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Hummingbirds Enjoy Home Gardens Also

Hummingbirds are very fond of sages.

Floral color communicates to pollinators. Pollination is, after all, the priority of all flowers. Those that rely on pollinators more than breezes for pollination must therefore advertise. They effectively customize their bloom for preferable pollinators. Some incorporate floral fragrance if necessary. Most preferable pollinators are insects. Some are hummingbirds.

Seven species of hummingbird inhabit California. Some are always here. Some migrate south for winter. A few are only here while they migrate between farther south and farther north. All eat only small insects and floral nectar. Blooms which rely on hummingbirds for pollination are happy to provide. They have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship.

Many plant species have customized their bloom for pollination by hummingbirds. Many of these flowers are elongated, tubular and curved to fit the long beaks of hummingbirds. Most, although not all, are bright and rich colors that hummingbirds prefer. Bright red and orange are probably their favorite colors. Floral fragrances are more for other pollinators.

Many who enjoy gardening enjoy hummingbirds within their gardens. Hummingbirds are as colorful as some small flowers, but are much more dynamic. They enjoy hummingbird feeders and birdbaths or simple saucers of water. They also appreciate the various sorts of flowers that appeal specifically to them. Such flowers can appeal to everyone anyway.

Hummingbirds enjoy too many flowers to list. Those that customize their blooms for them will be expecting them. Many that customize their blooms for other pollinators can attract them anyway. Zinnia, coneflower and most composite flowers are ideal for pollination by bees. Many of their bright floral colors that attract bees entice hummingbirds incidentally.

Columbine and nasturtium are more customized for hummingbirds. Penstemon, foxglove and various trumpet vines accommodate a range of pollinators. Honeysuckle, lupine and sages do too, but seem to fit thin hummingbird beaks best. Bright floral color of hibiscus, fuchsia, canna and bottlebrush are impossible to ignore. Indiscriminate taste is an asset.

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Flowers Have An Agenda

Flowers are only as colorful or fragrant as they are to attract pollinators.

When the garden is full of bloom, we do not like to think that flowers have an agenda. All their colors and fragrances seem to be displayed merely for our benefit. Who really wants to know that procreation is their real priority; that all their efforts are merely to get pollinated to make seed for the next generation?

Because flowers are not mobile like animals and insects are, they need to rely on wind or pollinators to deliver their pollen to other flowers. Flowers that are more reliant on wind for pollination are not much to look, since they do not need to advertise. The wind needs no incentive to blow. Wind pollinated flowers are instead abundant and productive, to disperse as much of their light pollen as possible.

Flowers that need pollinators need to advertise. They offer all sorts of attractive colors, fragrances, nectar and pollen to attract their particular preferred pollinators. For example, those that exploit the services of hummingbirds appeal to their discriminating taste with sweet nectar in tubular flowers that are mostly in colors that hummingbirds like, orange or red.

All the variety among flowers is designed for the variety of pollinators that they employ. Flowers that rely on nocturnal moths are large and pale, often with infrared patterns (that people do not see) to be visible in moonlight to moths drawn to their sweet fragrance. The offensive fragrances and textures of fly pollinated flowers are delightful to flies. Many flowers appeal to multiple pollinators.

Bees are of course the busiest of pollinators, as they collect nectar and pollen to make honey. They visit any flower they encounter, but prefer those that make abundant and dense pollen that they can carry away. They are very fond of the many different fruit trees; such as apple, pear, apricot, cherry, plum and all their relatives, as well as citrus. They also dig eucalyptus, wild lilac (ceanothus), hebe, firethorn, bottlebrush, honeysuckle and roses.

The difficulty for bees is finding a constant supply of flowers. As apple and pear trees finish blooming, bees want to start visiting other flowers. Bees like a variety of just about any of the annual flowers, particularly pincushion flower, cornflower, snapdragon, foxglove, sunflowers, poppies and lupines. With a good mix, something should always be blooming. Bees are also very fond of catmint, ajuga, thyme, rosemary, penstemon, lavenders and the many salvias and sages.

Those who want to attract bees to the garden should therefore plan for a good mixture of flowers that bees like, so that there is always something to keep the bees happy. Many of their favorite flowers that may not seem very colorful to us use ultraviolet patters that are quite flashy to bees. The choices are not always so obvious.

