Fabulous drought-tolerant plants
Ever since I spotted it in author and designer Jill Nokes’s garden two years ago, Mexican weeping bamboo (Otatea acuminata aztecorum ) has been at the top of my wish list. This tall, clumping, feathery bamboo adds texture and movement to a garden, and I just had to have it. But it’s been hard to find. Yesterday I got a call and an email from Barton Springs Nursery, where I’d put in a request for it, and so I dashed over between school pick-up times to get one.
A shipment of gorgeous, interesting drought-tolerant plants was sitting on the parking lot when I arrived, and I lost myself in the wonders of the Australian acacia selection before I found the Mexican weeping bamboo. Egad, but the prices were astronomical! The 15-gallon was completely out of my budget, and after dithering over the 5-gallon I decided to walk away.
Of course, the moment I got home, I knew I simply had to have it. I called around for price comparisons, and The Great Outdoors, another fine nursery, is one of the few I found that also carries the Mexican weeping bamboo, but the price was almost the same. So I swallowed my qualms and drove back to BSN this noon to get one.
I almost waited too long. The prices hadn’t scared off other plant-a-holics. The 15-gallons were already sold, and only a half-dozen of the 5-gallons were left. I snapped up one that looked as if it could easily be divided, and I plan to use a garden saw to divide the root ball and get two plants for the price of one. I hope it works. I’d hate to spend a lot of money on a plant and promptly kill it. The pressure!
Of course, the tempting acacias lured me in as well. I picked up a one-gallon knife-leaf acacia (Acacia cultriformis ), which I’d admired on a garden tour a few years ago. Its triangular, shark-fin-like leaves are held close to the slender trunks and colored a gorgeous greenish-gray.
I also sprang for a beautiful purple-leaf acacia tree (Acacia baileyana purpurea ), known also as Cootamundra wattle.
I understand this plant is not well regarded in its native Australia, being somewhat invasive (true, Australian readers?), but its purple, fern-like leaves knocked me out, and just take a look at what a mature A. baileyana is like. This small ornamental tree is evergreen, its new growth is purple, and it has yellow flowers in late winter and early spring. Austin’s 8b hardiness zone may be the northernmost range for this plant.
I’m out of room for a tree of any size in the back yard, so this will be my first planting in the deer-foraged front yard. Although acacias are considered deer-resistant, I’ll put a wire cage around it for at least the first year to protect the tender new growth.
A small, one-gallon golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii ) rounded out my splurge purchases. I’ve been admiring these spiny globes at East-Side-Patch and plan to grow this one in a blue pot on the upper patio.
Is there anything more fun than a trunkful of new plants? I don’t think so. Excuse me while I start digging.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Wonderful plants-I grew my acacia from seed, but I am sure its faster in my clime. Love the bamboo-maybe it’s safer to plant it first and then after a year or so take divisions? Finally, the barrel cactus looks cool. I was lucky to get a small golden barrel in the nursery here-went back for another-after I Googled it and was sure of the ID and they were gone. Also got a couple Turk’s cap barrels from a lot slated for development.
Hi, Nicole. It probably would be safer to wait a year before dividing. I may take the chance anyway. It sounds like you’ve scored some cool plants lately too. —Pam
Does the bamboo have black stems? Very cool. I wish I would have put that variety along our back fence. The acacia is fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
No, the stems of the Mexican weeping bamboo are green. BSN had some beautiful black bamboo though, and I oohed and aahed over it, but it’s a runner, I believe. —Pam
Nice plants, Pam, congratulations! Although, the picture of Acacia brought some sad memories. I bought it at the NW Flower and Garden show and it was doing just great for 4 years – fast growing, nicely blooming – til it got fatally damaged by winter cold and wind. I think it would survive if stood closer to the house. Good luck with your new arrival!
Are you talking about the purple-leaf acacia, Tatyana? If so, I’m already thinking about how I can plant it closer to the house than I’d planned. I would have to move a few other plants, but I think it can be done. Thanks for the tip. —Pam
You are so lucky to be plant shopping already. My daughter near Houston told me her temperatures yesterday were in the 60s and her Belinda’s Dream and Knockout roses were in full bloom.
It’s been in the mid-80s for several days in Austin, Commonweeder. I would say it feels like summer, but summer is considerably warmer than that. —Pam
I`m glad for you who can buy plant, we can only look at fotos for the moment but now is the snow starting to melt and we can see our plants and we can also buy some new ones.
It is the best time of the year.
Ken
I’m glad to hear that your snow is melting, Ken. I know winter is a lot longer for you than for me, and you must be glad to see the end of it. —Pam
I’m a big bamboo fan, and this is one of my favorites. It’s so distinctive that you can spot it a mile away. When my boss got married a few years back, this was one of the botanical presents I picked out for her on behalf of my coworkers. I think you’ll come to love it as it matures.
