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#1
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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 |
#2
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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 |
#3
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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 |
#4
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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 |
#5
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Alternative to Oleander
"OmManiPadmeOmelet" wrote in message ... In article et, "David Wright" wrote: 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???? Not very long, I'm sorry to say. They bloom best a few days after a thunderstorm, but the blooms last only a week or so, if that. The story I first learned was that they make flowers after the plants are stimulated by lightning-fixed nitrogen. I've since read that this is a myth, but haven't seen evidence either way. I do know that they bloom after a good rain, and watering-by-hose doesn't seem to work as well. Maybe we have someone here with enough knowledge of the appropriate plant physiology who can cite some references. I am SO into xeriscaping to save money on water! I'm with you on that, Om, but I have to confess to growing water-thirsty vegetables on about 10-15 percent of my yard. The rest is given over to natives and adjusted plants that can handle the heat and drought. Back OT, another alternative to oleander to consider is Turk's Cap. Works in sun or partial shade, and is great for butterflies and hummingbirds. We have three, so far, and they are an important part of our B&H friendly xeriscape. David in San Antonio |
#6
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Alternative to Oleander
David Wright wrote:
"OmManiPadmeOmelet" wrote in message ... In article et, "David Wright" wrote: 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???? Not very long, I'm sorry to say. They bloom best a few days after a thunderstorm, but the blooms last only a week or so, if that. The story I first learned was that they make flowers after the plants are stimulated by lightning-fixed nitrogen. I've since read that this is a myth, but haven't seen evidence either way. I do know that they bloom after a good rain, and watering-by-hose doesn't seem to work as well. Maybe we have someone here with enough knowledge of the appropriate plant physiology who can cite some references. I am SO into xeriscaping to save money on water! I'm with you on that, Om, but I have to confess to growing water-thirsty vegetables on about 10-15 percent of my yard. The rest is given over to natives and adjusted plants that can handle the heat and drought. Back OT, another alternative to oleander to consider is Turk's Cap. Works in sun or partial shade, and is great for butterflies and hummingbirds. We have three, so far, and they are an important part of our B&H friendly xeriscape. David in San Antonio Turk's Cap is pretty cool. My one plant has reseeded over the last 10-12 years and the mass of growth is about 6ft in diameter. I give it no direct care for the most part, although it gets some watering from sprinkling the nearby grass. One year the bumblebees were so thick on the flowers it was a little scary to walk by it. |
#7
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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 |
#8
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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 |
#9
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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 |
#10
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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 |
#11
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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 |
#12
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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 |
#13
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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 |
#14
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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 |
#15
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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 |
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