Sun Exposure: Full Sun

When a plant is designated as full sun that means several things. Full sun is at least six hours of unobstructed sunshine. Anything less than that can qualify as part shade. Plants in too much shade that are adapted to sun behave in strange ways. They will often lean exorbitantly towards the direction of the most possible sun. They will not bloom very well and they will not grow nearly as dense becoming lanky and missing the natural beauty of a plant grown correctly. Most drought adapted/low water plants fit into this category.

Climate Adapted Plants for Gardeners in the PNW

Nemesia fruticans ‘Gray Mary’

This is an interesting discovery in my garden. I bought this plant as part of a 6 pack of annual color years ago. This species is hardy in our climate but it usually comes back in a wimpy way. Enter this individual seedling that is extremely vigorous, cold hardy, and unlike the species it blooms continuously through the heat of summer. This Nemesia does not take a break in the mid summer heat.  To just 6″ tall by 2′ wide this continuously blooming perennial has small snapdragon-like flowers  in clusters that have a lower lip of white  with a touch of yellow and upper petals that are gray and change to purple. Best in enriched soil with regular water in summer. It begins blooming straight away in May and continues until frost.  Loved by hummingbirds and pollinators. It makes a great perennial container plant that is so prolific in bloom for such a long period you might think it was an annual.  Loves rich soil and organic fertilizer. Cold hardy below 10ºF and disappears completely in cold winters, emerges in April. Excellent at the front of borders and trailing down rock walls. Easy and pretty perennial. Not bothered by rabbits. Native to high elevation South Africa.  Mix with other smaller scale perennials such as  Armeria or Diascia, Campanula ‘Dickson’s Gold’. Remove spent flowers to encourage more.

Xera Plants Introduction

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Sternbergia lutea

Fall Daffodil, this is one of the brightest and most cheerful of all fall  blooming bulbs. This vivid yellow flowers emerge and bloom with the first fall rain and it  blooms for an extended period from early September  into October. It forms multiplying clumps in full sun and rich soil. The leaves follow the bloom and they are deep green and rise to 6″ tall and persist all winter..  No supplemental water is needed once established , it simply avoids summer heat and dry by going dormant when truly hot weather hits.  There is no presence in summer and mark the spot so that you do not plant something in that void during summer. Very easy to grow and long lived. In rich well drained soil, they multiply faster, but it is not fussy and tolerates rockhard dry clay soils. Truly related to Narcissus this bulb has great deer, rabbit, and pest resistance. Native to hillsides in Crete. Beautiful bulb for September in rock gardens, the front of borders, lining paths. The  upright yellow goblet shaped flowers recall a large Crocus. Perfect for mediterranean plantings with species from there.  Often persists in the oldest gardens.

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Cestrum parqui

Chilean Jessamine, this is a large growing sub shrub that blooms on new wood and produces clusters of small tubular yellow flowers that pump out a heady perfume at night. Large mid green leaves line sturdy stems. Freezes to the ground in winter in the mid-teens or lower. Roars alive with warm weather and can become a shrub 5′ x 5′ even if cut to the round in one season. The flowers at terminal ends of the shoots close during the day and yawn open at night. Its a good light yellow and is a great companion for other bold plants. such as Aralia californica and cannas. Excllent in very large containers. Rich soil with regular irrigation speeds growth and bloom. Begins growing when temperatures remain in the 70’s for highs, be patient. The fragrance is fruity in a citrus kind of way and doesn’t appear until nightfall. Not bothered by deer or rabbits. Excellent plant for the back of a border. Mulch for the first winter. Chile/Argentina.

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Salvia x ‘Celestial Blue’

A hybrid between two southern California shrubby Salvias has yielded an amazing plant for our gardens. The parents of this hybrid are S. clevelandii  ‘Alpine’ x S. pachyphylla and it continues the amazing foliage fragrance of Salvia clevelandii and the deep blue flowers in purple bracts echo pachyphylla. A shrub/ sub shrub for the very warmest parts of the garden. Against a south or west facing aspect.  This Salvias parents come from poor, mineral soils and eventually the pale blue foliage builds to  a 30″ x 4′ evergreen shrub. It loses some leaves in harsh winters . In mid to late summer upright stems support whorls that emit striking  long deep blue flowers, these are held in a dark purple calyx – the each whorl is dark purple and showy before and after bloom as well. Takes the hottest locations and appreciates it.  Strategically placed among large boulder that radiate heat is also useful as is in Hell strips where heat builds. The stems elongate in bloom up to 2′ and are lined with mutiple whorls. Perhaps no animal loves this sage or Salvias in general more than hummingbirds. And the radiant blue tubular flowers are perched just for them.  Long blooming aromatic drought adapted sub-shrub.  Good drainage, full sun, and regular water to establish, let it dry between watering during summer.  Mix with Manzanita, Epilobium – Zauschneria, Grevilleas.  Do not cut back until new growth begins in mid spring. Beautiful in bloom. Excellent with a gravel mulch and on south facing slopes.  Protect from prolonged temperatures below 15ºF, cover with a cardboard box or a tarpaulin. Naturally drought adapted.