The acacias you show look great, and the red one is extra-cool. Several of the acacias are considered invasive here in Southern California, but that one’s not on the list. I’d grow it if I had the space!
Hi, James. Thanks for commenting and sharing your experience with the bamboo. You are exactly right—the Mexican weeping is instantly recognizable, and every time I’ve seen it I’ve gone nuts over it. As for the acacia, I have high hopes for it, and I’ll definitely be following its progress on this blog. —Pam
Nice haul! Love that Acacia baileyana purpurea and the others are all glorious also. I look forward to seeing the front of the house once again.
One of these days I’ll get around to the front, Layanee. But I’m rethinking putting the acacia out there. I may shoehorn it into the back yard after all. I’m kind of thinking of this first year as the year of the back yard. Next year, the year of the front yard! —Pam
I am glad you put that link in for the Acacia, what a stunning tree. The foliage reminds me of my Summer Chocolate Mimosa. I am going to have to look up the hardiness of the Mexican Bamboo to see if it can handle zone 7/8.
It definitely resembles the common Chinese mimosa that grows around here, Les. I’ll have to look up the Summer Chocolate one—sounds yummy. —Pam
Pam, We understand your excitement…all too well! Several times I have passed on a perfect plant and wished I hadn’t! I can’t wait to see how they look planted out…I am especially looking forward to seeing the Mexican bamboo in place. One things for certain, the deer won’t be foraging on the barrel cactus! gail
They’d have a mouthful of spines, wouldn’t they? 😉 —Pam
Bamboo is always expensive, so you probably did OK. I’ve heard good things about the Mexican Weeping bamboo. Find out how much fertilizer it needs, most bamboos are like grasses and need a lot.
Have fun digging! Right now is still a great time to put things in, before it gets hot. So why don’t I step outside and put in that Salvia clevlandii.
;->
Town Mouse
I don’t know. What are you waiting for, Town Mouse? 🙂 I’m going to be in the garden again today too, soaking up this weather. —Pam
Oh, yeah, who hasn’t wanted a plant, thought the price was too high, left, then rushed back to get it because once we knew that plant was there, we could not go on without it. I’ve done that. We are helpless when it comes to plants. The sooner we realize it, the more time we’ll save.
Your comment made me laugh out loud, Carol. The more time we’ll save, yes. But not money. 😉
No, nothing more fun than a trunk load of plants other than a truck load of plants. 🙂 Your choices look marvelous. I can’t wait to see them in situ.
A truck load—yes, that’s even better! —Pam
How invasive is the bamboo? I know some are terrible and some not-so-much. How will you contain its enthusiasm?
The Mexican weeping bamboo is a clumper, Chris, not an invasive runner. I read that it’s a fairly vigorous clumper, though. From the research I’ve done on it, I believe it will be well-mannered, and divisions can be taken to redirect spreading culms. —Pam
It’s just like Christmas this time of year, only warmer! Looks like a good haul Pam. I’m looking forward to seeing your new plants in your new garden!
It did feel like Christmas, Linda. Except I was buying all the presents for myself. 😉 —Pam
yes, a trunk full of plants – I visited BSN today and came home with a trunk full myself. Hopefully Austin will get some rain Sunday, so tom. is planting day; yeay!
Have fun planting the ‘maters, Kelly! —Pam
Hi Pam.
I think the division of the weeper will be just fine – bamboo’s seem to thrive on a good hacking – and the subsequent hardship / new planting process. I plan to divide my Bamboo ‘Alphonse Karr’ this fall, have you considered this gem in your new scheme? This bamboo is also a clumper and very compact, it’s variegated form is really quite nice and it seems to do well in central Texas. It forms a fantastic screen. Unfortunately it is also quite expensive, about $150 to $200 – but it has to be done. I put my name down for this one at the “Natural Gardener”, then found 3 (with a random visit) about 8 months later. I had to have it, I stuck it in some pretty poor, non-ammended soil, and it is doing very well! I think it would look great with an understory planting of variegated ginger. (note to self).
ESP.
Thanks so much for your input on dividing the weeping bamboo, Philip. Since you grow it, I thought you might have an opinion on it. I’m also glad to know about ‘Alphonse Karr’ and may have to spring for that one of these days (gulp!). —Pam
I am IN LOVE with that purple-leafed acacia. Did they have any left?
