Santa Rosa Gardens - Spring/Summer 2008 - (Page 56) TROPICALS African daisy Coral bean Erythrina herbacea Coral bean, also called CheroEuryops pectinatus ‘Viridis’ kee bean, grows vigorously and This perennial from South Afri- produces bright-red flowers folca is also known as bush daisy. lowed by red beans. Puts on a It has great heat and drought fine show of color in the spring tolerance once established. Cov- and summer, and remains atered with bright yellow ray and tractive throughout the growing disk flowers on long, straight season. In southern locations, stems from autumn until the it remains green, but elsewhere first frost—and through spring may die back to the ground in in warmer climates. Develops winter. Drought tolerant. Needs a more rounded habit with age. well-draining soil. Height 4–5' Dark, lustrous green foliage. Spacing 4' Zones 8–10 Will grow in pots. A favorite of ERY-HER $7.99 butterflies. Birds will feed on the seeds if flowers are left to dry on the plant. Height 2–3' Spacing 18"+ Zones 8–10 Orange bottlebrush ginger Hedychium coccineum A flowering ginger. No doubt the most beautiful of the Hedychium gingers. It can tolerate strong sunshine. Pink, yellow, orange, or red flowers. If kept in shade, it grows taller. Also know as orange ginger lily and scarlet ginger lily. Height 10' Spacing 3'+ Zones 7– 10 HED-COC $7.99 Red banana Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’ It’s time to discover the most beautiful banana in the world, the red Abyssinian. Not coldhardy, but who cares when it grows like a rocket—given enough water and fertilizer— and makes a landscape statement from spring until the first frost. After it has been growing for several years, its energy goes toward flower and fruit production. The fruit looks like inch-long, undeveloped bananas. They contain a number of small black seeds. Height 15–20' Spacing 15–18" Zones 9–11 MUS-RED $14.99 Heron’s bill EUR-VIR $7.99 Bear grass Nolina nelsonii Yucca-like native of Mexico that will form a tall trunk over time. Foliage is rigid but not sharply pointed. Silvery blue-green, grass-like foliage grows to an eventual 10–12' tall clump. When mature, it will grow a flower stalk bearing thousands of tiny white flowers on huge, cream-colored flower heads. Also called Nelson’s blue bear grass. Height 10–12' Spacing 3'+ Zones 8–10 NOL-NEL $7.99 Erodium ‘Charm’ Also called baby Swiss geranium. Looks like a dollhousescaled crane’s-bill geranium, with its perfect five-petaled flowers no bigger than a pinky fingernail. It clumps to only 1–2" tall. Flowers are generally white with deep rose-colored veins, but often the rose bleeds into the petals, so it is light pink with deep magenta veins, both hues of blossoms occurring right on the same tiny clump. It is hardy enough for small-container gardening or as a houseplant, though it thrives better in the garden. Height 3" Spacing 6–12" Zones 5–8 ERO-CHA $7.99 Pineapple lily Eucomis ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ The sumptuous burgundy-red, semi-erect rosette of strapping, waxy leaves appears greener as the weather warms. Crowned by a pineapple-like cluster of leaves, densely set, starry flowers envelope thick, cylindrical, maroon spikes. The purple blossoms display unique greenish tones and add dramatic, long-lasting highlights to arrangements. Showy, persistent seed capsules follow. Height 24–30" Spacing 2' Zones 8–10 EUC-BUR $7.99 Shrubby wallflower Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ Graceful, purple flower clusters bloom through spring and fall on stalks that rise above the gray-green, slender-leaved foliage. Removing older flowers encourages new ones. In colder winter regions, performs best as a container plant, brought indoors to a cool bright area in late fall. Plan on using it much like an annual that lasts for a couple of seasons. Attracts butterflies. Height 24–30" Spacing 18–24" Zones 5–9 ERY-MAU $7.99 56 www.santarosagardens.com · Toll Free: 1-866-681-0856 http://www.santarosagardens.com
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