Excellent cold hardy, drought tolerant shrub that reaches tree like proportions with great age. The pretty variegation presents as prickly leaves outlined in white. With age/maturity the leaves lose their prickles and become smooth and entire. The variegation on this plant is incredibly stable. I have yet to see a reversion of any consequence. Ancient specimens that are now 20′ trees can be found in old, old gardens. Its obviously been grown in this climate for eons. Very, very cold hardy evergreen that is not only hardy below 0ºF it makes a great hedge even near the Gorge where it endures subfreezing wind with no ill effects. Tolerates regular irrigation which increases the rate of growth- on average about 2′-3′ per year can be expected. 8′ x 6′ in 7 years is typical. Full sun to shade. Avoid permanently boggy soils- otherwise very adaptable- including heavy dry summertime clay. In October-December tiny fragrant white flowers crowd the stems. Moderate deer resistance. Long lived.
Plant Type: Hedge or Screen
Screens and hedges are two different things but many of the same plants are applicable. A screen can be blocking one particular view or angle. At its best it is informal and grows quickly to its intended height. A hedge is inherently more formal. Often clipped or sheared it professes a uniformity that imbues structure and form into gardens. Hedges can delineate space in a natural way and they don’t have to be formal. Shrubs with a similar habit in a row can be just as pleasing.
It pays dividends to treat these plants well from the beginning. Dig a large hole and develop a moat around each plant for irrigation. And absolutely mulch them. Treating a hedge well and uniformly affords you the best form and color and saves you the headache of having to replace a fallen soldier. We list screens and hedge plants varying in size. That gives the gardener as many applications as possible. One tip: When buying a row of hedge plants plant 1 or 2 more than you need in other parts of the garden, that way if one of them dies you’ll have a replacement of just the same size and you’ll save considerably too.
Climate adapted plants for gardeners in the PNW
Osmanthus x burkwoodii
An iron clad shrub for western Oregon. It endures heavy clay soils, summer drought and the coldest temperatures we can expect with no harm. Dapper evergreen shrub with handsome matte green leaves. In February and March masses of small tubular white fragrant flowers crowd the stems and emit the perfume of vanilla. Very drought tolerant but adaptable to regular irrigation as well. Avoid permanently wet sites. To 7′ x 7′ in 7 years. Tolerates subfreezing wind and is useful as a hedge/windbreak in areas exposed to gorge outflow. Blooms on wood from the previous season prune- if needed after flowering. Tolerates quite a bit of shade. Very old specimens turn into exotic looking evergreen trees with umbrella shaped clouds of foliage.AKA Burkwood Tea Olive or Burkwood Osmanthus.
Osmanthus x fortunei ‘San Jose’
Amazing hybrid Tea olive that inherits the insane perfume of O. fragrans and cold hardiness from O. heterophyllus. Fast growing columnar broad leaved evergreen shrub to 16′ tall x 5′ wide in 7 years. In time it can make tree like status to 20’+ tall. Otherwise pruning easily keeps it much smaller. In Oct-Dec. tiny parchment colored flowers crowd the stems and emit the sweet penetrating perfume of Freesia and apricots. On mild days its detectable up to 20′ away. Juvenile foliage is prickly but as the shrub matures it develops entire leaves with a smooth margin. Young plants grow about 2′-5′ per year depending upon summer irrigation and soil fertility. This shrub is always at its most lustrous and healthy appearance. Average well drained soil with light but consistent summer irrigation. Totally summer drought tolerant when established. Excellent screen, hedge, or just as a large specimen if you love perfume. Bark/stems are a handsome pale tan- good contrast with the deep green leaves. Avoid direct exposure to subfreezing east wind. Long lived.
Philadelphus lewisii ‘Cumulonimbus’
This seedling Mock Orange appeared in our nursery rooted right into our gravel substrate. It was either a seedling of a few Philadelphus from eastern Oregon that we raised a several years ago or it is a seedling of a naturally occurring plant about 50 meters away on the forest margin of our wholesale nursery. Either way its an astonishing shrub in full bloom. Rather than small clusters of white flowers with a yellow center this shrub creates 6″ long stems with clusters of up to 10 on each. The effect is a billowing cloud of white flowers for many weeks in June to July. No other native Philadelphus we have seen compares in number of flowers. The foliage is literally obscured by the lightly orange blossom scented white flowers. Fast growing even in less than perfect conditions to 9′ tall by 4′ wide in 7 years. The parent plant gets no supplemental water whatsoever relying on only what falls from the sky. The handsome mid green leaves take on yellow tints in autumn but is not a show stopper. In bloom, however, it is. Loved by pollinators. Full sun to very light shade in average to enriched soil. Water consistently for the first season to establish then none in subsequent years. Wonderful specimen or hedgerow member . Extraordinary in full bloom. Blooms on wood from the previous season, prune if needed AFTER blooming . This form has a nice sweet scent that becomes most apparent several years after being in the ground. Associated plants in the wild are Corylus cornuta californica and Oemleria cerasiformis in the Willamette Valley. Oregon native plant.