They did when I left on Thursday afternoon, Lori. Don’t wait! —Pam
I am so jealous! Plant shopping and working out in the garden sounds like the makings for a wonderful afternoon! I love, love, love the Acacia, and I have a weakness for Golden Barrel Cactus after seeing them at Montreal Botanical Gardens. Happy planting!! 🙂
Thanks, Liisa! It’s supposed to be 85 degrees this afternoon, so I’ll be out in the garden most of the day. —Pam
The bamboo and acacia is way up on my list. If only I have a bigger space in my garden, I feel like planting everything …
All gardeners need more space, don’t we? And a perfect division of both sun and dappled shade, while we’re dreaming. 😉 —Pam
I’m looking forward to seeing pictures of all those plants as they come to beautiful life in your garden. I haven’t been to Austin in too long … I think I need a trip there to check out nurseries!
We have some good ones, Cindy! I’d be glad to see you again. —Pam
Hi Pam. Thanks for the very kind offer of seeds from your Nolina texana. But our biosecurity controls are some of the strictest in the world and they would have an absolute cadenza over seeds in the post! It is so very tempting though…
That’s too bad, but I’m sure it’s a good rule for a good reason. —Pam
Any plant you buy should consider itself fortunate, and if it up and dies on you, it can only be considered ungrateful.
Those are beautiful, beautiful plants, by the way.
–Kate
Oh, there have been so many ingrates along the way, Kate. But I like the idea of putting all the blame for up and dying on them. 😉 —Pam
Of course you have to buy new plants, Pam. It’s your first spring in your new home! Perfect excuse.
Brenda
Ah yes, there are always excellent justifications for blowing the gardening budget, and I know I can count on my gardening friends to help me think of them. Thanks, Brenda. 😉 —Pam
Rewarding drought-tolerant plants ~ the topic of our guest speaker at last month’s garden club meeting, Pam … an important focus for gardeners in all zones. The joy of visiting is to view how each garden breathes in different climates 🙂
I agree, Joey. Drought-tolerant plants are going to be key for gardening in Austin in the future. —Pam
I have been looking for a plant for our entry garden. I wonder if your Mexican bamboo would work. Originally, it was to be Japanese garden but a seedling senna grew there before we had time to do anything it grew to be a tree. I just can’t come up with a plan for the area but I would really like some kind of bamboo (clumping). What an unusual leaf form on the acacia and and a busy shopping day -spring fever, I call it. Thanks for bringing these new plants to our attention.
I remember your lovely senna, Jenny. I bet the Mexican weeping bamboo would do wonderfully in that space. You’ll see a mature specimen in Jill Nokes’s garden. She has it tucked into a protected corner. —Pam
It is so fun to read blogs about plants that we don’t have in our area. The weeping bamboo looks really interesting. Drought tolerant is the way to go! Hope you have some super gloves to pot that barrel cactus!
Hi, Janet, and thanks for commenting. I used several sheets of newspaper to handle the cactus as I was potting it up, after I discovered that my gloves weren’t thick enough. —Pam
Nice selection! I fell for that knife leaf acacia as well! BSN has been my haunt for a few weeks now…they’ve got new stuff every day!
It’s an awesome nursery. —Pam
There’s even bamboo that survives MI winters… but don’t ask me its cultivar. No, really, cause I don’t recall!
I’m just learning a little about bamboo, Monica. It’s a whole new range of plants to explore. —Pam
Pam,
Your post weakened my resolve not to buy any more plants for my garden! I know there will be some I just have to have when I attend the Master Gardener tour on the 21st!
Aiyana
I’ve found it’s impossible to attend a garden tour without making a list of new plants to try—or to rearrange portions of one’s garden in one’s mind. Have fun! —Pam
The wattle is pretty invasive here in central CA too, the roadcuts are all yellow with it’s blooms right now…
Hmm. I hope it won’t get onto the invasives list here in central Texas. Thanks for the heads-up, Eleanor. —Pam
Geez, if I had a dime for every plant I walked away from because the price was too high, and then returned later that day since I just HAD to have it, I could…buy a whole lot of those plants. That purple acacia is awesome!
I’m usually pretty cheap on my spending for an individual plant, although in aggregate I probably spend a fortune on new plants. But for certain ones, I will eventually cough up the dough and never look back. —Pam
I always regret when I walk away from a purchase I really wanted; good for you that you were able to get the plant in the end.
I’m sure I would have found another one eventually, but I’m glad I went back and got it too. —Pam
Ohhhh, that purple foliaged acacia? I sighed deeply when I saw it because I know it won’t grow here, but I’ll certainly enjoy yours. I too don’t like to walk away from something I really like because then I regret it afterwards (especially when I go back and there it is, gone!)
