Transcript Best Trees, Shrubs, Vines & Ground Covers For the Golden Triangle

Shrubs
Vincent Mannino,
County Extension Director
Fort Bend County
Selecting Shrubs – Things to Consider
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Exposure - How much sun, how much shade?
Soil – texture, drainage, pH and nutrient level
Competition – from other landscape plants and from
weeds
Speed of growth – fast growing shrubs require more
pruning, more fertility, more water…..
Size of plant – dwarf versus standard
Flower and fruit production – for beauty &/or food
Abelia
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Dwarf and standard
forms available
Very drought tolerant
White to pink flowers
Full sun for compact
growth, partial shade
for open growth
No major pest
problems
Creech’s Dwarf, Prostrate
Edward Goucher, Sherwoodii,
Francis Mason (variegated)
Azalea
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REQUIRES acid soils
Dwarf and standard
forms available
Many colors
Partial sun to shade
Susceptible to lace bug
and stem blights
Keep mulched
‘Coral Bells’
Types:
Indica
Kurume
Satsuki
Aucuba
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Excellent accent for
shady situations
Broad-leaved evergreen
Bold upright stems
Partial to full shade
Slow-growing to 4 to 6
feet high and wide
Moist soil NOT wet
Some bacterial leafspot
‘Serratfolia’
‘Goldstrike’
Barberry
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Excellent in full sun
for full color
Sharp needles – keeps
cats out!
Can be pruned
Moderate growth rate
Few pests
Very drought tolerant
‘Crimson Pygmy,’
‘Rose Glow,’
‘Kobald,’
‘Aurea’
Boxwood
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Sun or shade
Evergreen
Good drainage
Sandy soil
Drought tolerant
Easily pruned
Nematode susceptible
Japanese Boxwood
English Boxwood
Texas Sage or Ceniza
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Full sun
Evergreen,
Dwarf (4’), standard (15’)
Green and white leaf
forms available
Flowers colors - Pink and
white
Requires good drainage
“The Barometer Plant”
Dwarfs: ‘Silver Cloud’ & ‘Rain cloud,’ Standard: ‘Green Cloud’
Cleyera
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Sun to partial shade
Standard or dwarf
Replaces red-tip
photinia
Will freeze back
below 22 degrees
Small white flowers
Needs good drainage
Variegated forms are now
becoming available!
Cotoneaster
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4 inches to 10 feet
Full sun
Good drainage
Very drought tolerant
Aphids and scales
may be a problem
Coral Beauty Bearberry
Dwarf forms are as
short as 4-6 inches
‘Chinese Rockspray’
‘Franchets’ Cotoneaster
grows to 20 feet
Gray Leaf Cotoneaster
Crape Myrtle
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Easy culture
Many forms & colors
available
Pruned as a specimen tree or
shrub
Yellow, red or orange fall
color
Moderate to fast growth rate
Adapted to a wide variety of
soils
Some standard forms
have beautiful bark
Crape “Murder”
Remove seed heads below
last flower branch.
Duranta (Golden Dewdrops)
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Verbena family
w/30 species
Easy to grow
Propagate by seed,
semi-ripe cuttings
and layering
Few pests
Freezes/comes back
with protection
‘Gold Edge Sky’ Duranta
‘Cloudy Sky’ Duranta’
‘Purple Sky Flower’
Esparanza ‘Golden Bells’
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Full sun
Deep yellow flowers
to 3”
Fresh smell
Up to 8’ by 6’
No known pests
Propagates by seed
or cuttings
Blooms all season
11 ft.
2-year
versus
4-year growth
Euonymus
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Evergreen
4 inches as a vine to
20 feet as a tree
Partial shade to full
sun
Moist soil
pH 3-7 -7.0
Scale and whitefly a
problem
“Burning Bush” Euonymus
Elaeagnus
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Dwarf and standard
forms are available
Fruit are edible
Easily pruned for
hedges or specimen
plants
Leaves w/ silvery
undersides
No major pest problems
Yummy!
Variegated forms:
‘Maculata Aurea’
‘Gilt Edge’
E. multiflora
“Gumi Berry”
Forsythia (Golden Bells)
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Fast-growing
Deciduous, hardy
Well-drained - moderate
soil moisture
Grows readily from root
shoots
Dwarf at 1ft. to
standard at 10
Blooms early
After the tulips are done, the
forsythia blooms in mid
March!
Varieties:
‘Lynwood Gold’ - yellow-gold
‘Beatrix Farrand’ – gold-yellow
‘Spring Glory’ – primrose-yellow
Gardenia
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Many forms are
now available
White and yellow
Prefers slightly
acid soil
Afternoon shade
is a plus
Whiteflies are a
problem
Gardenia varieties:
‘August Beauty’
‘Candle Light’
‘Variegated Mystry’
‘Radicans’
‘Radicans Variegata’
‘First Love’
‘Ammee’
‘Mystery’
Cape Jasmine Types
‘Autumn Beauty’
Altheas & Hardy Hibiscus
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Up to 14 feet in height
and 5 feet in width
Deciduous
Moderate to fast growth
Many colors available
Single or double blooms
Sun or semi-shade
Althea have smaller
flowers
Whitefly a problem
CEMAP’S ‘Flare’ Hibiscus
‘Moy Grande’
The Altheas
Evergreen Hollies
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Includes: Yaupon, Chinese
Horned Holly, Burford,
Cassine, Needlepoint Holly
and others.
