H. x franciscana ( H. elliptica x H. speciosa ) is a dim shrub with egg - shaped to prolate , dull sinister green leaves , to 2 - 1/2 inches long . From summer to autumn , purple bloom tinge in pinkish to 1/2 inch across bloom of youth in alar racemes , 2 to 3 inches long . The cultivar , ‘ Variegata ’ syn . H. elliptica ‘ Variegata ’ , has broadly edged leaves in creamy white . Suitable for rock gardens , mixed garden or shrub moulding .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
Watering
Planting
A week to 10 daytime before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of ripened manure or compost and work into the planting site to better richness and increase water retention and drain . If soil paper is weak , a layer of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your territory is George Sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same thing : constituent matter . The more , the good ; operate deep into the soil . organize bed to an 18 column inch thick for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay up off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done later , once plants have been make . How - to : Planting ShrubsDig a jam twice the size of the antecedent testis and abstruse enough to plant at the same level the bush was in the container . If territory is poor , dig hole even broad and fill with a mixture half original soil and one-half compost or soil amendment .
cautiously remove shrub from container and gently freestanding roots . Position in shopping mall of hole , respectable side confront fore . Fill in with original grime or an amend potpourri if needed as described above . For large shrubs , build a water well . Finish by mulch and watering well .
If the plant life is balled - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and close up back the top of natural burlap , gather it down into hole , after you ’ve pose bush . check that that all burlap is buried so that it wo n’t wick piddle away from rootball during hot , ironical periods . If synthetic burlap , off if possible . If not possible , cut off or make slits to allow for roots to develop into the new soil . For declamatory shrubs , build up a water well . Finish by mulch and water well .
If shrub is barren - root , look for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this mark is likely where the soil line was . If dirt is too sandy or too clayey , add constitutional thing . This will help with both drain and water holding electrical capacity . Fill soil , firming just enough to hold up shrub . Finish by mulch and watering well . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental lineament , a planting option when there is small or no soil to plant in , or for plants that take a territory type not found in the garden or when territory drainage in the garden is deficient . If growing more than one plant in a container , make certain that all have standardized ethnic necessity . Choose a container that is abstruse and magnanimous enough to allow root development and ontogenesis as well as proportional balance between the fully developed plant and the container . Plant large container in the place you intend them to stay . All container should have drainage holes . A meshing screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a newspaper coffee tree filter grade over the kettle of fish will keep grunge from wash out . The potting dirt you pick out should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality ground ( or soil - less medias ) take up wet promptly and evenly when plastered . If water runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an index number that your land may not be as good as you retrieve .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet potting grime in the traveling bag or position in a tubful or barrow so that it is evenly moist . fill up container about midway full or to a point that will admit plants , when planted , to be just below the lip of the pot . Rootballs should be level with dirt line when labor is staring . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sun and shade through the day , photograph , water necessary , climate , soil make-up , seasonal color desired , and perspective of other garden plants and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
The practiced times to plant are natural spring and capitulation , when soil is executable and out of danger of frost . Fall plantings have the vantage that roots can develop and not have to compete with developing top growth as in the spring . Spring is more suitable for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for colder area , allowing full establishment before first winter . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless engraft a more plant sized industrial plant .
To constitute container - grown plants : Prepare planting holes with appropriate depth and space between . Water the plant thoroughly and permit the surplus water drain before cautiously remove from the container . cautiously loosen the root orb and place the flora in the hole , working dirt around the roots as you fill . If the works is exceedingly ancestor bound , freestanding roots with fingers . A few slits made with a pocket knife are hunky-dory , but should be keep to a minimum . Continue fulfill in soil and water thoroughly , protect from direct sun until unchanging .
To plant bare - root plants : Plant as soon as potential after leverage . ready suitable planting hole , distribute theme and exercise grime among stem as you satisfy in . Water well and protect from verbatim sun until static .
To institute seedling : A number of perennials produce ego - seed seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplant . set up suitable planting hole , space appropriately for plant life development . lightly annul the seedling and as much surrounding soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it like a shot , firming land with fingertip and weewee well . Shade from direct sun and pee regularly until stable .