And I’ll enjoy your blue poppies, Jodi, when they make their appearance. —Pam
Hi Pam, thanks for dropping into my blog, too. As an Aussie I can confirm that Acacia baileyana is on the weeds list, but that hasn’t stopped me growing one. As a very popular plant it has been planted extensively, and so it has also extensively spread into areas where it’s not wanted. I’m in an inner-city area where its spread isn’t an issue, and hasn’t occurred.
My Cootamundra wattle has the blue-grey foliage of the most common type found here (your Purpurea form is very pretty but is much less common here than the blue-grey form). However mine is a prostrate, groundcover form. It produces golden ball flowers in early winter here (June). Wattles tend to grow fast, live hard and die young here. Average life expectancy is about 10-15 years, but lots of local Aussie wattles don’t even last that long, due to attack by borers (beetle grubs). As you’re in sunny ‘ol Texas, who knows, you might not have the same borers in your environment and the wattles will thrive there.
I guess you know that Australian natives don’t like normal garden fertilisers at all. There are special fertilisers for them which are extremely low in phosphorus, but if you can’t find those, the alternative is simply not to fertilise them at all, nor should you let run-off from other fertilised areas (such as lawns) get anywhere near your Aussie native’s root zone. I find the best plant food for Aussie natives is either compost and leaf mulch, or a slow-release product formulated for natives (applied very sparingly, too).
Good luck, and keep on posting photos of your purple beauty. I’d love to see it thriving in your part of the world!
Jamie, thank you so much for the info on the acacia. I’d read that it was short-lived, but I really hope we don’t have the borers that can cause an even more untimely death. Fingers crossed.
I like to grow a lot of xeric Texas natives, and like your Australian natives, they don’t like to be fertilized or grown in rich soil either. In fact, I never fertilize anything except with a rare top-dressing of compost. Except roses, and they get organic fertilizer too.
Your prostrate wattle sounds cool. I’m glad to see nurseries in Austin carrying more and more Australian plants, which seem to grow well here. Maybe that one will turn up too. —Pam
Bamboo is expensive but worth it–it will grow and grow with little care. I recently found two-gallon pots of Golden Goddess for $22 each at Plant Escapes on 1st. I was so happy to find such small containers b/c I don’t like heavy lifting or paying a lot. Plant Escapes almost always has bamboo and other nifty drought tolerant guys. The owner told me to be careful dividing it, sometimes you can damage the roots and ruin the plant–I chose not to divide since mine were small. I agree with ESP, though, about hardiness and dividing. Once mine’s thick and established I do plan to divide. I told PE owner I was expecting to have great looking plants in three years based on a rule my mom told me–yr1-it sleeps, yr2 it creeps, yr3 it leaps. But PE owner said I might see results sooner–He said in the hot summer you can water more and they will grow more. Now I’m excited for the heat to arrive.
Happy gardening. –MJ
Thanks, MJ. You’ve given me a reason to look forward to summer’s heat too. And that’s saying something. —Pam
Mmm, yum, such delectable plants! I love that photo of the mature A. baileyana. It’s very striking. Good luck with your great haul!
Thanks, Jean! —Pam
Check out the barrels here near Benidorm…amazing!
http://picasaweb.google.com/david.neale/CactusDAlgar#
ESP.
Incredible. We need an Austin bloggers road trip…to Spain! —Pam
As Jamie says, the beautiful Cootamundra wattle is invasive across large parts of Australia — it was a very popular garden plant in the 1960s and 1970s and this is the result! Its natural range is tiny. Cootamundra (the town) goes down to about -8 C or so in winter, about -17 F. Hope this helps you decide on a planting location.
Thanks so much, Chookie. Do you think the cold winter temps in its native range are what keeps it from being invasive? Are other parts of Australia, where it has become invasive, much warmer? If so, that could bode ill for using this plant in Austin, but it’s just too soon to know. —Pam
I don’t know if I would notice a knife leaf acacia growing in a nursery pot, but sure remember seeing it on that garden tour and thinking that it was so architectural and the color was wonderful.
All your plants are interesting – it will be fun to see you fit them into your new garden.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I’ll take pics of them in their new home soon, Annie. But for now I’m inside looking out with delight at the rain that’s falling. —Pam
All plants look great in close-up shots, don’t they? Wish we did! 😉
Spiderworts are a noxious weed where I live. I have seen them take over entire yards. Are they invasive in your area?
I’ve tried two spiderworts, Pam, and found them both to be aggressive in seeding out but not invasive. One, a Hawaiian spiderwort, reproduced readily but never bloomed again after the first year. Eventually it died out. The second, our native spiderwort, pictured above, colonized the shade garden, but it’s easy to pull up seedlings that appear where I don’t want them. What I love about them is how they bloom in early spring then disappear, foliage and all, in summer, when other plants, like Turk’s cap, can take over in their place. —Pam