Re: a lawn substitute suggestion

Phyla nodiflora -
I moved into a place with with lippia scattered about, and thought 'how
pretty' so encouraged it.  I was told it was 'blue-star creeper' which
Sunset attaches to a similar appearing plant.  I just recently found out
its right name Phyla nodiflora.  On a very dry spot, with no summer water,
it forms a pretty flat mat with green leaves and pretty little flowers.
Bees and butterflies LOVE it.
That is, it forms a pretty mat for a year or two, then the stems get
thicker and the  pretty leaves and flowers farther and farther out on more
and more stem, and it is a mess.  With summer water, it goes nuts.  Mine
accidently got watered once and was 10 inches tall and ropey.  Then I
discovered that it had staked out each of the drippers on my drip system
with a half inch in diameter root.  It was getting everything else's water!
Then it goes dormant in the winter, leaving behind a pile of ropey stems.
So I am pulling it out.  I know I will never get rid of it completely -
only beat it back to where it is a pretty patch here and there.  As you
say, this is a really tough plant for dry areas.  It needs a hard life.
It is also on the CNPS list of exotic plants to be evaluated for
invasiveness in vernal pools and wetlands.

Another plant suggested for lawn substitution is Dymondia marguarite.  I do
not know of a common name.  It has narrow inch long leaves edged in white,
and small  daisylike flowers occasionally.  I have heard that it is
wonderful to walk barefooted on.  I have seen it used once - as 'pools' of
green long the edges of a patio in a grassless, dry garden. It looked
terrific.  Does anyone have any experience with this plant?
Jane
Santa Barbara CA
Zone 24

>A really tough plant for a lawn in hot, dry areas is Phyla nodiflora (Lippia
>repens).  For a picture and the start of some information, see this test
>page on the Medit-Plants web-site:
>
>http://www.support.net/Medit-Plants/plants/phyla.nodiflora.html
>
>I've planted this species in lawns to help 'toughen' them up, and there are
>areas I know where it grows by itself, making a serviceable walking medium.
>I like the flowers too, but they can draw bees which can be a problem
>(especially when you walk barefoot!).
>
>Occasionally you'll find a flat for sale (ask your local nursery who is
>willing to order for you), but most of the time I've taken cuttings from
>plants in town (usually spilling over sidewalks where people don't mind
>you helping them trim it back), soaked them in 'willow water' (water in
>this willow shoots were 'soaked' for a few days) for a day ot two, then
>planted them directly into a prepared soil surface (like you'd do for a
>lawn) and keep well watered for a week or two.  Warm spring weather is the
>best time to do this as the plant are in active growth at this time.
>
>Sean O.


_______________________________________________________________________

Jane Reese
E-mail:  jreese@silcom.com
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