RE: Natural understory beneath Olives

My Ceanothus arboreus has been growing very well (beautiful  now.. and
planted about 2 years ago) in a very hot dry condition  (it is still on a
water system every 2 days at the moment as we have had virtually no rain for
a month ) together with Lavendula stoechas and Cistus ladenifer. I have some
L. stoechas planted under Pinus halepensis which are just looking reasonable
this year after 2 years but they are difficult in shade. I would not plant
any Cistus without full sun. Why not try some real species geraniums (not
Pelargoniums... which here in Spain are called Geranio!! There are many
beautiful varieties which love shade. You could also try some of the
glorious Acanthus mollis which is such a beautiful sculptural plant and
which seeds easily.  I saw it in all its magnificence in a private coastal
villa in south western Sicily last year.  It gives a great luxuriousness to
a Mediterranean garden and it grows well in adverse conditions
Pamela

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
[o*@ucdavis.edu]On Behalf Of Ben Wiswall
Sent: 21 March 2008 15:40
To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
Subject: Natural understory beneath Olives


I have a grove of young olives in my garden, and by
next year they should be tall enough to walk beneath
(they've grown fast!).  The understory is now mostly
Cistus ladanifer and Lavandula stoechas 'Otto Quast'.
But, as the trees are now casting some shade, the
Cistus are beginning to get loose, and the lavenders
are looking odd, out of place in the partial shade.
What grows beneath wild olives, or beneath an
abandoned olive orchard,  in southern Europe?
As I live in southern California, I'm leaning toward
natives as an understory: Ceanothus 'Frosty Blue' has
been an ok background shrub, though not as floriferous
as in sun, and this past fall I've planted some
Arctostaphylos 'Bert Johnson' and Carpenteria
californica, so we'll see how they do.
Is a more herbaceous groundcover more appropriate?
Maybe Fragaria chiloensis and Heuchera maxima
cultivars?
Thanks for any advice!
-Ben Wiswall
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