 

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Epilobium (Zauschneria) canum ‘Green Wall’

A friend of our nursery selected three Epilobium  formerly Zauschneria in southwest Oregon. This species native throughout California just dips into the southern 1/3 of the southwest part of the state. This form is perhaps the most vivid of the three that Mark Wade chose. Electric salmon/orange flowers with large pink protruding stamens covers this massively blooming perennial. The habit of this form is spreading but lower- intermediate between the low growth of ‘Horse Wall’ and the height and vigor of ‘Illy’. The leaves on this form are more rounded and green and the tubular flowers are electric occurring from early August to October. Hummingbirds adore this plant and it will be visited by birds flying south for the season. To 8″ tall and spreading to 2′-3 wide in rich, well drained soil with regular water to establish. Add a handful of all organic fertilizer when planting , it will establish faster and grow much more vigorously. That said, its a very easy, climate adapted perennial and it can go without summer water when firmly established. These Epilobiums do appreciate a soak every few weeks in the driest part of summer. Totally winter deciduous this herbaceous plant is completely absent in winter. Mix with other climate adapted and vigorous perennials such as Salvia cohuilensis ‘Nuevo Leon’ and Verbena rigida. In habitat it consorts with Clinopodium  and Sidalceas among many others. Excellent performance in containers and will last for years, spreading by the root to emerge from cracks in the pot or or like its natural habitat to root around rocks. Tidy the remnants in spring. Not bothered by deer. Full sun.  Oregon native plant.

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Epilobium (Zauschneria) canum ‘Horse Sign’

Another selection of Epilobium (Zauschaneria) that our friend Mark Wade made in SW Oregon. This is a lovely low growing form with smaller but profuse vivid lighter orange flowers and this selection supports pink stamens and pollen as well. To less than 6″ tall but spreading to an area of several square feet in a season. ‘Horse Sign’ bears sheets of these tubular flowers for several months beginning in August. Loved by hummingbirds it forms a vivid orange carpet of color. Enriched soil with a bit of all organic fertilizer will send this hardy perennial soaring. Water regularly for the first season, letting the soil dry in between. In subsequent years you can water much less if at all. Full sun to very light shade. Ideal for a slope and along rock walls at eye level. Very showy late season native perennial. Completely deciduous in winter with excellent hardiness to cold. This roaming perennial can inhabit and spill around other perennials, shrubs.  Low and spreading, avoid large perennials nearby that could flop on top. Long lived and easy to grow excellent for late season pollinators and vivid color. Mix with other low growing, sun loving perennials such as Scuttelaria, Orginanum ‘Xera Cascade’ and Erodium ‘Spanish Eyes’. Mulch with compost the first winter, this will help energize it to roar out of the ground in mid spring. Foliage is smaller and green but with a silver cast. Very  good looking native perennial. Oregon native plant

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Anaphalis margaritacea

Pearly everlasting is a widespread North American perennial that is common in our area at slightly higher elevations but it is found in every biome. A vigorous spreading perennial in the daisy (Aster) family  with thin olive green leaves  with a silver underside.  On average to 2′ tall. In richer conditions and following disturbance it can become prolific and overwhelm clear cuts and fire scars until it is out competed and shaded out. The bright white phyllaries appear as pure straw petal -like flowers that gives its common name.  Once the golden center of the flowers goes over it emits an incredible amount of fluffy seed. So prolific it can coat nearby trees and shrubs with downy seeds.  It makes a very useful native perennial that can be used to out compete invasive non native weeds. Very easy to grow. Water regularly after planting let the soil dry between summer irrigation.   Water  until established, then tolerant of summer drought in subsequent years.  Full sun to very light shade. A great perennial for bioswales. and rain garden. It can have a brief lifespan- 3 -5 years, but copious seed constantly regenerates this plant. Loved by native bees and bumbles. Combine with other vigorous natives such as Douglas aster (Symphyotrichum subspicatum) and our native Golden rod (Solidago c. elongata) to keep everyone in check and provide a summer long display of pollinator flowers. Blooms, depending on elevation from May in the lowlands to mid summer in alpine areas. Cut back hard in winter to emerging leaves.  1′ to 5′ wide per plant. Do not enrich or amend the soil, water, water to establish in virtually any soil that is not boggy. Drought adapted when established. Deer and rabbit resistant. Dislikes nursery pot culture, often looks poor in containers.  Easy in the ground where its roots can spread.  Oregon native plant.

