Blue Mist Spirea, Shrub / Woody Plant of The Day

Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Longwood Blue'
    Blue Mist Spirea,  Bluebeard

Type    Shrub, woody plant

Hardy range    6A to 9B
Height    36" to 5' / 90cm to 1.40m
Spread    36" to 4' / 90cm to 1.20m
Growth rate    Average
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Full sun
Persistence    Deciduous

Bloom Color    Blue and purple
Bloom Time    Summer and Fall

The flowers are suitable for cut flowers.

Environment
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

Leaf Color    Green and silvery
This plant has attractive foliage and fragrant foliage.

Culture Notes
Caryopteris is grown for its attractive, fragrant foliage and flowers.  Blooms appear on current year's growth and appear from late summer through early autumn.  Place in full sun for best flowering. Plant dies back and can be treated as a perennial.  Plants attract an assortment of pollinators.  The bumblebee seems to prefer the blossom.   Plants also serve as butterfly nectar sources.  Prune away flower heads after they are spent to avoid seeding.  This will also help in the vigor of the shrub.  Avoid planting in heavy wet soils.  Plant with: Buddleia, Helianthus, Heliopsis, Vitex, and Veronica sp.

Blue Star Flower, Perennial of The Day

Amsonia hubrichtii 

Blue Star Flower

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    5A to 9A
Height    24" to 30" / 60cm to 75cm
Spread    22" to 28" / 55cm to 70cm
Growth rate    Average
Form    Rounded
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Deciduous

Bloom Color    Blue
Bloom Time    Spring and Summer

The flowers are showy.

Environment
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

Leaf Color    Green
Fall Color    Orange and yellow
This plant has attractive foliage and attractive fall colors.

Culture Notes
This plant is relatively new to the trade, but is gaining in popularity because of its attractive foliage and clusters of blue, star-shaped flowers, and its minimal growing requirements - sun and well-drained, moist soil.  Although A. hubrechtii can be planted in partial shade, its flowering capabilities will lessen.  This plant will often rebloom if spent blossoms are removed before setting seed.  It also can be propagated by division, but its growth rate will be slower due to the plant's long taproot system.  Do not prune, as its foliage turns a lovely golden color in the fall.  Plant looks great when planted with Eupatorium rugosum, Cotinus coggygria var. altropurpurea and Callicarpa japonica.  Plants serve as butterfly nectar sources.

Chinese Holly, Evergreen of The Day

 Ilex cornuta 'Rotunda'
    Chinese Holly,  Horned Holly

Type    Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range    7A to 9A
Height    4' to 6' / 1.20m to 1.80m
Spread    6' to 10' / 1.80m to 3.00m
Growth rate    Slow
Form    Rounded
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Evergreen

Bloom Color    White
Bloom Time    Spring

Environment
This plant tolerates drought, occasional wetness and some salt.
This plant will grow in very dry to occasionally wet soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color    Green
Fall Color    No change in fall color

Culture Notes
Growing best in rich, well-drained, slightly acid soil, this holly does well in full sun or part shade.  However, flowering and subsequent fruiting is reduced in shady locations.  It is drought-tolerant and easy to grow once established.  It is well suited for low-maintenance landscapes which receive little or no irrigation or fertilizer after trees are established. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.

This is a common hedge plant for the south. Scale is about the only thing that causes some problems. A dense rounded silhouette develops without clipping making it well suited for planting along a foundation.  Plant 3 to 4 feet apart to form a hedge, farther apart in a shrub border.  It is often used as a mass planting on commercial properties to form a low shrub mass around parking lots.  One yearly pruning can easily keep this plant in bounds in most landscape settings, unless it is clipped into a formal hedge.  Two to four clippings may be needed for hedges. Clip the hedge so it is wider at the bottom than at the top to allow maximum light penetration to bottom foliage.  This will help keep the hedge full to the ground.

Fertilization once each year is all that is needed to maintain good leaf color and adequate growth. Cease fertilization as the plant reaches the size you desire.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep.  Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery.  In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off.  The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider.  In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole.  Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential.  Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth.  Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk.  If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer.   This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry.  Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water.  Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

Moss Rose, Annual of The Day

Portulaca grandiflora 'Sundial Peach'

Moss Rose, Eleven-O'Clock, Rose Moss, Sun Moss, Garden Portulaca, Sun Plant

Type Annual

Height 6" to 8" / 15cm to 20cm

Spread 8" to 12" / 20cm to 30cm

Growth rate Fast

Form Prostrate and spreading or horizontal

Exposure Full sun

Bloom Color Salmon

Bloom Time Summer and Fall

The flowers are showy.

Environment This plant tolerates drought and some salt.
This plant will grow in dry to moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color Green
Fall Color No change in fall color

This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes Can be sown under glass in the late winter. Seeds will also germinate outdoors if planted in the spring. Life of the individual flowers only lasts one day; deadhead for continuing blooms. The plant's height can be controlled by reducing the amount of water given. Flowers will close in the evening. Known for its succulent leaves and brightly colored blossoms, the 'Sundial' series has larger blooms that stay open longer than other cultivars. In particular, 'Sundial Peach' is one of the four bedding plants that was selected for the 1999 All-America Selections (AAS) award, thereby becoming the first portulaca to win an AAS award. It is heat and humidity tolerant, and AAS recommends it for garden "hot" spots. Its large, 2-inch coral blossoms are consistently found to be either semidouble or fully double.

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Possum Haw Viburnum, Shrub of The Day

Viburnum nudum 'Winterthur'
    Possum Haw,  Swamp Haw,  Possum Haw Viburnum

Type    Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range    5A to 9A
Height    4' to 6' / 1.20m to 1.80m
Spread    4' to 6' / 1.20m to 1.80m
Growth rate    Average
Form    Rounded
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Deciduous

Bloom Color    White
Bloom Time    Spring

The flowers are fragrant and showy.

Environment
This plant tolerates drought, occasional wetness and some salt.
This plant will grow in very dry to occasionally wet soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color    Green
Fall Color    Purple and red
This plant has attractive foliage and attractive fall colors.

Culture Notes
Viburnum nudum 'Winterthur' has received the Gold Medal Award from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.  It likes moist, acid soil and will do very well in a wet site. Fall color is best when planted in full sun.  Another viburnum nudum is needed for cross-pollination if the attractive fruits are to develop.   They appear in clusters and will change from pink to dark blue. Plants appear more open than other viburnum shrubs. Some stems can be cut near to the ground every year to keep the plant small.  Foliage is shiny bright green. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep.  Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery.  In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off.  The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider.  In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole.  Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential.  Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth.  Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk.  If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer.   This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry.  Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water.  Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.