Re: Dodonaea reseeding

I don't notice the Dodonaea reseeding to be nearly as much a problem here in the SF Bay Area.  Yes, it does occasionally reseed, but nothing like Pittosporum undulatum, Eriobotrya japonica, Ligustrum lucidum, Acacia melanoxylon or Hedera canariensis.  In my opinion, these are the worst introduced ornamental plant culprits in an irrigated landscape here in the East Bay.  The ones that have berries that birds like to eat are typically the worst spreaders for me in my garden, especially in areas under trees or power lines.  I suppose I should also add Quercus agrifolia and Black Walnuts, but the squirrels and blue jays do more to spread these around than the others.

From: Nan Sterman <TalkingPoints@plantsoup.com>
To: Medit-Plants Group <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Sat, January 15, 2011 10:42:30 PM
Subject: Re: Kennedia coccinea

Just one thing to keep in mind with Dondonaea, at least in my area (southern California), it reseeds like crazy... terrible.  I have a client whose next door neighbor has one on their side of the fence and it almost literally rains seedlings into her garden, especially into vegetable beds.  Really drives us nuts pulling those darned seedlings in the beds and everywhere else in the garden.

Nan

On Jan 15, 2011, at 6:27 PM, david feix wrote:

Deborah,
That sounds like it would be an interesting combination for this plant!  If you are in need of more orange/coral/purple flower colors in combination, you might also think of adding some Chorizema to the mix, also in bloom about now.  I forgot to mention that Jo O'connel's nursery down in Ventura would be a good source for more obscure Kennedia species, see her web site/link:

http://www.australianplants.com/plants.aspx?id=1550

K. coccinea may want more supplemental irrigation to get it going than the Dodonaea needs, so it might take some TLC to get this established at the base of an existing Dodonaea.  The one Kennedia species I am most familiar with, and the one that is the most aggressive in size is the black flowered K. nigricans, which is probably a much harder plant to abuse, but the flowers aren't as showy from a distance, more for the person who likes black flowers...  I think any slower acting fertilizer that is not too rich in nitrogen or phosphorus would be suitable for Kennedia, my implication is that they are easy to burn with a fast acting fertilizer.

Locally, The Dry Garden Nursery in Oakland, Ca. usually stocks the Kennedia coccinea or the Chorizema, but they are also available from Suncrest Wholesale Nursery or San Marcos Growers Wholesale Nursery.








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