Alternative to Oleander
 

Does anybody know of a plant that will grow similar to oleander that will grow in the Austin, TX area? Im looking for something that grows mostly up, flowers would be nice too.

Thanks,
Lk

Alternative to Oleander
 

In article ,
wkn123 wrote:

Does anybody know of a plant that will grow similar to oleander that
will grow in the Austin, TX area? Im looking for something that grows
mostly up, flowers would be nice too.

Thanks,
Lk

Mexican Oregano.

Blooms all year with little purple trumpet shaped flowers. Very pretty
and gets to be about 3' or so tall over a few years. Mine started as a
4" pot 4 years ago and is close to 3' tall now.

Unlike Oleander, they are not only not poisonous, they are edible and
make a wonderful culinary herb. Water needs are minimal and the usage is
similar to marjoram or italian oregano.

Canna lillies also make nice border "hedges" and bloom all year, but
freeze back in the winter.
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

Alternative to Oleander
 

Here are some things that come to mind right off in addition to what's
been offered:

Mexican Sage - a bit fuller than Mexican Oregano with larger leaves and
blue spires that shoot up about three or four inches. Overall, it'll
get to be about three feet tall, maybe. It does die back in the
winter.

Esperanza (Yellow Bells) - Loves sun, can be a bit leggy but is
beautiful when it's covered in yellow tubular flowers. I think it can
get to be about five feet tall or so???

Bush Germander - More like a bush or shrub than these prevous two &
gets little purple or lavendar blooms on it. It'll grow to four or
five feet. I think it's evergreen.

Dwarf Nandina - Not a bloomer but it is more shrub-like. It's light
green leaves will turn more or less orange/red depending on the amount
of sun it gets. Not really a favorite of mine, but you'll see it lots
of places & may be worth checking out.

The other thing you could do is check out various types of salvias, for
example salvia greggii (cherry sage or autumn sage) or majestic sage.
Some are more evergreen than others and they come in various heights &
bloom colors.

rj

Alternative to Oleander
 

In article .com,
"Richard" wrote:

The other thing you could do is check out various types of salvias, for
example salvia greggii (cherry sage or autumn sage) or majestic sage.
Some are more evergreen than others and they come in various heights &
bloom colors.

rj

Excellent suggestion!
There are over 300 varieties of Salvias and most seem to do well in this
climate. They appear to be popular for commercial landscaping due to low
water usage.

Rosemary bushes are also used a lot.
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

Alternative to Oleander
 

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" wrote in message
...
In article ,
wkn123 wrote:

Does anybody know of a plant that will grow similar to oleander that
will grow in the Austin, TX area? Im looking for something that grows
mostly up, flowers would be nice too.

Thanks,
Lk

Mexican Oregano.

Blooms all year with little purple trumpet shaped flowers. Very pretty
and gets to be about 3' or so tall over a few years. Mine started as a
4" pot 4 years ago and is close to 3' tall now.

Another, taller, plant that also would fit is cenizo. Here's a link for
you:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/leucophyllumfrutes.htm

David

Alternative to Oleander
 

In article et,
"David Wright" wrote:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" wrote in message
...
In article ,
wkn123 wrote:

Does anybody know of a plant that will grow similar to oleander that
will grow in the Austin, TX area? Im looking for something that grows
mostly up, flowers would be nice too.

Thanks,
Lk

Mexican Oregano.

Blooms all year with little purple trumpet shaped flowers. Very pretty
and gets to be about 3' or so tall over a few years. Mine started as a
4" pot 4 years ago and is close to 3' tall now.

Another, taller, plant that also would fit is cenizo. Here's a link for
you:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/o...cophyllumfrute
s.htm

David

Oh wow!
How long does it keep those blooms????

I am SO into xeriscaping to save money on water!
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

Alternative to Oleander
 

wkn123 wrote:
Does anybody know of a plant that will grow similar to oleander that
will grow in the Austin, TX area? Im looking for something that grows
mostly up, flowers would be nice too.

Thanks,
Lk

I vote for vitex agnus-castus, chaste tree. Makes a large rugged
looking bush or small tree, blooming right now, has foliage that's
smelly when crushed so deer won't touch it, but not poisonous. They're
easy to grow from cuttings and after 10 years the twigs will have caught
up with the 5 gallon plants. Comes in blue, or less common white.


