Author Archives: olivia walker

Inula helerium (Asteraceae)

Posted on by under Asteraceae

Inula heleniumIMG_3919

(image from google images)

Common name: elecampane

Size, form, texture: height 3-6 ft, spread 2-3 ft,

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: zone 3-7, easier plant than magnifica, prefers moist, well drained soils in full sun to part shade.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: yellow interesting attractive blooms in July to September, long blooming period, sunflower like yellow flowers, hairy coarse, toothed foliage.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape:  Very attractive and interesting plant in masses. Cheerful flowers and massing foliage. Good in herb gardens, borders, wildflower gardens, or cottage style gardens.

Oenothera biennis (Onograceae)

Posted on by under Onagraceae

evening primroseIMG_3918

(image from google images)

Common name: Common Evening Primrose

Size, form, texture: up to 7 ft tall, usually shorter, upright stems.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: biennial, hardy, can survive in a variety of locations, prefers sandy soils, in open location with average moisture.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: Moths pollinate at night in drier parts of BC, sizeable rosette of leaves, sends up flowering shoot, can be weedy, basal leaves different from smaller leaves up stem, sticky, 4 sepals fused at tips which is the calyx, soft yellow flowers, ovary at base of flower, lanceolate, willow like leaves.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape:  Oil commonly prescribed in natural medicine for mood disorders in women. Considered weedy but worth cultivating due to beauty.

Sedum sexangluare (Crassulaceae)

Posted on by under Crassulaceae

sedum sexangulareIMG_3917

(image from google images)

Common name: watch-chain stonecrop

Size, form, texture: height 0.25-0.5 ft, spreading sedum,

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: zone 3-9, easy to propagate, full sun, dry to medium soil, can tolerate drought and  bit of shade and moisture, but thrives in sandy well drained soils.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: green and copper foliage, sedums, 5 petals, 5 sepals multiples of 5. All flower branches lie flat, increased sun exposure and dryness increases rustiness on leaves. Yellow blooms in June to August.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: good ground cover, likes top of wall, or slope, grows well in pots. Very easy to propagate, looks good in between cracks of rock wall.

Lysimachia clethroides (Primulaceae)

Posted on by under Primulaceae

lysimachia clethroidesIMG_3916

(image from google images)

Common name: gooseneck loosestrife

Size, form, texture: height 2-3 ft, spread 2-4 ft, upright rhizomatous, clump forming perennial, colony forming.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: grown well in average, well drained soil in full sun to part shade, likes moist rich soil in sunny location, less aggressive if grown in drier soil with part shade.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: blooms late spring to early summer, racemes curve like goose neck giving it its name, many tiny white flowers on terminal racemes, ovate, lancolate medium green foliage. Tip of flower ascends, flowers for fairly long.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: can be aggressive, used often as a cut flower. Creates movement in the landscape.

Papaver somniferum (Papaveraceae)

Posted on by under Papaveraceae

papver somniferumIMG_3915

(image from google images)

Common name: opium poppy

Size, form, texture: upright habit, 3-4 ft tall, Native to South eastern Europe and Western Asia.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: annual, prefer hot, dry, sloping ground with no organic mulch, small seeded plant so needs open ground uncovered where seed can germinate right at surface of the ground.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: Serrated, deeply lobed, interesting bluish green leaves, cut stems exude milky latex, flower can be variety of colours, typically red, white, and purple with dark spot at base of flower. long flowering period, “pepper shaker” fruit sprinkles seeds then plant dies. Poppy’s self sow in preferred conditions.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape:  Grown for three reasons: opium (in this case needs a lot of heat), poppy seeds, and typically grown for attractive flowers. Can be difficult to purchase, typically passed on as seeds.

