Re: Adenanthos sericea

Somehow, I missed the original post from Linda.

I've had Adenanthos sericea in my garden for several years now and have used it in a friend's garden as well.  Mine is growing against the wall of my house, west facing with a bit of shade from a nearby black acacia (don't plant that one)  in the afternoon.  The wall gets very hot but the high foliage of the tree (it is limbed up very high) provides some relief from the scorching sun.  The plant is now about 4' tall, planted from a 1' tall one gallon.  It  blooms but the bloom is surprisingly subtle.  I wonder whether it would put on a bigger show if it were in brighter light.   

That area of my garden gets down into the high or mid 20s for a few nights in November - February.

I also planted one in a friend's garden, in full sun, south facing.  She lives near the beach so the temps are far more moderate in winter, though cooler and more humid in summer.  

It is a really striking plant and one that deserves to be used more widely....

Nan


Marilyn and Linda:

I've seen this plant in two gardens in So. Cal. now.  The first in Ellen Hoffs (of this list) garden in Santa Monica and I was hoping she'd answer you, but she must be gone as I've seen nothing from her.

Her daughter has several in her wonderful garden in Highland Park.  She also has Adenanthos cunninghamii (sold in California as A. drummondii) which is the prostrate form. They were quite sizeable, sensational looking and I'm sure have been in the ground more than a year.  They were all in full sun and Highland Park is just south of Pasadena so gets hot in summer.  Her garden is on a slope, so I'm sure they get good drainage.

Among the several Aussie plants she was growing, one really attracted me.  She only knew it as Rhagodia.  Low and spreading, dry soil tolerant, it looks to be a good slope holder for our hot dry locations. From the pictures I took, I "googled" it and think it to be Rhagodia baccata or berry saltbush

San Marcos Growers in Santa Barbara is growing them all.
I only wish I had more room!!!
Jan Smithen

On 5/12/05 10:39 PM, mtnstar@ocsnet.net wrote

Dear Marilyn,
I just purchased a wholly bush but have no experience with this plant.  This was the second time I saw it in a nursery and I, too, loved its soft foliage.  I was going to plant it in full sun but my google search said it likes a bit of shade in the hottest climates - so now I have to determine another location for it.  I'll repost about this plant after I see how it does through the summer.
Linda Starr
Springville Gardens



Nan Sterman                                   Plant Soup TM 
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