However, those who do not like bees or are allergic to bee stings, should avoid an abundance of flowers that will attract them. Unfortunately, there are no flowers or plants to repel bees. Also, the coniferous (cone bearing) evergreens and many other wind pollinated plants that are less attractive to bees produce abundant light pollen that is so problematic for allergies.

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Aphid Savor Fresh Spring Growth

Not many hibiscus escape aphid completely.

Dormant pruning last winter did more than concentrate resources for flowers and fruits. It did more than eliminate superfluous growth, which many pathogens overwinter in. It also directed or concentrated resources for stems and foliage. Such growth now grows faster than some types of insect infestation. Aphid, though, are famously prolific and tenacious.

Hybrid tea roses very effectively demonstrate the advantages of dormant pruning. Those that lacked such pruning are more vulnerable to major aphid infestation now. Those that benefit from such pruning are significantly less vulnerable. Even with minor infestations, they may bloom well. Their vigorous stems grow at least as fast as aphid can proliferate.

It is too late for dormant pruning now. Furthermore, this is the beginning of aphid season. It continues until early autumn. Fortunately, aphid are usually not problematic for too long on the same hosts. Their natural predators often find and control them as their infestation culminates. They might continue to be present, but at a tolerable or unnoticeable degree.

Insecticides can be useful for severe infestation, but can interfere with natural processes. Some eliminate predatory insects that can naturally control aphid. If possible, it might be more practical to literally allow nature to take its course. Aphid are prolific, but essentially weak. Mildly soapy water kills them fast without killing many beneficial predatory insects.

Ants symbiotically cultivate aphid in exchange for their honeydew, (which is excrement). They protect their benefactors, and move them to ideal host material. Pruning citrus trees so that they touch nothing else can nearly block access to ants. Application of a barrier to their trunks, such as grease, blocks access more completely. Predatory insects still fly in.

This technique is practical for many small trees, but not low shrubby roses and hibiscus. For them, aphid might be easy to blast off with a spray nozzle on a hose. This procedure neither removes nor kills all aphid, but it can limit their damage. Repetition of the process will likely be needed a few days later, and maybe a few times. Aphid might be persistent, though.

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Shearing Is Not For Everyone

So much lost potential

Back before gardening was cheapened to the degree that it is now, and before most of everything within reach was shorn into submission, many plants were pruned, or not pruned, as necessary to enhance their naturally appealing characteristics. New Zealand flax got planted where it had room to reach out, and only got ‘plucked’ as shoots ventured too far from the center. Lily-of-the-Nile got ‘chopped’ where it crept too far, and ‘thinned’ where it got too crowded to bloom.

Only hedges were shorn; and they were shorn properly, to be slightly narrower on top. Trees actually grew as trees above, and got pruned for clearance below. Vines were selectively groomed, but allowed to climb their trellises. Deciduous fruit trees got the specialized pruning that they require in winter.

Many different kinds of plants that produce generally vertical stems from the base were maintained by a pruning technique known as ‘alternating canes’. This procedure is almost opposite of removing watersprouts or suckers (watersprouts that develop below a graft union) to favor a primary stem. It is actually the removal of primary stems as they get replaced by their own basal watersprouts.

For example, glossy abelia is naturally rather limber with upright growth that spreads outward. Without pruning, it can become an overgrown mounding thicket. However, shearing deprives it of its naturally appealing form, and interferes with bloom. Instead, the technique of alternating canes removes older canes as they begin to deteriorate, allowing new canes to grow more vigorously, arching gracefully outward from the center.

Elderberries and pomegranates may not actually require regular pruning, but are easier to manage if some basal stems are allowed to mature and replace tall and awkward older trunks. The newer growth is more productive (after the first year), easier to reach, and simply looks better. Alternating canes also promotes bloom while preventing thicket growth of mock orange and lilac, particularly since they produce such abundant basal growth.

Heavenly bamboo (Nandina spp.) and real bamboo are two completely different and unrelated plants that both benefit from alternating canes. Heavenly bamboo likes to get its deteriorating or floppy older stems cut to the ground, to allow more space for fresh new foliage to unfurl. Bamboo simply needs old canes cut out as they die.

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Understory Is Made For Shade

Andromeda tolerates a bit of shade.

