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Which Mesquite?

Is this velvet mesquite, Prosopis velutina, or honey mesquite, Prosopis glandulosa? It is still too young to identify. I suspect that it is velvet mesquite because I found its seed in a landscape in Surprise, Arizona, and velvet mesquite is the most common species within landscapes there. Also, the foliage of the trees that provided the seed resembled that of velvet mesquite more than that of honey mesquite, with relatively smaller leaflets. The bark was medium brown, so was not quite as dark brown as I would expect for velvet mesquite, but more brown than tan, as I would expect for honey mesquite. This little seedling may not look like much now, but it is the only survivor of the many seed that I collected. Only a few germinated, and slugs ate them before they extended their first leave beyond their cotyledons. This seedling germinated last, and was promptly canned in a four inch pot that I brought inside at night for protection. I hope that, before the end of summer, it grows large enough to survive winter. It should. Regardless of its identity, I hope to eventually use its stems for smoking and, if it grows large enough, barbecuing.

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Garden Phlox

Garden phlox can be surprisingly fragrant.

Several species of Phlox are native California wildflowers. Yet, the more popular garden phlox, Phlox paniculata, is native only east of Kansas. It can self sow where it gets water, and is naturalized in the Pacific Northwest. It prefers rather rich soil and sunny exposure but is not very discriminating. A bit of partial shade might promote taller stems for cutting.

Mature garden phlox can be as tall and wide as three feet. Some modern cultivars stay a bit more compact. Dense panicles of small flowers may be as wide as six inches. Bloom is most commonly white, but may be pink, red, lavender or pastel orange. It is a splendid cut flower, with an alluringly rich fragrance. Bloom might continue for a month of summer.

Garden phlox is deciduous, so all canes die to the ground for winter. Mature colonies are then easy to propagate by division. Similarly, feral specimens that appear where they are unwanted are easy to relocate. Garden phlox can perform nicely in proportionately large pots and planters. It is uncommonly available from nurseries, but grows easily from seed.

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Feral Flowers Are Not Wildflowers

Most nasturtium varieties will eventually revert.

Feral flowers are technically not the same as wildflowers. As their designation suggests, wildflowers grow wild. They always have, without intervention. They are naturally native. Their native ranges can fluctuate, but do so naturally as associated ecosystems change. Their status as wildflowers does not change within home gardens or refined landscapes.

Feral flowers are progeny of cultivated flowers. Almost all are exotic, or nonnative. Some are true to type, which means that they are indistinguishable from the originals. However, because of extensive breeding, many revert to a more genetically stable state. Some can naturalize, or perpetuate without intervention. Then, they seem to behave as wildflowers.

For example, most home garden nasturtiums begin as garden varieties. They bloom with particular colors because of their breeding and selection. Their progeny, however, bloom with more natural floral color. After a few generations, they may bloom only basic orange and yellow. Such feral flowers can naturalize within riparian ecosystems like wildflowers.

Because they are not native, naturalized nasturtium are technically not wildflowers. They are merely naturalized feral flowers. Although they are rarely aggressively invasive, they can interfere with natural ecology. They might compete with native species for resources and space. They can sustain organisms that are pathogens to native vegetation species.

California poppy is a genuinely native wildflower. However, a few home garden varieties developed from selection and breeding. Initially, such varieties bloom with unusual floral colors like white, lavender, pink or red. After a few generations, though, their colors revert to their more natural orange. Although wildflowers, they are also technically feral flowers.

Many of the most noxious weeds here escaped from home gardens and naturalized. For example, common pink pampas grass became popular during the Victorian Period. Now, it is quite naturalized and compromising ecosystems throughout the West Coast. Its feral flowers are appealing, but perpetuate infestation. They are surely not native wildflowers. Water hyacinth and yellow flag are other examples.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 14 Comments

Six on Saturday: Pestilence

Molluscs, rodents, insects, virus, fungal pathogens and an identified disease that causes gummosis; we have it all. I know that it is nothing to brag about, but it makes a good six.