Erigeron karvinskianus (Asteraceae)

Posted on by under Asteraceae

eringeron karvinskianusIMG_3914

(image from google images)

Common name: Mexican daisy, Spanish daisy

Size, form, texture: carpeting, rhizomatous, woody perennial, height 6-12 in, spread 1-3 ft.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: tolerates extensive drought in the summer, grow in fertile well drained soils, likes full sun to part shade.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: blooms for three months, flowers emerge pink then turn white, attractive flower colour combination. Hairy greyish green foliage

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: good in window boxes, hot ledges, rock gardens, zeros capes. Could be interesting paired with hardy ice-plant, known as flea bane due to compound that is off putting to insects. Self seeds, can be aggressive but not problematic.

Zantedeschia aethiopica (Araceae)

Posted on by under Araceae, List 8

IMG_3617IMG_3904

Common name: Calla lily

Size, form, texture: height 1-3 ft, spread 1-1.5 ft, clumping basal foliage with long elegant stems emerging and bracts and flowers at tip of stem.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: native to East Africa, Z 8, but with climate change is hardy enough to survive Vancouver, tolerates wet soil at any time, grows very well at edge of body of water, best exposed to western sun but shaded for hottest part of the day, floppier and taller in shade,

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: arrow shaped leaves (common to philodendron family), white trumpet shaped bract surrounds yellow spadex, anthers visible shedding pollen at appropriate time, fibrous pithy stems with lush green basal foliage, fruit is club like structure with red berries, fleshy rhizomatous root, resistant to rot as long as its not to cold or frosty

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: great cute flower, beautiful in borders or beds, nice accent to any landscape, understated elegance, would look nice with lush green vegetation like ferns surrounding.

 

Lonicera japonica ‘Halliana’ (Caprifoliaceae)

Posted on by under Caprifoliaceae, List 8

IMG_3616IMG_3905

Common name: Hall’s honeysuckle

Size, form, texture: evergreen vine, climber or ground cover, height 15-30 ft, spread 3-6 ft

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: Z 4-9, robust and competitive, successful in Vancouver, well drained soil in full sun to part shade, dry to medium water use, attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: flowers on tips so will flower even if pruned, nice sweet scent, slender tubular white flower which turn yellow as they age, very attractive contrast of old and young flowers, attractive green foliage.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: low maintenance, vigorous (invasive in places), good fence cover, or can be used as ground cover when not supported, can be used for erosion control on banks or slopes, best to separate from other trees or shrubs as it can suffocate them, but effective for screen and covering wall or fence.

 

Acanthus mollis (Acanthaceae)

Posted on by under Acanthaceae, List 8

IMG_3625IMG_3906

Common name: bear’s breeches

Size, form, texture: statuesque perennial, larger scale, height 3-5 ft, spread 2-5 ft, showy, clumping and architectural, evergreen.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: Z 7-10, very vigorous growing and competitive, to reduce growth can decrease amount of moisture, decrease amount of light, and increase the size of other plants. Requires sandy soil, rhizomatous, fertile well drained soil full sun to part shade, with moisture.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: broad leaf sinuses, flat lobed at leaf base, clumping and basal foliage, hair on stems, long flower spikes, attractive white foliage with purple bracts, upright flowering body, very attractive and unusual looking.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: Looks good alone, in massing, good for bold borders, can be aggressive but otherwise quite low maintenance.

Kirengeshoma palmata (Hydrangeaceae)

Posted on by under Hydrangeaceae

IMG_3566 IMG_3557

IMG_3907

Common name: yellow wax bells

Size, form, texture: Height 3-4 ft, spread 2-4 ft,

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: native to Japan and Korea, Z 5-8, Korean version more rare, slightly larger and more lush than Japanese version, though Japanese version more commonly in cultivation, very tough plants, shade loving perennial, butterfly pollinated plants, and hummingbirds. Shade loving needs lots of water, best in moist, humusy, acidic well drained soil.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: yellow bell-shaped flowers flowering in June to July, robust tough flowers, distinct opposite leaves, spherical fruit with green capsule with 3 antenna left after bloom, 2 months of flowers than 1 month of fruits, long attractive display, very attractive unique foliage, upright architectural stems, growing close together and massing

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: Once established low maintenance and unique plant, especially good along borders, in massing, looks great on own.

Spam prevention powered by Akismet