Shade influences every ecosystem. Where it is scarce, some vegetation adapts to harsh exposure to sunlight. Some develops glaucous foliar color to reflect some of the sunlight. Some develops tomentum, or foliar fuzz, to shade its foliar surfaces below. Where shade is abundant, understory vegetation adapts as efficiently. Essentially, it is made for shade.

Understory vegetation naturally grows beneath larger trees and shrubbery. It is therefore more tolerant of partial shade. Some tolerates significant shade. Ferns that inhabit forest floors beneath shady redwood trees are notable examples. So are most houseplants that originated from tropical rainforest. Naturally, most live in the shade of bigger forest trees.

Not all understory vegetation is diminutive. Some Japanese maple trees can grow rather large. However, they naturally inhabit forests of trees that grow larger. Some palms begin as understory vegetation to become the tallest trees of their gardens. Their foliage simply adapts as it becomes more exposed. Banana and tree fern foliage might adapt similarly.

Such adaptation is an advantage now that home gardens are becoming shadier. Modern homes are taller, so produce bigger shadows than older homes. They are closer to other tall homes with comparable shadows. Fences are higher to compensate for the proximity of homes. Garden spaces are more compact, with less space that is not partially shaded.

No vegetation survives without sunlight. Understory vegetation is simply more tolerant of partial shade than most other sorts. It is adapted to it, just as some vegetation is adapted to extreme exposure. Generally, understory vegetation is deep green, to absorb as much sunlight as possible. For the same reason, individual leaves are typically large and lush.

Cast iron plant seems to tolerate more shade than any other understory vegetation. Kaffir lily and hosta tolerate almost as much shade as some ferns. Rhododendron, azalea and andromeda prefer only partial shade. Excessive shade inhibits bloom. The same applies to camellia and hydrangea. Realistically, all species of understory vegetation are unique. Each tolerates a particular degree of shade that it is adapted to.

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Aphids

Aphid enjoy fresh new growth of roses.

Since the seeds arrived in the mail from Renee’s Garden, I have been waiting for the pale yellowish white ‘Buttercream’ nasturtiums to bloom. The appearance of their first few leaves was quite an event. They then started to grow a bit faster like annuals do this time of year. Then, suddenly and without warning, they where overtaken by a herd of hungry aphids!

These small but prolific insects congregate at the tips of new foliage and flower buds. They pierce fresh tissue and suck out the juices within. They are more often yellowish green, but can be grayish black, pale white or sickly pink. Although minute, the fattest aphids can be as plump as caviar.

Fortunately, aphid are typically not problematic for very long, and are easier to control than other insect pests. Even without insecticides, their festivities will be brief before their natural predators move in and break up the party. Pesticides can actually be detrimental by also killing some of the natural predators, and delaying their conquest of the aphids.

Right now though, I do not care! The aphids are hurting the nasturtiums. They must die!

On tougher plants like roses, aphids can be blasted off with water from a hose. Because roses can get mildew if their foliage stays wet too long, they should get blasted early in the day, so that they can dry in the sun. This procedure does not kill all the aphids, and may not even dislodge all of them, but it slows their proliferation so that the natural predators have the advantage.

Nasturtiums and other annuals that are too soft to get blasted with water can instead be sprayed gently with very slightly soapy water, which efficiently kills aphids. Water with a bit of vinegar, or a ‘tea’ made from cigarette butts, also work. Foliage is less likely to be damaged if rinsed afterward. This likewise does not kill all aphids, but controls them long enough for the predators to take over.

Parasitic wasps, syrphid flies, lacewings, lady beetles and predatory midges all eat aphids. They only need some time to do so because they rely on the primary proliferation of aphids to feed their own proliferation. In other words, there must be enough aphids to feed the predators before there can be enough predators to feed on the aphids.

However, aphids have an ally. Ants dutifully protect aphids from their predators, and actually cultivate aphids on choice plants because they like to eat the ‘honeydew’ excreted by the aphids. (ICK!) That is why lemon trees that are infested with aphids also have an abundance of busy ants commuting up and down the trunks.

Trimming an aphid infested lemon tree so that it does not touch anything else, and circling the base of the trunk with axle grease, will keep the ants out without preventing predatory wasps from flying in. Just like with roses, blasting with water dislodges many of the aphids and  stranded ants; but the wasps simply get out of the way and return when it is safe. It may all seem unfair to the aphids and the ants, but is gratifying for the predatory wasps, the lemon tree and whoever cares for the lemon tree.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 10 Comments

Hybrids Of The Botanical Nature

Fancy gladiolus are products of hybridization.