Xera Plants Introduction
Pittosporum heterophyllum
Large growing evergreen shrub that we love because in spring each branch tip is home to masses of tiny off white flowers that pump out a sweet and pervasive citrus blossom perfume. Bloom lasts for a month and in that time perfume will waft throughout your whole garden. Fast growing to 8′ x 8′ in 6 years. Full sun and well drained soil. Incredibly drought tolerant when established. Cold hardy to 5ºF or lower and an excellent hedge. Fantastic performance in tough urban environments. Foliage is thin and glossy and good looking year round. Easy, fragrant shrub. Water to establish then little summer water when firmly happy. Prune AFTER blooming has ended in late spring. Plant on 3′ centers for a fast dense hedge. Sometimes listed with the common name of Fragrant Pittosporum…which seems vague to me but there you go. Wonderful shrub. Avoid subfreezing wind.. Native to SW China.
Pittosporum tobira ‘Green Compact’
We found this very handsome form of Pittosporum tobira in the south where it is regarded as one of the cold hardiest forms. Upright and then spreading to 6′ tall and 6′ wide in 7 years. Much larger glossier deeper green leaves than the species. Reputedly hardy into central Tennessee. Pretty good. We’ve never had it damaged by cold. Extremely fragrant small off white flower clusters at the branch tips in May. A great hedge or specimen. Very, very drought and heat tolerant. Formal appearance year round. Prune after flowering if needed. Avoid standing water at any point. In very cold winters (below 15ºF) it may lose some of its interior leaves. They are replaced in spring. Protect from subfreezing wind. Very fragrant flowers. Authentic in Japanese themed gardens.
Podocarpus macrophyllus ‘Maki’
Shrubby Japanese Yew Pine is a dwarf form of what can become a large tree. The deep green needles are much shorter in length and held more densely along the stem. In our climate it is a slow growing conifer of wonderful texture rarely exceeding 12′ and usually just 3′ wide or less. In summer little pointed green flowers protrude from between the needles and turn into round blue fruits by autumn. Extremely drought tolerant shrub for tight spots. Takes very well to pruning. Excellent in containers for year round good looks. Tolerates regular irrigation as well and is not fussy about soil. It thrives in high heat and summer is when most of the growth takes place. An old fashioned plant that we’d like to give a new lease on life. Very pretty focal point in authentic Japanese gardens. This true dwarf form can be difficult to obtain in the trade. This is the true form. Adapted to the hottest reflected heat of walls- parking lot islands. Average water to none, when established. Prune in early spring if required.
Rosa ‘Betty Prior’
With all the knock out, fleurshrubselekt® and every other patented type of rose its reassuring that this old gal still rocks them all. Betty bears clusters of slightly fragrant large single pink flowers. They are light pink w/ a slightly darker sheen to the surface of the petals which almost always open skyward. These upright facing groups of flowers yield not only a lot of color- it blooms constantly from May to frost, it gives the plant a wild appeal not seen in overly bred shrubs. The disease resistant foliage is mid green and handsome as well. To 8′ x 4′ forming a tall bloomy shrub. left unpruned it makes a great climbing rose and will unobtrusively scale small trees, deck railings. It may be hard pruned in early spring if necessary. Remove spent flowers and more will quickly appear. Tough plant that gets by on a less than perfect watering regime. Regular, deep watering (once a week max) will yield great performance. Established plants can take drought at the expense of re-blooming. Very easy to grow charming rose. Ultra cold hardy.
Rubus nutkanus (parviflorus)
Western Thimble berry is a widespread relative of raspberries that grows in many biomes and is especially abundant west of the Cascades. The 5 petal pure white flowers that arrive in spring are among the largest of any Rubus. Thimble berry also does not have thorns. YAY. It forms imposing patches spreading by a creeping rhizome. The large maple shaped leaves can be up to 10 cm wide To 4′ tall and spreading – give it room and plan ahead. The sweet edible red berries appear in mid-late summer. They may be detached from a core on the end of the stem. It leaves a concave hollow berry- shaped like a thimble. Its fairly high in water content which means it does not ship well and its not big as a commercial crop. Nice looking large, opulent shrub for wild areas. Water to establish then none necessary in subsequent years. Thimble berry has a very long lifespan but it is also a seral species populating disturbed sites from fire, logging, roadsides. Full sun to quite a bit of shade with good air circulation- prone to powdery mildew in wet springs. It seldom causes permanent damage to the plant. Fall color is yellow to russet and lingers. Not bothered by deer but birds will predate the fruit and then poop out a whole new colony. Wild areas, margins of forests.
Oregon native plant
Sarcococca ruscifolia var. chinensis ‘Dragon’s Gate’
Graceful and formal at the same time. This low arching form of winter box is wonderful with uniform thin, deep green pointed foliage on arching stems. In mid-winter to early spring the undersides of the stems are clad in fine powerfully FRAGRANT white flowers at every leaf axil. The fragrance spreads for quite a distance on mild winter days. Following the flowers are berries that turn black and arrive at red. Handsome low shrub to 2′ tall and 3′ wide suckering to form patches with time. Moderately fast growing and easy to establish shrub in the BUXACEAE which means that this boxwood relative is also deer resistant. Excellent performance in part shade to shade but not low dense shade. Massed it performs as a large scale ground cover. Light consistent summer H20 for the best looks. Takes dry conditions in shade once established- especially if you apply mulch liberally. Unlike the species it does not lose leaves in bloom which is an important difference. Finds a home under dark stairwells and foundation plantings. Impressive relatively new selection. China.