Re: Sculptural plants for coastal Med Garden

Pamela has already received many interesting
possibilities of large and/or dramatic foliage plants,
but I would hesitate to recommend some of the
suggested ones if drought tolerance is also a key
requirement.  Sparmania africana is certainly one that
does not look its best without some summer irrigation,
and it will be more of an eyesore than accent if it is
in a hot, dry and windy location without summer water.

The Cussonias such as C. paniculata and C. spicata are
certainly dramatic, and ultimately tree sized, with C.
paniculata being more drought tolerant and better in
full hot sun.  The Mexican and Central American
Beschornerias and the Australian Doryanthes palmeri
may  be too Agave-like for your preferences, but many
are great accents, and perhaps also better in hot dry
summer climates with some overhead dappled shade.  As
already mentioned, the various Dasylirions are also
choice accents, and Heperaloes are also quite
beautiful.  The various tree aloes as already
suggested can also be spectacular.  A. dichotoma, A.
arborescens and A. speciosa and A. thraskii are
personal favorites.

No one has so far mentioned Eriobotrya, which is
certainly of dramatic foliage.  If fruit is not
desired, then the coppery new foliage of E. deflexa is
particularly nice.

Of the various hardier bananas, none are really
appropriate for the low water use garden, but I fine
the Chinese Banana, Musella lasiocarpa to be less
water needy than larger growers, and will also handle
the light frosts that Costa Blanca has suffered this
winter, although it will go deciduous.  The very large
Protea-like bloom is also quite spectacular, and worth
waiting for.  Several of the more mountainous species
of Heliconias such as H. latispatha and H. scheideana
are also worth considering for more protected, dappled
shade conditions, as the leaves hold up better to
light winds, and require less absolute water than most
bananas, with showy blooms as well.  Other large
leaved foliage plants to consider in irrigated parts
of the garden might include Tupidanthus calyptratus,
Bartlettina sordida(an escaped weed in New Zealand,
but well mannered here in California, but will die
back to the ground at temperatures much below
freezing), and Trevesia palmata, the Snowflake Tree. 
Setaria palmifolia is also quite an interesting accent
grass for shaded and watered situations.

Back to full sun situations, it might also be worth
considering some of the various Echiums, such as E.
wildprettii, E. fastuosum, and E. piniana.  Various
Cycads might also be worth considering, with some of
the most viciously spiny leaved ones especially showy,
such as Encephalartos horridus and Dioon spinulosa and
D. edule.  I also like Lepidozamia peroffskyana has a
fairly hardy lush shade growing Cycad in my own
garden, although it will be years before it reaches
its full size in my cool maritime conditions. 



		
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