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Hakea nodosa

We love cold hardy plants in the Protea family, not only do they have exotic flowers, they can sport foliage that is just as interesting , Hakea nodosa is another shrubby  Hakea that is known as yellow Hakea. Multiple fine stems emerge from the ground and are staunchly vertical. They  have few side branches and each stem is clad in slightly swollen blue phyllodes, these are not prickly and are about 1 cm long.  In spring, very small yellow flowers crowd the leaf axils on older wood.- not conspicuous but hummingbirds find them.  An upright small shrub to about 6′ tall and 2′ wide.  Pollinated flowers produce large seed pods  that can cause the stems to nod, not sure if this is what the specific name refers to. Moderately fast growing in native, un-amended soil that drains, including clay soils that dry in summer. Water to establish then extremely tolerant of drought. A wonderful textural evergreen that we love at Xera. An excellent companion to Grevilleas, Ceanothus, Halimium, Arctostaphylos.. Fulll sun to very very light shade. This form has been cold hardy below 10ºF in western Oregon with a probable lowest temperature around 5ºF. Native to areas of South Australia into Tasmania. Ours are grown from high elevation, cold hardy seed from Tasmania. Lovely soft, rare shrub . Pronounced HAY- kee -uh. But with an Australian accent. Well adapted to the Oregon coast and can be cultivated on sand.  Deer resistant, but protect newly installed plants from rabbits. Very easy to grow, a natural with ornamental grasses and large hardy succulents, Cactus, Agaves. Not prickly but rather soft.

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Lagerstroemia indica Lil Purpura™

This is a very pretty and unusual Crape Myrtle selection that we made years ago. After more than a decade it has shown no sign of powdery mildew and has profuse frilly rich purple reliable flowers. This is a compact and slow growing shrub to 6′ tall in 10 years and half as wide progressively larger over time. In early July it alights in large trusses of clear purple flowers, in full bloom they obscure the foliage.  Fresh green foliage emerges tinted pewter  and changes to shades of orange and red in fall. Rich soil, in full all day sun in a warm position. Crape myrtles loathe any and all shade. The compact habit and measured growth means that pruning is seldom necessary. Thin trunks and stems exfoliate to a glossy tan and are showy in winter. Water once a week through  bloom. This  shrub creates a wonderful ball of purple for 6-8 weeks beginning in early July.  The long bloom time means that this is a supreme pollinator shrub.  Rich soil with mulch is ideal. Very adaptable to large containers and with regular water and annual applications of all organic fertilizer. Crape myrtles will stall, the leaves will turn red and not bloom if they have insufficient irrigation water once a week. A great small purple crape myrtle we specifically selected for the Willamette Valley.

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Abutilon x ‘Gingerbomb’

We selected this Abutilon from a seed batch eons ago and it still holds up as one of the best. Upright growing sub-shrub to 6′ tall in a season. Profuse bloomer produing  ginger / parchment colored  pendant flowers from a contrasting russet/ beige calyx. This incredibly unique flower color mixes with a huge range of hues. It can even hold its place with bright red flowers. Everblooming, rich soil, and regular water with several handfuls  of organic fertilizer scratched around the base of the plant- 2, 3 times per growing season. Surprisingly cold hardy its spring appearance would not lead  you to believe that. In a normal winterF – above 15º, it will likely freeze back by 2/3rd  below that it will die to the ground. Spring recovery is a combination of all organic ferilzer and water and warmth. Seemingly from dead sticks life will emerge and if you are consistent with water recovery and bloom is fast , usually in bloom by June and continuing until frost. Excellent container plant and it may act as a seasonal plant that way. Loved by hummingbirds and butterflies. A wonderful, blendable, sophisticated flower color. Mulch for its first winter to protect the base. Full sun to part shade. Naturally fine branching with large arrow-shaped  mid green leaves.  Protected location. 3′ x 4′ in a season.

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