1. Tamarindus indica, tamarind seedlings are popular with slugs. Not much else here is. Weirdly, slugs do not seem to consume the foliage. They only coat it with slime that does not rinse off. The foliage eventually deteriorates. What is the point of this odd behavior?

2. Prunus armeniaca, apricot trees sometimes exude gummosis as a symptom of disease or boring insect infestation. I can not see what caused this, and do not care to. I will just prune it out. I know that it will not be the last time. Gummosis is common with apricots.

3. Chamaedorea plumosa, baby queen palm was chewed so badly by some sort of rodent that it will not likely survive. I suspect that a squirrel did this. I have not seen any rats or their damage since Heather arrived. This is one of only two rare baby queen palms here.

4. Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’ red Abyssinian banana was initially infested with aphid and associated mold. The aphid disappeared, as it typically does, but the mold remained and ruined the currently emerging leaf. I hope that the primary bud within does not rot.

5. Passiflora racemosa, red passion flower vine has been defoliated a few times just this year by a few of these unidentified caterpillars. The caterpillars leave after they consume all foliage, but then return shortly after the foliage regenerates, while I am not watching.

6. Canna indica ‘Australia’ canna is infected with canna mosaic virus. Several others are also, although they do not express symptoms as colorfully as ‘Australia’ does. Most other cannas are isolated from this virus within their landscapes. I am infuriated nonetheless.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

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Honey Locust

Honey locust is not too shady.

Where it grows wild in the eastern half of North America, honey locust, Gleditsia triacanthos, may not seem like it would be such an appealing shade tree. It is too thorny and messy to make many friends. As it matures and grows nearly seventy feet tall and half as broad, the thorny stems stay overhead and out of the way. However, a larger canopy makes more messy and sometimes unsightly foot long seed pods.

Modern cultivars of the thornless form Gleditsia triacanthos inermis are friendlier and not so messy. Mature trees only grow about half as tall as wild trees. Their main problem is their buttressing roots, which can displace pavement, but stay tolerably low for lawns. Honey locust is actually a good shade tree for lawns (if minor buttressing is not a problem) because it makes just enough shade without getting too dark for a lawn or other shade tolerant plants below. Pods are rare.

The big eight inch long leaves are bipinnately compound, which means that each leaf is divided into smaller leaflets, which are also divided into even smaller leaflets that are about half an inch long. Although individual leaves are actually quite large, the collective foliage is pleasantly delicate and lacy. This foliage turns yellow early in autumn and disintegrates as it falls, leaving minimal debris to rake. New foliage develops somewhat late in spring, along with inconspicuous flowers.

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Shade Trees

Trees are the most substantial components of a landscape.

Shady characters inhabit some of the best gardens. Actually, most of the best gardens have some sort of shade tree. There are so many to choose from for every sort of garden. Some stay small and compact enough to provide only a minimal shadow for a small atrium. Others are large enough to shade large areas of lawn.

Like every other plant in the garden, shade trees should be selected according to their appropriateness to particular applications. Favorite trees are of course welcome, but should be placed in appropriate locations where they will be less likely to cause problems later. For example, those of us who like silver maples should only plant them where they will not crowd other trees, and if there is sufficient area to accommodate them when mature. Southern magnolias are bold shade trees, but create too much mess for infrequently raked lawns, and create too much shade for many other plants around them.

Shade trees near to the home should be deciduous if possible. This means that they will drop their leaves to be not so shady when it would be good to get more sunlight through winter. Honey locust, red oak, Raywood ash, tulip tree and many varieties of maple (except Japanese maple) are some of the best. Silver maple gets a bit too large for small gardens, but is an elegant shade tree for large lawns. Japanese maple and smoke tree are small trees that fit nicely into an atrium or a small enclosed garden.

Evergreen trees also make good shade trees, but should be kept farther from the home if possible, in order to avoid shading too much through winter. Besides, most evergreen trees are messier than deciduous trees so are not so desirable over lawns, patios or roofs. Camphor tree and several of the well behaved eucalypti are delightful shade trees where their litter will not bother anyone. Mayten tree is a smaller tree for more confined areas. Strategically placed evergreen shade trees can also function to obscure unwanted views.