Botanical nomenclature has gotten sloppy. So has breeding. Hybrids of different species are now common. Their botanical names often lack proper species designation. Instead, their names include only their genus names with their variety or cultivar names. This can seem simpler. However, it complicates the simplicity of binomial botanical nomenclature.

Interspecific hybrids involved different species of the same genus. Therefore, any genus name is the same as that of both parents. An “X” precedes its species name to indicate it as an interspecific hybrid. Its species name is as new and unique as the new hybrid. Any cultivar or variety name follows its species name in single quotes. it is all quite sensible.

Intergeneric hybrids involved different genera. Therefore, an “X” precedes a genus name of an intergeneric hybrid to designate it as such. Its entire name is as new and unique as the hybrid. Like for all botanical names, both its genus and species names are italicized. This designates them as ‘Latin’ names. Variety and cultivar names lack such italicization.

Many hybrids are naturally sterile. Most that can produce viable seed are not true to type. In other words, their progeny is very different from them, and commonly of inferior quality. Most hybrids are therefore cultivars, or cultivated varieties. They are reliant on unnatural cultivation for perpetuation. However, some naturally perpetuate vegetatively, like canna.

Tree ivy, X Fatshedera lizei, is an example of an intergeneric hybrid. The “X” in its name precedes its genus name. London plane, Platanus X acerifolia, is an interspecific hybrid. The “X” precedes its species name. Platanus X acerifolia ‘Liberty’ is a cultivar of London plane. Its species name remains, which is proper with botanical nomenclature of hybrids.

Rhododendron and rose hybrids violate nomenclature rules because of their breeding. It is too extensive for their species to be identifiable. For them, the abbreviation “spp.” may substitute for a species name. It is for “species pluralis”, which means “multiple species”. Although it is Latin, it is not italicized. Nor are their more important cultivar names after it.

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Real Drought Tolerance

Even native manzanitas, which really are drought tolerant, need water until they disperse their roots.

Nearly every landscaper and gardener brags about using plants that do not need much water. Buzz words like ‘drought tolerant’, ‘native’, ‘sustainable’ and ‘xeriscape’ have become all too common, even though few actually spell ‘xeriscape’ properly. (It is NOT ‘zeroscape’!) Unfortunately though, most gardeners water so frequently and generously that drought tolerant and native plants are less sustainable than plants that want more water.

The difficulty is that drought tolerant plants generally need rather regular watering immediately after planting, while they are still dispersing their roots, but then want to dry out between watering once they are established. Otherwise, they are very susceptible to rot if the soil is constantly moist. Most drought tolerant plants should therefore not be mixed with plants or lawns that want regular watering.

Trees like incense cedar, beefwood, carob, silk oak, olive, California pepper tree and some eucalyptus, pine and oak can be nice shade trees in lawns that are not watered too much, but do not live as long as they would with less water. (Although many are messy in lawns anyway; and carob smells bad when it blooms.) California laurel, African sumac, Australian willow, strawberry tree and most acacia and cypress are less tolerant of lawn irrigation.

Eucalyptus, pine, oak and acacia have sensitive roots, so do better if planted while young instead of as larger specimens. For example, #5 (5 gallon) red ironbark eucalyptus get established faster and grow larger than 24” boxed red ironbark eucalyptus installed at the same time.

Bottlebrush, oleander, cotoneaster, hop bush, firethorn, grevillea, some types of wild lilac and all sorts of juniper can be happy with or without regular watering. Manzanita, coyote brush, rockrose, flannel bush and western redbud really want to dry out between watering. Like many plants from arid climates, wild lilac, coyote brush, rockrose, flannel bush and western redbud are naturally relatively short lived. Western redbud fortunately has an efficient technique of producing an abundance of seed and replacing itself with new seedlings before if finishes.

Lily-of-the-Nile is one of the most useful perennials, and can survive with annual rainfall or nearly saturated conditions. New Zealand flax is nearly as adaptable, but is more susceptible to rot if watered too much. Rosemary and several iceplants are nice ground covers with or without regular watering.

