There are many varieties of Ruellia, I have some that tops out at about 6″ tall, this one is about 4′
Perennial
Native to Brazil, Chile
Blooms late spring through fall
Height: 4′
Drought tolerant, prefers moist, well drained soil
Loves the heat, may be damaged in cold winters. Just remove damaged parts in spring
Propagate by division or seed
Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Excellent caterpillar food
It’s brand new, more information as I have some time to watch it
Evergreen shrub ~ 3′ tall
Well drained soil, drought tolerant
Protect from freezing
Morning sun, afternoon shade
Prune heavily in fall to promote bushy growth
Propagate by cuttings
Native to Mexico
Attracts hummingbirds
I’ve grown other varieties of shrimp plants. They are pretty easy to grow if you keep them warm in the winter and in an area protected from afternoon sun. A heavy pruning once the weather cools down (Nov or so) will keep it looking good
This plant caught my eye along a pathway through the woods. I’d swear I’d never seen it before but now that I’ve ID it I seem to keep finding it. Every one I’ve found has been along a pathway at the edge of a heavily wooded area.
Its leaves are the largest of any maple, fitting its large size when grown in the right climate
It can grow over 150′, usually tops out at about 20′, spreading wider than its height. Not suitable for home gardens because of its size and water demands.
Native to wet areas along the western coast and mountains of the US. Doesn’t handle frosts well or droughts
Zones 5-9
Full sun to full shade
The Wild Garden, Acer mactophyllum
Fire effects of Acer macrophyllum
This is a pretty easy plant to grow. I’ve had it in part sun – full shade and it happily grows and flowers all summer. Drought tolerant, but like most plants prefers damp, well drained soil. It starts blooming as soon as it leafs out and keeps blooming until well into winter.
It’s rated to 20’F but I find it dies back to the ground if winter temps go below freezing, and returns from the roots mid-spring.
There is also a yellow flowered variety, old Victorians claim there is also a pink variety
Loved by hummingbirds and bees
Grows rapidly
Grows 4′-6′ tall
Rated for zones 9b-11
Easy to grow from cuttings, plant in spring
( meh, perhaps not so easy, I haven’t had any cuttings take )
If you’re in the Houston area it can often be found at Master Gardener Plant Sales
This is a deciduous shrub in zone 5 through 10. It blooms early summer with fragrant white spherical flowers. I’ve only seen it at the edge of wetlands growing wild.
The branches were used by Native Americans in arrows and stick games
Leaves contain glucosides, may cause skin rashes, severe toxin if ingested – keep from humans and pets
Sun to part shade
5′-15′ tall
4′-8′ spread
prefers wet soil, wetlands
Attracts butterflies, bees and hummingbirds
Easily grown from stem cuttings, challenging to grow from seed
Native to US
This is the compact Bottlebrush reaching 3′-5′ ( top photo ), the bottom two photos are of the larger form and were taken at Lady Bird Johnson Gardens in Austin. The red flowers are most common, there is also a pink flowering variety.
Protect from cold, it will sometimes return from roots after a frost.
Full sun, possibly drought tolerant once established, opinions vary. It prefers to be in moist soil.
Blooms when weather is warm, loved by butterflies and hummingbirds
Considered an invasive in Florida, also considered to be a good plant for bonsai.
Native to Australia, unclear if it should be in Myrtaceae family or Callistemons.
Propagate by cuttings
Note: I also purchased several traditional Bottlebrushes (Callistemon) and placed them along fences to use to cover the fence. I have some in shade, full sun, a mix of both and dry and wet areas. So far they all seem to be settling in despite the late planting.
These can be kept trimmed as a hedge, let grow up as trees by removing lower branches, or shaped as a topiary.
I’ll add more photos and notes as they grow
Large shrub, growing to small tree size here in Texas, attracts birds, deer resistant, drought resistant, grows in sun or part shade, prefers damp soil. You can keep these short and bushy, make a hedge, grow them as small trees or use them for topiaries.
Native to Japan and Korea
Brought to US in 1800s for use as a hedge plant, became invasive in warmer parts of US. The wood was used for pegs, the berries for dye, leaves as an astringent. It makes a great nesting place for birds who will eat the berries.
Problems: Sooty mold, control with liquid dish soap mixed with water and sprayed on leaves
I liked it so much I bought 20 small plants on eBay, I’ll be running them along the fence out back. They shipped much later than I expected, today is June 14th, nothing should be planted between May 1st and Oct 31st, but perhaps I’ll get lucky and we’ll get a rainy summer? They are mostly still here, some are doing better than others. The ones getting the most water are happiest, yet some are in hard packed, bone dry dirt in the sun and they are slower growing but still here
Toxic see NC Ext Ligustrum japonicum