Dwarf or standard forms
Good evergreen specimens
Slow to moderate growth
Long lived
Female has red berries
Chinese Horned Holly
Nellie R. Stephens
Dwarf form of ‘Burford’
‘Burford’
‘Dazzler Holly’
Ilex cornuta ‘Needlepoint’
‘Carrisa Holly’
‘Foster Holly’
‘Carrisa Holly’
Dwarf Yaupon Holly
Possumhaw Holly (Deciduous Holly)
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To 16 feet in height
Attractive red or orange
berries
Easy culture
Native
Very adaptable to our
soils
Sun or part shade
Hydrangeas
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Hydra = water, ie.
moist soil
Shade to light sun
Prefers east and
north exposure
pH > 7 = pink bracts
pH < 7 = blue bracts
double versus single flowers
‘Oakleaf’
Hydrangea
is an
East Texas
jewel!
Indian Hawthorn
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3-6 feet tall and wide
White to deep pink
flower color
Full sun to partial shade
Drought tolerant
Easily pruned
Fungal leaf spot
susceptible
Junipers
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From trailing to trees
Well-drained soils
Full sun
Spider mites, blights
and root rots a
problem
Ligustrum
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Readily available and
inexpensive
Use as a specimen or
hedge
Easily pruned
Solid green or
variegated
Susceptible to root
rot
Loropetalum (Chinese Fringe Flower)
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Prefers well-drained acidic
soil. Will tolerate others
No major pests
Replaces azaleas
Drought tolerant
Partial sun
Long blooming
Attracts moths, butterflies
and hummingbirds
‘Sizzling Pink’
‘Dazzling White’
French Mulberry
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4-6 Feet in height and
width
Deciduous
Fast growth rate
Bright purple, pink or
white fruit
Native, easy culture
Sun or shade
Attracts birds
Prefers acid soil
Nandina or Heavenly Bamboos
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Dwarf to 6 feet in height
Clusters of white blooms
Leading to cluster of red
berries
Slow to moderate growth
rate
Relatively pest free
Excellent source of fall
color
‘Fire Power’ grows to 2 feet
Photinia
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Chinese and Fraser
are popular types
New growth exhibits
red color
Full sun for full color
Susceptible to
leafspot and root rot
White flower clusters
‘Fraser’s Red Tip’ Photinia
Pittorsporum
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Evergreen
Solid green and
variegated
Standards and dwarfs
Drought tolerant
Variety of soils
Hardy to 22 degrees
Scale and root rot
susceptible
‘Wheeler’s Dwarf’
Pyracantha – Fire Thorn
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Easy to grow
Easy to espalier
Hard to prune
Attracts birds
Fruit can be made
into jelly
Leafspot susceptible
Pyracantha is easily espaliered and does well for the first 3 years.
Roses
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Antiques and
‘Earthkind’ Roses are
very pest resistant
Full sun
Well-drained soil
Good spacing
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Keep mulched
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‘Cecile Bruner’
Cherokee Rose
‘Lady Banks’ Rose’ White & Yellow
‘Knockout’
‘Belinda’s Dream’
‘Climbing Pinkie’
‘Climbing Pinkie’
‘Mutabilis’
‘Caldwell Pink’
‘Marie Daly’
Serissa (S. foetida variegata)
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Dwarf
Full sun or shade
Small white flowers
No pests
Drought tolerant
Easy to propagate
Use like dwarf
yaupon
Viburnum
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Well-drained to
poorly-drained soils
Semi-dwarf to tall
forms
Sun to partial shade
Burgundy leaves and
colorful fruit in fall
Few pest problems
‘Arrowleaf’ Viburnum
‘Snowball’ Viburnum
Vitex or Chase Tree
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Moderate to fast growth
Blue, pink or white
flowers
Resemble lilacs
Totally pest resistant
Wide variety of soils
Responds well to
pruning
Religious significance
‘Pink Lavender’ Vitex
Vitex ‘Common Blue’
Southern Wax Myrtle
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Native
Adapted to our heavy,
poorly drained soils
Dwarf & standard forms
Evergreen foliage with
pine scent
Well adapted to pruning
Sun or shade adapted
Berries for wildlife
Cast Iron Plants
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Rugged semi-sun or
shade
To 2 feet tall
Large coarse textured
leaves
Green or variegated
varieties available
Heat and moisture
tolerant
Shrubs For the Metroplex
?? Questions ??
THE END!