The various yuccas, aloes, agaves and their other relatives are some of the most practical perennials for arid climates, and many tolerate somewhat generous watering if necessary. However, most agaves and yuccas have nasty sharp leaves; and some agaves get too big to keep at a safe distance. Also, their bold personalities are not adaptable to every garden style.

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Aromatic Foliage Has Ulterior Motives

Several Salvia species are splendidly aromatic.

Floral fragrance attracts insect pollinators. Foliar aroma repels insect pathogens. It might repel other herbivores also. For organisms that lack olfactory perception, plants certainly make productive use of it. Fragrant flowers are as attractive in home gardens as they are to pollinators in the wild. However, aromatic foliage has the opposite of intended effects.

In other words, aromatic foliage is popular within home gardens because of its aroma. Its effort to be repulsive to some insects and herbivores makes it attractive to people. Some aromatic foliage has culinary or herbal application. Actually, almost all herbs are notably aromatic, with corresponding flavors. Mint, chive, thyme and sage are popular examples.

Window boxes became popular in ancient European towns because of aromatic foliage. Where garden space was scarce, they were convenient planter boxes for growing herbs. Also, prior to window screens, they sustained aromatic foliage that repelled mosquitoes. Trailing rosemary, ivy geranium and nasturtium are still very traditional accompaniments.

Rosemary has both culinary and aesthetic application. Culinary cultivars exhibit the best flavor. Landscape cultivars are either trailing or more densely shrubby. Some cultivars of fennel are similarly better for either culinary or landscape application. Bronze fennel has become popular for both. Varied lavenders are more popular as home garden shrubbery.

Native bay is very aromatic when its foliage is disturbed, but is not culinary bay. It is a big and obtrusive tree that is proportionate only to large landscapes. Culinary bay is another smaller species that is more proportionate to home gardens. Also, it has a distinct aroma. Incense cedar is another very aromatic native tree, but is quite rare within home gardens.

Most aromatic foliage can not exude its aroma like fragrant flowers exude their fragrance. Most does so only when disturbed. Some, such as that of many conifers and eucalypti, is beyond reach. It is therefore easy to dismiss within some landscapes. Lavender, lantana, diosma, rockrose and salvia stay within reach. Warmth and humidity amplify their aroma.

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Why Hire An Arborist?

Arborists work with the big trees.

Like the many different kinds of physicians who work in a hospital, there are many different kinds of horticultural professionals who specialize in particular disciplines. Although too commonly considered to be ‘landscapers’, and even though many do not work directly with landscapes, there are nurserymen, gardeners, landscape architects, horticulturists and arborists, to name a few.

Arborists specialize in the horticulture of trees. Only a few decades ago, arborists were known as tree surgeons, since they perform surgery on trees. Of all the horticultural physicians that attend to concerns in the landscape, arborists and their associated technicians are the most qualified to properly maintain trees.

Expecting a gardener to maintain large mature trees is like expecting a pediatrician to perform major surgery. Even the most proficient and educated gardeners are too specialized with maintaining other plant material in the garden to also be specialized with arboriculture, or the horticulture of trees.

Arborists who are certified by the International Society of Arboriculture, or ISA, have successfully passed and examination of their arboricultural aptitude. Certification must be maintained by attendance to educational seminars, workshops and other relevant events approved by the ISA.

The website of the International Society of Arboriculture, or ISA, at www.isaarbor.com, is the best resource for finding certified arborists and the tree service establishments that they are affiliated with. Arborists can be found within particular regions by city or ZIP code, or identified directly by name or certification number.

The ‘Public Outreach’ category at the ISA website features links to www.TreesAreGood.org, and ‘Why hire an arborist?’, as well as a few other links for consumers. After all, the website exists not only for professionals, but also to help consumers find professionals and to make responsible decisions about their trees, from the time they get planted, throughout their lifetime, and until they get old and eventually need to be removed.

The www.TreesAreGood.org link has all sorts of information about trees and their maintenance. There are many and various articles about the benefits of trees, the value of trees, tree selection, planting new trees, proper pruning techniques, insects and diseases, tree hazards, why topping hurts trees, and even an article about palms. Incidentally, the Fun Facts link mentions that the tallest tree is the coastal redwood, the biggest tree is the giant redwood, and oldest tree is the bristlecone pine, all of which are native to California.

Trees are of course the most substantial components of a landscape. Some will be around for years. Some will be around for more than a century!