Every shade tree creates a specific flavor of shade. Honey locust makes just enough shade for summer weather without making the garden too dark for other plants and lawn grass. Silver maple is a bit shadier. The shade of redwood and Southern magnolia (when mature) though, is so dark that not many other plants want to get close to them.

Remember that appropriate shade trees may be in the garden for decades or even centuries. It is best to select them accordingly so there will be fewer problems in the future.

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Archaeology

Working within landscapes is obviously very different from working on the farm. Actually, there are too many differences to mention. One difference is people. There are only a few on the farm, spread out over many acres. Conversely, the landscapes that I work in are designed for use and enjoyment by countless people who attend events there. I can rarely get away from all of them. Although it can be fun, it can also be challenging, and often interesting. On rare occasion, I find artifacts that make me wonder about whomever left them. This tiny terracotta pot with “Zoey” painted on it, for example, was found in a small landscape outside of a bookstore, quite a distance from the facility a which young children typically engage in such crafts. I hate to think that Zoey misplaced it there. I sort of hope that it was intentionally left there, perhaps containing a tiny plant that Zoey hoped a gardener would find and add to the landscapes. If so, I found it too late and empty. Zoey does not need to know that. Hopefully, if she returns, she finds something that she believes to be her plant growing happily in our landscapes.

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Petunia

Petunias appreciate rich soil or media.

Most popular modern petunia are hybrids of two primary species, and a few others. They classify collectively and simply as Petunia X hybrida. Although popular as warm season annuals, some can be short term perennials. They are only uncommon as such because they get shabby through winter. Yet, with a bit of trimming, they can regenerate for spring.

Petunia are impressively diverse. Their floral color range lacks merely a few colors. Also, flowers can exhibit spots, speckles, stripes, blotches, haloes or variegation. Flowers can be quite small, or as broad as four inches. Some are mildly fragrant. Some are quite frilly with double bloom. Cascading types can sprawl three feet while most are more compact.

Petunia are perhaps the most popular warm season annual. They can bloom from spring until frost, though they can get scrawny after a month or so. Trimming of lanky stems can promote more compact growth. Deadheading might promote fuller bloom for some types. Petunia enjoy sunny exposure, regular watering and rich soil. They perform well in pots. Cascading varieties are splendid for hanging pots and high planters.

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Soil Amendment Might Be Overkill

Excessive soil amendment may be unnecessary.

Planting should not be complicated. The primary objective is to settle formerly contained roots into the ground safely. It includes motivating roots to disperse into surrounding soil. This might involve disruption of constricting or congested roots. It may involve addition of fertilizer. Soil amendment such as compost is likely useful to entice root growth outward.

For almost all substantial woody plants and most large perennials, this is only temporary. Their roots disperse faster than their original soil amendment decomposes. They require no more soil amendment incorporated into their soil afterward. Such incorporation would damage their dispersing roots. This could defeat the original purpose of soil amendment.

For such substantial plants, soil amendment only provides a transition into endemic soil. Without it, roots may be tempted to continue to grow within their original potting medium. If endemic soil is less appealing to them, they might lack motivation to disperse outward. Soil amendment mixed with their endemic soil provides them the motivation they require.

Mulching with soil amendment over the surface of the soil is a different procedure. Since it requires no incorporation into the soil, it severs no roots below the surface. Yet, it helps retain moisture and insulates the soil. As it decomposes, mulch adds organic nutrients to the soil. For established plants, mulching is a noninvasive technique with a few benefits.

Vegetable plants and annuals enjoy soil amendment more than more substantial plants. Proportionately, they consume much more of the nutrients that the amendments provide. Yet, they do not inhabit their soil long enough to crave more than they start with. Addition of amendment during their replacement damages no roots. It provides for the next phase.

Soil amendment is available either bagged or in bulk from nurseries and garden centers. Home garden generated compost is less expensive, since it costs nothing but effort. The process of composting is involved, but it utilizes otherwise useless garden detritus. Many home gardens generate more compost than they may use. Neighbors sometimes share.