Re: Hardy 'pretty' flowers/Kangaroo Paw?

Charl,
I don't know how salt tolerant Anigozanthus are, but
they can certainly take hot dry winds here in
California.  I would presume that they also tolerate
mildy acid soils, coming from southwestern Australia. 
The A. flavidus cultivars are the easiest to grow here
in California, and do well enough in clay loam soils
if allowed to dry out between waterings.  Begging to
differ with Tim, with full sun and warm conditions
they can be quite beautiful in bloom over a very long
season.  The flowers last for 3 to 6 months on stems
up to 8 feet tall, and can continue in bloom in winter
here.  The cultivars such as A. flavidus "Harmony' is
particularly nice, and there are also pale lime green
forms as well as bright reds.  I suspect that they
would need some protection from your mole rats, as
their roots may be just as attractive as your South
African bulbs are.

I would suggest some of your native succulents such as
Aloes, Cotyledons(macrantha and orbiculata), Crassula
'Campfire', Senecio mandraliscae, Mesembranthemums; or
succulent bulbous plants like Bulbine frutescens,
Bulbinellas, Scilla maritima(Mediterranean) and Scilla
natalense would all be good candidates for more
seasonal color.  There are a huge amount of species
from the Eastern Cape of South Africa which have
become garden staples here in California, and show
surprising tolerance to garden conditions and winter
rainfall, as well as moderate summer drought as along
the immediate coast of California.  If you are willing
to mix and match from plants within South Africa, you
can probably find quite a few things that would work
with occasional supplemental summer watering.  The
bulbs would probably need the protection of wire
baskets or rockery work to protect them from the mole
rats.  Some other S. African flowers much used here
for color would include Arctotis acaulis cultivars,
Felicia spp, Coleonema pulchrum, Lobostemon
fruticosus, Plectranthus neochilus and P. zuluensis.

Some of our California coastal scrub plants such as
Salvia clevelandii, S. leucophylla, and Salvia greggii
cultivars would also probably do well under these
conditions.  If you were willing to amend soils to
make them more neutral in ph, many of the
mediterranean shrubby bloomers such as Lavandula,
Erysimum, Phlomis and Rosmarinus would also give you
some flower color beyond late winter to mid spring. 
Also good would be things such as Convolvulus
mauritanicus, Erigeron karvinskianus and E.
'Moerheimii, Gaura lindheimeri(Texas).  All of these
are from areas with more basic soils, but are tolerant
of general garden conditions here. 

If they are not considered invasives, some of the
silver foliaged Adenanthos sericea or A. drummondii
would do well, or Chamelaucium's and Correa's.  The
Melaleuca's such as M. incana or M. thymifolia are
also worth considering.  Isopogon formosus and
Grevillea species are also worth considering.

Many of these plants may not be suitable on the
limited watering regimen it sounds like you garden
with, but all are considered good drought tolerant
plants here in California.  Of course pure sand holds
much less water than loamy clay soils, so they may not
have equal drought resistance in your situation.

Good luck,
David Feix


>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Charl de Winnaar 

>   My indigenous garden is 4 years old and thriving.
> However, I am being badgered by the government (my
> wife) to introduce  'pretty' flowers,  and some
> colour (other than blue and grey) into the garden. 
> 
>   Can anyone recommend long-flowering or colourfully
> foliaged plants for a garden that is subject to
> salt-laden, high-speed winds (although there are
> barrier plants in place) and a Mediterranean type
> climate. In this case the 'soil' is hydrophobic sand
> that proteas and  restoids, for instance, thrive in.
>  The plants will be mulched and watered as water
> restrictions permit.
> 
>    The plant would thus have to cope with acidic
> sand, be salt and wind tolerant and be able to
> endure long, hot dry spells with intermittent
> watering.  Also, it needs to withstand some root
> disturbance as I co-exist with some 'creeping' moles
> (at the cost of the odd protea).   
> 
>   Would the Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos flavidus) be
> suitable and can one grow it from seed as I have not
> come across it in local (Western Cape) nurseries? 
> 
>   Your advice would be appreciated 
> 
>   Regards
>   Charl     
> 
>   PS Reading the above, it seems that I might have
> to engage in some genetic engineering 
> 
> 


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