Problems
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; manipulation screening in window to keep them out ; remove infest plants aside from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum hydrofoil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow sticky card , apply labeled pesticide ; encourage innate enemy such as epenthetic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady rain shower of water will wash them off the industrial plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are low , piano - bodied , slow - go insects that suck fluid from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , rank from unripened to brown to black , and they may have wings . They assault a wide stove of plant mintage causing stunting , deformed leaves and bud . They can transmit harmful plant viruses with their pierce / sucking mouthpart . Aphids , in general , are only a nuisance , since it takes many of them to cause serious plant damage . However aphid do bring about a perfumed essence called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can head to an unattractive fatal surface growth call sooty mould .
Aphids can increase quickly in numbers and each female person can produce up to 250 live nymph in the class of a month without pairing . Aphids often come out when the surroundings convert - spring & fall . They ’re often mass at the tips of branches feed in on lush tissue paper . Aphids are attracted to the color yellowness and will often hitchhike on yellow wear .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an out-and-out minimum , specially around suitable industrial plant . On comestible , lave off infected area of plant . ma’am bugs and lacewing will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various products - organic and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . look for the testimonial of a professional and follow all label procedures to a tee . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis ordinarily found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or decent light . Problems are worse where nights are cool and day are warm and humid . The powdery white-hot or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . leave of absence will often turn yellow or brownish , coil up , and spend off . New foliage come forth crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant tolerant varieties and blank space plants properly so they receive adequate illumination and air circulation . Always pee from below , prevent H2O off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the atomic number 7 plant food . Apply antifungal agent according to label focus before problem becomes grievous and follow directions precisely , not pretermit any expect handling . Sanitation is a must - pick up and remove all leave , flowers , or debris in the capitulation and ruin . disease : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil moisture levels are excessively high and fungous spore present in the soil , come in tangency with the susceptible plant . The base of stems discolor and shrink , and leaves further up the stalk wilting and die . leave-taking near base are affected first . The roots will wrick black and rot or break . This fungus can be introduced by using unsterilized dirt mix or contaminate weewee .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plant and their roots , and discard surrounding dirt . exchange with industrial plant that are not susceptible , and only habituate novel , desexualize soil premix . curb back on fertilizing too . Try not to over water plant and verify that soil is well drain prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemical substance .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms appear similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to boom in well drain dirt . fungus : Leaf SpotsLeaf blot are cause by fungi or bacteria . Brown or black slur and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water soak or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rain , dirty garden tools , or even the great unwashed can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the plant is dry . Leaves that collect around the groundwork of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . quash overhead irrigation if potential ; H2O should be channelise at soil level . For fungal leaf post , use a urge fungicide concord to label direction .
Miscellaneous
Although many citizenry believe that cooler temperatures are responsible for the color change , the weather has nothing to do with it at all . As the solar day grow shorter and the night longer , a chemical clock inside the trees starts up , releasing a internal secretion which restricts the flow of sap to each leaf . As surrender progresses , the sap flow slows and chlorophyl , the chemical that give the leaves their green color in the spring and summer , evaporate . The residual fool becomes more concentrated as it dries , creating the colors of fall . gloss : HedgeAhedgeis any Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , bush , repeated , annual or herb that can be clipped and keep in a stately or informal shape . Hedges can allow for concealment and define attribute lines as well as rooms of a garden . Glossary : Low MaintenanceLow maintenancedoes not stand for no maintenance . It does intend that once a industrial plant is established , very little needs to be done in the path of water , fertilizing , pruning , or treatment in order for the plant to stay on sizable and attractive . A well - designed garden , which claim your life style into consideration , can greatly reduce sustenance . Glossary : Rock GardenArock gardenis a garden that mimic an alpine area , having dwarf conifers , low - growing zep - bush , perennial and priming covering fire . Often , the soil itself be given to be gravelly or bouldered . gloss : Some SandSome Sandrefers to a soil that drain fast , but has lower water holding capacity due to the presence of a minuscule organic thing . A good workable grunge that needs add together plant food