Re: now desert willow

Noreen-so you have one and it's well? You're really humid and get a good bit of rain right? That might mean I could plant one in a well drained spot. What do you think? 
A
----- Original Message ----- From: <TeichFauna@aol.com> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 1:47 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] got my loquat planted/ now need tree recommendation
About 10 years ago when I was looking for Texas native plants for our native garden, there were many varieties available. It was difficult to find the actual native Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis. There were many more of 
the
"improved" varieties available....which were supposed to be faster growing, 
larger blooms, different colors etc.  The native has  large trumpet blooms
that are white with pink (light to dark). Named varieties at the time were: White Storm, with white blooms; Dark Storm, with dark burgundy blooms; and several others, such as: Marfa Lace, Tejas, and Alpine that has shorter wider leaves. There is another that is supposed to be very robust and easy to grow 
called Bubba.  Available also is a cross between the Catalpa  and the
Chilopsis, called a Chitalpa that was supposed to be an even better landscape 
plant
than the native, combining the traits of both genre into one. Back then, the NPSOT and the TXDOT were very strict about native plantings being the true native. After seeing the other types growing, I wish I had just gone ahead with one of the "improved" varieties, since they seem to be far more suitable 
to a landscape....faster growing, larger  blooms, less temperamental to
changes in soil, water, etc.    I'm  sure that now there are probably even
more
varieties available.

My suggestion is to go with a named variety, rather than the pure  native.

Noreen
zone 9
Texas Gulf Coast

In a message dated 10/27/2008 10:02:47 AM Central Daylight Time,
cyndi.johnson@edwards.af.mil writes:

They  grow pretty quickly for a xeric plant. I got one of mine from HCG
about 5  years ago, it was maybe 7 inches tall. I was a little dismayed
but planted  it outside anyway, and now it's just as tall as the others I
got from the  nursery, they were about 5'. They're all about 8' now.
The description in  the catalog for the HCG one said it had bigger
blossoms and longer bloom  than the common ones; I haven't really found
that to be obvious. But there  is one down the street with almost solid
magenta blossoms and it's in a  spot I can get to it. I'm going to try
and take some cuttings off it next  spring, if I can get them growing
I'll finish off my back fence plantings  with them.
**************Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your favorites, 
no registration required and great graphics b check it out!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?redir=
http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index