves to keep looking good |
Prop | Division is easiest |
One pot with four plants will become a zillion plants within the year | |
Soak roots in water for easier dividing and separation | |
Notes: | My happiest aloes need dividing at least once a year |
Medicinal | Cut lower, healthy leaves for any cut, rash, injury. |
Medicine garden must | |
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Name | Aloe - Johnson's Hybrid |
Genus/Species | Aloe |
Family | Lilaceae |
Type | Evergreen Succulent |
Aka | |
Origin | South Africa |
Hardy | |
Use | |
Zones | |
Attract | |
Sun | Full sun to part sun |
Water | Low water |
Soil | Average |
Size | 18" high 12" wide |
Growth | Slow |
Leaf | Very slender standard aloe |
Flower | Orange groupings |
Bloom | Late winter to spring |
Seeds | Sterile |
Feed | |
Prune | |
Prop | |
Enemies | |
Danger | |
Notes: | |
Picture | |
My notes | |
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Name | Amaranth |
Genus/Species | Amaranth (see notes) |
Family | Amaranthaceae |
Type | Annual |
Aka | Love Lies Bleeding, Tassel Flower |
Use | Garden attraction, leaves used for salad, seeds high in protein |
Zones | 24-Jan |
Sun | Full sin to partial shade |
Water | Regular water |
Soil | |
Size | 3-8 feet high, 1-3 feet wide |
Flower | Drooping stalks |
Bloom | Summer |
Seeds | Entire flower stalk becomes seeds |
Prune | Trim for rebloom |
Prop | Easily reseeds |
Notes: | Seeds must be above 70 to germinate |
Love Lies Bleeding = Amaranth caudatus | |
Joseph's Coat = Amaranth tricolour, red and green leaves | |
Prince's Feather = Amaranth hypochondriacus - reddish brown leaves | |
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Name | Angel Trumpet |
Genus/Species | Brugmansia arborea |
Family | Solanaceae |
Type | Evergreen tree or shrub |
Aka | |
Origin | |
General | |
Hardy | Generally to 45 |
Use | Specialty plant, greenhouse plant |
Zones | Sunset 16-24, USDA 10-12 |
Attract | |
Sun | Full sun in cooler areas, part sun in hotter areas |
Water | Freely in spring and summer, min water in winter |
Soil | Prefers light, fertile, well drained |
Size | See types below |
Plant | |
Growth | See types below |
Leaf | See types below |
Flower | See types below |
Bloom | Summer to autumn |
Seeds | |
Feed | |
Prune | Can be pruned back hard in spring Trimming roots do not damage |
Prop | Cuttings or seeds |
Sow seeds in spring, semi ripe cuttings with bottom heat in summer | |
Lateral growth: From above the Y tend to be more bushy and grow faster softwood cuttings |
|
Upward growth: From below the Y must grow laterals before
blooming hardwood cuttings |
|
Hybridizing | Flowers contain both male and female parts |
Most are self sterile, pollen from same plant will not make viable seeds | |
Pests | Spider mites, whitefly, mealy bugs |
Danger | All parts extremely poisonous |
Notes: | White spots on cuttings are lenticels or nubbies which become roots |
Picture | |
My notes | |
Winterizing | Full sun if stored in WGH at 54 to 64, will flower |
Less sun at 41 - 50, growth ceases | |
Insignis and versicolor, heat lovers, wont winter under 54 | |
High winter storing temps - move out later in spring & early autumn return | |
Best movement is when temps of both locations match | |
6 weeks between watering adult in wainter not uncommon | |
Wilting in winter means too much water. | |
Websites | http://calastropicals.com/content/page3.html http://www.americanbrugmansia-daturasociety.org/ http://www.abads.org/index.php |
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Angel Trumpet Types | |
B. arborea | Evergreen or semi evergreen shrub to 10' x 10' Narrow oval 8" soft hairy leaves in pairs, smooth margins Smaller musky scented 6-8" flower Spineless 2 1/2" fruit Shorter leaves and flowers than candida Often really a B. X candida or B. X insignis Only one listed in 1938 Encyclopedia White flowers veined in green |
B. aurea | Evergreen rounded shrub Oval 6" leaves 6-10" flowers pendent flowers |
B. candida | Fast growing, 10-12 feet, Leaves are ovate, downy, dull green to 16" Sweet scented 8 -12" pendent flowers Double White has grey leaves |
B. Charles Grimaldi | CA hybrid involving insignis "Frosty Pink" Fast growing 10-12, 10' wide Sweet scented huge 15" flowers, powerful fragrance Golden yellow to golden orange |
B. insignis | 10 -12 feet Spice scented nodding flowers White, pink, yellow, orange |
B. sanguinea | 10 - 15 feet Grows best in cooler areaa Red yellow pendent flowers |
B. versicolor | To 15 feet Sweet scented huge 15" pendent flowers Night and early morning scent Will take shhort frosts Thin long greenish yellow fruits Peach or apricot, pink, white |
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Name |
|
Genus/Species | Asparagas sprenger |
Family | Liliaceae |
Type | Perennial shrub or vine |
Origin | South Africa |
General | Not a true fern |
Use | Hanging baskets, huge filler |
Zones | 12-24 |
Sun | Sun or part shade |
Water | Regular water |
Soil | Well drained soil with peat or ground bark, will tolerate drought |
Size | Will drape to three or six feet |
Leaf | Very fine 1" needles off each long stem |
Flower | White tiny clustered petaled flowers |
Bloom | All year, depending on the climate |
Seeds | Red berries |
Feed | Average feedings |
Prune | Trim off deadened shoots |
Prop | Divide or seed, very reliable seed, very easy |
Notes: | Our twenty year old is terribly crowded in a 14" pot but thrives just the same |
Leaves will turn yellow in dense shade | |
Tolerates heat well | |
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