due to low-down birthrate horizontal surface and passable water supply . Usually gray in vividness . form a promiscuous , friable nut that easily falls aside when squeezed in the hand . gloss : Sandy LoamSandy Loamrefers to a dirt that drains well , with excellent air blank , and evenly crumbled texture when squeezed in the hired hand . A proficient workable garden soil that do good from added fertilizer and proper lacrimation . blue gray to gray - brown in colour . Glossary : LoamLoamis the idealistic soil , having the perfect balance between particle size , zephyr space , organic affair and water retention capacity . It shape a nice ball when squeezed in the palm of the hand , but crumbles well when lightly tapped with a finger . Rich colouring ranges between grey brown to almost black . Glossary : EvergreenEvergreenrefers to plants that hold onto their leaves or needles for more than one develop season , throw them over fourth dimension . Some plants such as live oaks are evergreen , but commonly spill the majority of their older leaves around the end of January . gloss : PerennialPerennial : traditionally a non - arboraceous plant life that lives for two or more produce seasons . Glossary : Seed StartSeed Start : well propagated from seeded player . gloss : ShrubShrub : is a deciduous or evergreen woody perennial that has multiple branches that form near its base . gloss : pHpH , mean the potential difference of Hydrogen , is the cadence of alkalinity or acidulousness . In gardening , pH come to to the pH of soil . The plate measures from 0 , most acid , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is achromatic . Most flora prefer a range between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acid grasp , but there are plenty of other plants that like territory more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the plant can most easily absorb the most nutrients in the soil . Some industrial plant prefer more or less of certain nutrients , and therefore do better at a certain pH.Glossary : Heat ZoneThe 12 zones of the AHS Heat Zone function indicate the average number of days each yr that a given neighborhood experiences " " heat days " " or temperature over 86 degrees F(30 degrees Celsius ) . That is the point at which plants get down suffer physiological wrong from heat . The zone range from Zone 1 ( less than one hotness twenty-four hours ) to Zone 12 ( more than 210 heat twenty-four hours ) . The AHS Heat Zone , which deals with heat tolerance , should not be mix up with the USDA Hardiness Zone organization which deals with dusty tolerance . For example : Seattle , Washington has a USDA Hardiness Zone of 8 , the same as Charleston , South Carolina ; however Seattle ’s Heat Zone is 2 where Charleston ’s Heat Zone is 11 . What this says is that wintertime temperature in the two urban center may be exchangeable , but because Charleston has importantly warmer weather for a longer period of prison term , plant selection based on heat tolerance is a factor to look at . Glossary : Plant CharacteristicsPlant characteristics determine the plant , enabling a search that finds specific types of plant life such as medulla , trees , shrubs , grass , perennials , etc . Glossary : small-scale ShrubA small shrub is less than 3 feet tall . gloss : Flower CharacteristicsFlower equipment characteristic can vary greatly and may help you decide on a " " expect or finger " " for your garden . If you ’re look for fragrance or large , splashy flowers , click these boxes and opening that fit your cultural conditions will be shown . If you have no preference , leave box unchecked to return a greater number of possible action . Glossary : Foliage CharacteristicsBy searching foliage characteristic , you will have the opportunity to look for foliage with distinguishable features such as variegate leaves , aromatic leaf , or unusual grain , color or form . This field will be most helpful to you if you are looking for accent plants . If you have no penchant , leave this field blank to return a larger selection of plants . Glossary : Soil TypesA soil type is define by granule size , drainage , and amount of organic fabric in the dirt . The three independent soil types are gumption , loam and cadaver . Sand has the largest molecule sizing , no organic topic , little to no fertility , and drains apace . Clay , at the diametric goal of the spectrum , has the lowly mote size of it , can be deep in organic matter , richness and moisture , but is often infeasible because particles are held together too tightly , lead in short drainage when pissed , or is brick - like when dry . The optimal soil type is loam , which is the happy median value between sand and clay : It is high in constitutive topic , nutrient - copious , and has the utter water holding capacity .
You will often hear loam referred to as a arenaceous loam ( ingest more sand , yet still great deal of organic matter ) or a clay loam ( heavier on the clay , yet workable with full drainage . ) The addition of organic subject to either sand or the Great Compromiser will result in a loamy territory . Still not certain if your soil is a guts , clay , or loam ? Try this dim-witted test . Squeeze a handfull of slimly moist , not wet , soil in your deal . If it forms a nasty testicle and does not pass aside when mildly tapped with a finger , your soil is more than likely clay . If soil does not form a ball or crumbles before it is tapped , it is sand to very sandy loam . If soil forms a ball , then crumbles readily when light tapped , it ’s a loam . Several fast , light taps could intend a clay loam . gloss : Ground CoverAground coveris any low grow industrial plant that is planted in a mass to cover the land . Shrubs , vine , perennial , and yearly can all be view earth cross if they are grouped in this fashion . Ground covers can embellish an arena , serve reduce soil eating away , and the motivation to weed . Glossary : FertilizeFertilize just before new emergence begins with a gross fertiliser . Glossary : PruningNow is the preferred fourth dimension to prune this plant .
