A Plantsman's Xeric Picks

Order in the courtroom, here comes 'da judge ... New Mexico nurseryman David Salman of High Country Gardens ... with xeriscape-friendly plant suggestions for every part of the country.

Dave Says: The licorice mint hyssop has superbly fragrant, long blooming wildflower with nice threadlike foliage and spikes of soft orange tubular flowers that are highly attractive to hummingbirds.

photo credit: courtesy of High Country Gardens

Need a little context? So sit back, relax, and give a listen to this story.

Here's the key to what will grow where: NE, Northeast; MW, Midwest; IM, Intermountain; GP, Great Plains; S, South; and WC, West Coast.

#1 Agastache rupestris (Licorice Mint Hyssop) NE, IM, GP,WC

#2 Artemisia 'Powis Castle' (Powis Castle Sage) all regions

Dave Says: 'Powis Castle', with its outstanding fine-textured silver foliage, makes this non-blooming sage a first class foliar accent plant.

photo credit: courtesy of High Country Gardens

#3 Centranthus ruber 'Coccineus' (Red Jupiter's Beard) all regions except S.
"A bright red flowered, long blooming European wildflower that thrives in hot, dry conditions".

#4 Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (Hardy Plumbago) all regions.
"Long-lived, permanent groundcover used for its bright blue fall flowers and showy mahogany red fall foliage".

#5 Diascia integerrima 'Coral Canyon'(Coral Canyon Twinspur) all regions except S

Dave Says: This South African diascia is one of the best perennial introductions in the last several decades that blooms non-stop with coral-pink flowers.

photo credit: courtesy of High Country Gardens

#6 Gaillardia aristata 'Amber Wheels'(Amber Wheels Blanket Flower)
"Long-lived wildflower that blooms in summer with huge, frilled deep yellow flowers".

#7 Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies'(Appleblossom Grass) IM, S, WC
"Heat loving wildflower that covers itself with clouds of white four-petaled flowers all summer."

#8 Lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso'(Grosso French Hybrid Lavender) NE, IM, WC
"The most cold hardy French hybrid lavender, it is highly fragrant and blooms in summer with long stemmed dark blue flower spikes."

#9 Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'(Heavy Metal Switch Grass) all regions except S
"A unique selection of Prairie switchgrass valued for its blue-gray foliage and tight, upright growth habit."

#10 Penstemon pinifolius (Pineleaf Beardtongue) all regions except S

Dave Says: The needle-like evergreen foliage on this SW native penstemmon is topped with a profusion of showy orange tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds in summer.

photo credit: courtesy of High Country Gardens

#11 Salvia 'May Night'(May Night Sage) all regions
"Outstanding long lived European hybrid that blooms with indigo flower spikes and thrives in all soil types including heavy clay."

#12 Salvia 'Raspberry Delight' (Raspberry Delight Hybrid Bush Sage) NE, IM, GP, S, WC

Dave Says: With highly aromatic herbal scented foliage and showy raspberry-red, flowers, this hybrid sage blooms all summer.

photo credit: courtesy of High Country Gardens

#13 Saponaria x lempergii (Hybrid Soapwort) all regions except S
"Blooming in late summer with hundreds of large clear pink flowers, this perennial groundcover is an outstanding garden performer."

#14 Verbena peruviana 'Red'(Red Verbena) all regions
"A heat loving, very low-growing Verbena with small deep green leaves and screaming bright red flowers."

#15 Yucca bacata (Banana Red Yucca) IM, GP, WC
"A native succulent valued for its sculptural sword-like evergreen foliage, huge flowering spikes of ivory flowers and large, bird attracting seed pods."

This bud's for you, Dave Salman -- with special thanks to Kerry Kirkpatrick -- for providing Talking Plants with something you don't see much of here, truly useful advice.

Greenhouses of xeric plants buzz with hummingbirds, and for Dave Salman, owner of High Country Gardens, visitors don't get any better than that.

photo credit: Ketzel Levine, NPR

 

12:34 AM ET | 09- 3-2007 | permalink