Re: Yucca

Connie Hoy....hmmmmm that's the local weather persons name here in Eugene,
OR. USA Zone 8.....Yucca loves hot summers....had it in Colorado....deep
taproots so it could survive deep freezes...we are talking 4 ft here...They
bury the water pipes at that depth......Here in the 8 zone yuccas
thrive,,,,bloom beautifully.....draw ants like crazy....I would think that
yucca would do well in a cold  zone....Even when it freezes it just darkens
down...then comes back....antifreeze in its arteries...I swear
Dee
http://www.oregoncams.com
Eugene, OR. USA
Zone 8....Although we have not felt like it this year

.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "connie hoy" <greenn@icehouse.net>
To: <perennials@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2004 9:23 PM
Subject: speaking of plants... of Saccharum arundinaceum etc.


> Hi Marge good to see you posting of late .As you know I mostly lurk,but
> hope I can offer Donna some of my experience with the following plants.
>
> >This one is really rock hardy..Think edible Aaparagus)offering came out
of
> Neb.or Dakotas? anyway hard winter area,as I recall it was rated zone
3.(It
> looks alot like florist type aspar.vine; (the stuff they put in with
> roses..)but a little coarser. Had no trouble with it, not bugs
etc.although I
> think it would like more fertilizer than I have given it over the now
third
> season in the garden.Intend to take better care of it this season and look
> forward to seeing all those orange berries in the late summer.BTW this
appears
> to be a kissing cousins to a variety which grows in my former gardening
world
> zone 9/10 (sob)which I loved but it not of course hardy here,so this is a
> delightful sub.Behaves much like edible Aspar.but stays green right into
hard
> frost,light see through vine which can attain  8'or so in height not sure
of
> mature width.
> >
> >
> Marge says:
>
> >I do not have the Asparagus verticillatus, but saw it at Tony Avents
> >a couple years ago.  Very interesting plant that I have considered
> >getting.  Doubt it would be hardy for you; think it would be iffy for
> >me, but definitely of great interest in the garden - not strange or
> >weird, but neat.
> >-----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >THis one is delightful and hardy here in our ever changing temps..Not
> invasive at all in fact I wish it were a little more aggressive growth
> wise..Pretty in bloom,rich pink sweet pea shaped flowers.This one I almost
> destroyed pulling weeds etc.by the time I checked myself I had 'hard
pruned'
> more than half of the new spring growth..It recovered nicely and bloomed
as
> usual.According to Forest Farms cat.this one is rated zone 5 which I
suspect
> is true.Mine is in full brutal high desert sun which seems not to phase
> it.Adaptable as per Marges comments.
> >
> >
> >Marge says:
> >I have Indigofera kirilowii and enjoy it no end.  Have not found it
> >invasive.  Have had it in (of course) the wrong place - a raised bed,
> >where it gets too tall - since I put in that raised bed garden; what
> >is that now, five years or so anyway.  It has started to sucker a bit
> >- there is one offset about 8" from the main stem, but I would not
> >class that as invasive.
> >
> >Charming small shrub type plant.  I have mine in part shade; like it
> >gets some direct early/midday sun and is in shade the rest of the
> >day; blooms like mad.  Gets about 3' tall; of course, I give mine a
> >haircut in spring, so don't know how tall it would get if you just
> >left it alone.
> >---------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >This just happens to be my very favorite grass.It is going into its 6th
year
> with me and I/we love it so much we will be dividing it this spring and
making
> a screen (of very impressive proportion) along our fence line and
driveway..I
> love the 'rubber'zones, as this one has been rock hardy for us here and
this
> is a zone 6(got it from T.Avent he too says its a 6er.)However I have
checked
> the temps for these past 6 yrs and we have been below zero only two of
those
> yrs. for several days at a time.But we have many weeks of temps seldom
above
> freezing.I think it would survive zone 5 in a sheltered spot (once
established
> of course)and you NOT cut the top growth down until spring has really
arrived
> (we get many hard frost until late spring)this protects the crown and
buffers
> the air around it.Just my opinion on this however..One word of warning
allow a
> very large spot for this one,true to it heritage it is a GIANT!!Ours
currently
> measures('03) 12'Hx14'W.In our high ph soil the foliage is a gorgeous blue
> gray,it is truely a specimen type which needs plenty of space..Ease of
care
> like most grasses, I dont feed mine too much maybe twice a season via
foliar
> feeding..Never have to worry about volunteer seedlings as season is too
short
> here,came close this year with a long Indian summer,I could see the stalks
> thickening with pending blossoms but it was cut short by hard frost as
with
> every year before ..
> >
> marge says:
>
> >Don't grow Saccharum but according to John Greenlee's 'Encyclopedia
> >of Ornamental Grasses', it's only hardy to z 9-10.  Gets 12-15' tall.
> > He does say some hardy clones have survived 10F and show promise as
> >selections for colder areas.   Appears there are several clones with
> >varying colors of canes.  Also says it grows well in pots or tubs, so
> >you could do that and bring it in for winter.  Canes are edible -
> >same as sugar cane used for sugar production.
> >-----------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> Yucca rostrata.This one is also a T.Avent purchase and its survived nicely
its
> now 3rd winter..However as with all Yuccas its slow even in this desert
> soil..But it looks good,wouldnt venture a guess for your climate Donna as
I
> know it must have sharp drainage to survive winters..Even here I worry
about
> it occasionaly..Under a eave or some such might be helpful..If you could
find
> a large one you'd have a good head start on bringing it to maturity in
this
> lifetime :-)
> I hope you find some of this helpful in your choices..As I assess the
plants
> in the gardens I find I have many that are 'not supposed to be here' zone
wise
> and perhaps a  winter will come eventually to kill them off but in the
mean
> time I have had the pleasure of their beauty and find that far out weighs
the
> risks..
> Keep growing.
> Connie
>
> >Marge says:
> >
> >I do not find Yucca a fast growing plant, so if you want something
> >that makes a statement, best try for it locally.  Don't know that one
> >as all I have are filamentosa and the yellow var. one whose name I
> >forget.
> >
> >Nice list there, Donna:-)
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!
> http://www.hort.net/funds/

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!
http://www.hort.net/funds/
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index