--
Gary Brady
Austin, TX

Alternative to Oleander
 

In article et, Gary Brady wrote:

I vote for vitex agnus-castus, chaste tree. Makes a large rugged
looking bush or small tree, blooming right now, has foliage that's
smelly when crushed so deer won't touch it, but not poisonous. They're
easy to grow from cuttings and after 10 years the twigs will have caught
up with the 5 gallon plants. Comes in blue, or less common white.

Got any special tips for making the cuttings? I cut a handful of newer growth
and put in water to root. But they never did anything. The bottoms of the
stems looked like they were rotting apart. Maybe I need an older, more woody
stem?

I'll second the suggestion though. I planted a twig last year (that had
already been rooted) -- it was a single stem less than a foot tall. By this
year it is about 3 feet tall and around, and growing daily. And the deer
didn't mess with it at all. I had a small oleander planted, and while they
didn't eat it, they pulled it up.

The only "downside" is that vitex drops its leaves in the winter while
oleander doesn't.

scott

Alternative to Oleander
 

I like the vitex too, but my son is horribly allergic to it, even when
it's not blooming. I just tell him to stay away from it! ;)
I haven't seen the white variety. I have a pale purplish blue, and I've
also seen a nice steel blue.
Hummingbirds love it too, and bumblebees.

Cindy

Alternative to Oleander
 

Scott Harper wrote:

Got any special tips for making the cuttings? I cut a handful of newer growth
and put in water to root. But they never did anything. The bottoms of the
stems looked like they were rotting apart. Maybe I need an older, more woody
stem?

I'll second the suggestion though. I planted a twig last year (that had
already been rooted) -- it was a single stem less than a foot tall. By this
year it is about 3 feet tall and around, and growing daily. And the deer
didn't mess with it at all. I had a small oleander planted, and while they
didn't eat it, they pulled it up.

The only "downside" is that vitex drops its leaves in the winter while
oleander doesn't.

scott

I took some twigs, treated them with Rootone, and put them in wet sand,
IIRC. Seemed to take a little while, maybe a month, before the roots
appeared. I'd pick woody twigs about 1/8" in diameter. CHaste trees
can be transplanted with sucess, too. A local water line laying
operation dug up a large one and left it laying. I snared a piece with
roots about 3' tall and it's still growing in my yard.

--
Gary Brady
Austin, TX
www.powdercoatoven.4t.com

Alternative to Oleander
 

Cindy wrote:
I like the vitex too, but my son is horribly allergic to it, even when
it's not blooming. I just tell him to stay away from it! ;)
I haven't seen the white variety. I have a pale purplish blue, and I've
also seen a nice steel blue.
Hummingbirds love it too, and bumblebees.

Cindy

I got the white one by accident. Don't know which one it is until it
blooms. I never thought about them being allergic. The crushed leaves
smell a bit like a creosote telephone post, though.

--
Gary Brady
Austin, TX

Alternative to Oleander
 

I have the blue and white and tons of babies growing all under them.
In the fall if you want a white one, I can pot it up.

On Wed, 17 May 2006 20:41:08 GMT, "Cindy" wrote:

I like the vitex too, but my son is horribly allergic to it, even when
it's not blooming. I just tell him to stay away from it! ;)
I haven't seen the white variety. I have a pale purplish blue, and I've
also seen a nice steel blue.
Hummingbirds love it too, and bumblebees.

Cindy

Alternative to Oleander
 

I have the blue and white and tons of babies growing all under them.
In the fall if you want a white one, I can pot it up.
______________________________

Thanks for the offer! I'm in Spring, though.
Cindy

Alternative to Oleander
 

On Thu, 18 May 2006 16:04:26 GMT, "Cindy" wrote:

I have the blue and white and tons of babies growing all under them.
In the fall if you want a white one, I can pot it up.
______________________________

Thanks for the offer! I'm in Spring, though.
Cindy


Yeah, well it is not time to dig something out and plant it. Failure
is very good if I dug out a tree now to put it in your garden.

Alternative to Oleander
 

I have the blue and white and tons of babies growing all under them.
In the fall if you want a white one, I can pot it up.
______________________________

Thanks for the offer! I'm in Spring, though.
Cindy


Yeah, well it is not time to dig something out and plant it. Failure
is very good if I dug out a tree now to put it in your garden.
____________________________________

No, I mean I live in Spring, in the Houson area, so it would be a bit hard
to get the tree. But I thank you.
Cindy