Artemesias
- Subject: Artemesias
- From: &* O* <S*@UCCMVSA.UCOP.EDU>
- Date: Wed, 04 Dec 96 12:29:35 PST
>From: Eric Rowe/Fr <100346.1267@CompuServe.COM>
>Subject: Re: Teucrium
>Sender: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
>Date: 04 Dec 96 05:52:55 EST
>
> <<I think you could hedge
> it too. We have replaced all the Artemesia 'Powis Castle' on the slopes
> with the T. f. A. because the Artemesia looks rattty after a year or two.
> I am sorry because Artemesia is a native and smells so good.>> Teucrium will
> certainly clip into a low hedge - heat and drought-proof. I find Powis Castl
> does not do well in a Med climate - try Artemesia aborescens or A. abrotanum.
I
> find they do much better. Abrotanum needs cutting down occasionally to stop
t
> getting leggy. Eric http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/E_Rowe
> 'Mediterranean Wild Flowers for Gardens'
>
Unfortunately, Artemesia 'Powis Castle' (which is believed by some
to be a hybrid involving A. aborescens) does far too well in our
climates, growing VERY fast into a large rounded mass, which then
tends to fall apart, become infested with scale, and generally get
too big to support itself. I once thought it'd be better in a dry
area where perhaps its growth might not be so rampant, but this
doesn not seem to be the case. It looks its best when rerooted at
least semi-annually, discarding the overly large plant.
There are quite a few Artemesias to choose from, and some of them
are indeed native to California as Judy mentioned. Many of those
available in the trade are more adapted to eastern gardens (summer
rain) than ours, or to rich garden soils with moderate water. For
true drought tolerance and non-maintenance, be sure and research the
native forms via your local Calif. Native Plant Society.
One of my favorite native Artemesias is A. californica - the
prostrate form (I forget the cultivar name). This small shrub has
light textured, pale green leaves and a strong aromatic quality. In
this prostrate form, the stems are very lax and lie along the ground
almost completely flat. It is marvelous on a slope or tumbling off
a wall, looking much like some of the cultivated Lotus. I love the
soft texture with strong succulents such as Agave attenuata or A.
americana, creating an interesting textural contrast as well as
being culturally appropriate together.
H O R T U L U S A P T U S - 'a small garden suited to its purpose'
Sean A. O'Hara
710 Jean Street, Oakland, CA 94610-1459 sean.ohara@ucop.edu
(510) 987-0577
