Thumbnail sketches of some plants growing in my garden:

by James K. Sayre

Blackberries: the Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus discolor) is a tough, thorny sturdy bramble that yields delicious blackberry fruits each summer. It produces lon,g first year canes, which are followed in the second spring by bearing canes, with open white flowers which are followed by the fruits. Naturalized in coastal California. This is a great no-fuss, no-muss fruit. No dormant sprays needed. No insecticides needed. No fungicides needed. No wonder some folks disdain it Himalayan Blackberry: (Rubus discolor) ) Himalayan Blackberry (a volunteer plant).

Blue Gum Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus). The Blue Gum Eucalyptus starts out very small (naturally) and eventually grows to a large evergreen tree. I planted some seeds received directly from Australia a year ago April and now I have three healthy plants that are each over two feet high. They are sporting the blue-green leaves that are characteristic of the juvenile plant. Now side branches are beginning to appear near the tops of the plants. Eucalyptus (Blue Gum)

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus). The flowering stalks of the Cardoon have traditionally been used as a cooked food since the times of the ancient Romans. It is certainly an acquired taste, which to date, I have not been able to acquire. However, the Cardoon is an easy-to-grow and dramatic foliage plant for one's garden. Its silvery stalks grow to about three or four feet high the first year and in the second and successing years, it produces flowering stalks up to about eight feet high that are topped with small flowerheads. Cardoon

Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus). This plant will eventually grow to become a small tree. I just bought two small one-foot high plants in one-gallon containers. It has five-leaflet compound leaves which closely resemble those of the dreaded illegal Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) plant, so you might want to keep your receipt and the plant label in case your busybody neighbors decide to report you to the FBI. Gardenw who want to be discreet may choose to grow this plant in their backyard. Chaste Tree

Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis) shrub, which is now about ten feet high and ten feet wide. It is evergreen and is a member of the Composite (or Daisy) family and produces very tiny yellowish flowers in the summer. There are a couple of cultivated varieties (cultivars). It hosted some insect-seeking Kinglets last fall and winter: native birds in a native bush! (a volunteer plant).

Golden Dewdrop - Duranta repens Golden Dewdrop

Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). In the late spring I ordered two of these trees and received two bundles of five each instead. Now I may have a small Green Ash forest in the backyard in a few years. Said to be attractive to eastern birds. Its leaves are definitely very attractive to an unknown insect that has taken half-moon and full-moon shaped bites out of them. Green Ash

Hollyhock (Althaea rosea). The Hollyhock is a traditional English cottage garden plant. I have a tall (eight foot) Hollyhock that has many single rose-purple flowers. The first year it was a low plant with several large leaves. This spring it put forth its single tall spike. Hollyhock

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees sprout has survived for over a year now and is about a foot high. last spring, There is one large green Japanese Maple tree in the yard; this is most likely the source of the nearby seedling.

Licorice Plant (Helichrysum petiolatum). This is an easy-to-grow warm-climate perennial plant. It is drought tolerant and will spread rapidly in your yard in coastal California. Much easier to maintain than a putting-green grass lawn, but it would have to be classed as part of the "rough." Licorice Plant

Onion, Pregnant (Ornithogatum caudatum). I have several of these plants leftover from my apartment-dwelling days. I had purchased them from a gardening neighbor who propagated many plants in her large yard. in San Carlos, California. She didn't know their scientific name, but I eventually identified it. They grow nicely in large clay pots. Onion, Pregnant

Red Alder tree (Alnus rubra). At first I thought that this was a Fremont Cottonwood tree (Populus fremontii), but after seeing its male and female flowers I thought that it was a kind of Birch. Now I have settled on calling it a Red Alder. It is now about twelve feet high and growing rapidly each year. It is deciduous and has a slender graceful character.(a volunteer plant).

Red Apple (Aptenia cordifolia). This is a charming little border plant that enjoys warm climates. I first noticed it growing in a neighbor's yard down the street in San Carlos, California. It took awhile to sleuth out its true identity. Recently, I found a small piece lying on the sidewalk. I took it home and placed it in a small glass of water and it soon produced some roots. I then transplanted it into a small clay pot. It managed to produce a small red flower while in the water glass (talk about the will to reproduce). Red Apple

Scented Geraniums or Pelargoniums These members of the Geranium family are frost-tender and thus can only be grown outdoors all year around in North America in Florida, coastal California and other warm areas. Elsewhere, Scented Geraniums can be cultivated outdoors in pots in the summer and moved indoors to avoid damaging frosts. Scented Geraniums or Pelargoniums

Three-cornered Leek (Allium triquetrum) Three-cornered Leek These cheerful little white-flowered members of the Lily family come up faithfully every spring on the wild edges of my backyard. (a volunteer plant).

Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) - I have a small patch in my backyard garden that has been set aside for California native shrubs. It now includes two small Toyons to go with the two Live Oaks, the Red Alder and the Coyote Brush. The Toyon is a slow-growing evergreen Califoronia native shrub. Toyon

Weigela (Weigela florida) Weigela

End.

Return to the home page of Bottlebrush Press: The homepage of Bottlebrush Press

This web page was recently created by James Sayre.

Author's Email: sayresayre@yahoo.com

Copyright 2005 by Bottlebrush Press. All Rights Reserved.

Web page last updated on 27 April 2005.