This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Re: Re: Wanting winter interest plants... Mahonia :-)

I am growing a western Mahonia (M. haematocarpa) in a scree setting.
It has been hardy and reliably evergreen here (Z5a New Hampshire)
for 3 winters.  It has not flowered yet but is still young. Leaves are
attractive.
I recall is stays fairly dwarf.

-----Original Message-----
From: Fireraven9@aol.com <Fireraven9@aol.com>
To: woodyplants@mallorn.com <woodyplants@mallorn.com>
Date: Monday, November 17, 1997 7:45 PM
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Wanting winter interest plants... Mahonia :-)


>
>In a message dated 11/17/97 4:22:11 PM, you wrote:
>
><<Mahonias in general like moist soils and need to be protected from
>hot areas and drying winds.  M. x media is also not particularly hardy,
>only flowering around zones 8-9...>>
>
>Only our Creeping Mahonia (Berberis repens) fits this description. We grow
it
>and do not water it, but it does not spread or flower in spring at our
home.
>It likes the cooler, damper (high mountain) areas of the state, but it is
>hardy to zone 3 or something like that. Some of those areas get 30 inches
of
>rain/melted snow per year. We (at only 7200 feet elevation) had 33 inches
>this year, but it has been a WET year! New Mexico's shrubby Mahonias
>(Berberis trifoliata, B. fendleri, B. algerita & B. fremontii) are High
>Plains/foot hill plants... they do best at 3000 to 6000 feet elevation,
they
>do not require much water and are nice looking shrubs. They are not as cold
>hardy as the Creeping Mahonia.
>
><<So it's probably not too great for drought-resistance.  My favorite
>evergreen drought-tolerant shrub is Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, or
>bearberry.  Mine tripled in size over the past year, with flowers
>and fruit all over.  Can't wait for next year!>>
>
>This plant - Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Kinnickinnick) - is considered a
medium
>to high water plant in this state. It lives only with extra water (on our
>land for example) or in the high altitude, high moisture areas as a wild
>groundcover. It IS spectacular to see an acre or two of Spruce and mixed
>conifers and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi growing in clumps under these trees,
in
>the sunny clearings and bare places on the side of the mountain. It is
>related to another plant that is drought hardy under dryer (& lower
altitude)
>conditions... the Point-leaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos pungens). Pretty
>plant. Smells wonderful too.
>
>Even when the rain is identical in quantity, the dry air and drying winds
of
>the higher altitudes can desiccate plants that have no extra protection.
Both
>our native Mahonias and our Arctostaphylos species have waxy leaves that
help
>hold in water. Native plants make all the difference. I was hoping that
there
>was an interesting, tough Mahonia out there that we could grow. Gertrude
>Jekyll grew Yucca in some of her gardens. Never hurts to ask.
>
>Blessings of the Resting Season!
>Lee Corbin (Fireraven9@aol.com)
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
>message text UNSUBSCRIBE WOODYPLANTS
>

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE WOODYPLANTS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index