Proven Winners plant trial, 3 months later
Three months ago I received a rainbow assortment of plants to trial from Proven Winners, and I posted my first update on the PW plants in early May. Since then, two very hot and dry months have taken their toll. I’ve watered by hand at least once a week and by sprinkler system (on my city-designated watering day) once a week. Some of the plants have fared beautifully under these conditions. Others, not so much. I’ll compare each plant two months ago with how it looks today, starting with my favorite performers of the bunch.
Here is Carex ‘Toffee Twist’, one of Proven Winners’ Graceful Grasses series, in early May.
And here it is today, looking lovelier than ever. Don’t be fooled—it’s supposed to be brown. This sedge enjoys the shade of live oaks all day. If it performs like this for the rest of the summer, I’ll be buying many more for planting this fall.
Cyperus papyrus King Tut® in early May.
And King Tut today, taller and more imposing. This one has really surprised me. I thought a papyrus would need to be planted at water’s edge to do well in our hot Zone 8b, but King Tut is growing in the same conditions as the ‘Toffee Twist’ sedge—planted in the dirt, in shade—and doing great.
One of the two Senorita Rosalita® Cleome in early May.
And the cleomes today. This image is blurry, but the cleomes are tall and bushy in morning and midday sun and blooming their heads off. I love them!
Diamond Frost® Euphorbia in early May.
And the euphorbia today, taller, less flowery, and a bit wilted, but otherwise doing well in late afternoon sun, a challenging condition for any plant. I plan to give it a trim and hope it will rejuvenate flowering.
Chrysocephalum apiculatum Flambe® Yellow, commonly known as strawflower, in early May.
And the Flambe® Yellow strawflower today, sprawling its wonderful silver leaves and button-like flowers in morning and midday sun. I like this plant so much that I bought two more to go with it.
Chrysocephalum apiculatum Flambe® Orange in early May.
And the Flambe® Orange strawflower today, not as robust as the yellow one. Planted on the sunnier end of the same bed, perhaps the extra sun is not to its liking.
Juncus effusus Quartz Creek in early May.
And the Quartz Creek rush today, looking good.
Cuphea llavea Totally Tempted® in early May.
And today. Of the two plants I received, the one in morning and midday sun is doing great.
But the one I planted in afternoon sun is fried and dead. I pulled it out after taking this photo. Rest in peace, cuphea.
Ageratum Artist® Purple, or flossflower, in early May.
And today, a bit worse for wear. This plant gets morning and midday sun, and I think that’s OK, but it seems to have suffered roly-poly damage or something.
Ageratum Artist® Blue Violet, same plant, different color, in early May.
And today, looking good, growing in morning sun and afternoon shade under a pink crepe myrtle (hence the pink petals).
Now for the torenias, whose praises I sang in early May as a shade-flowering alternative to ubiquitous impatiens. Alas, the heat and drought have not been kind to them.
Summer Wave® Amethyst torenia in early May.
And today, still green but wilted and hardly blooming, even in day-long dappled shade.
Summer Wave® Torenia Blue…
…and Summer Wave® Torenia Large Violet in early May.
The Blue (back) and Large Violet (front) torenias today, looking a little peaked.
Catalina® Torenia Pink in early May.
And Catalina® Torenia Pink today, hanging in there but not exactly knocking my socks off.
Catalina® Torenia Midnight Blue in early May.
And today, not so good.
Catalina® Torenia Gilded Grape in early May, colorful and fun.
And Gilded Grape today, unfortunately weed-whacked by my husband who was after oak sprouts. Hmm. Hard to say how it was doing at this point. Let’s move on.
Catalina® Torenia Linen White in early May, fresh and lovely.
And today, understandably tired. Poor torenia. I feel the same way in this heat.
So there you have the winners and losers for extreme drought and heat conditions in zone 8b in alkaline soil. All of the plants but one have survived so far in a difficult first season. Some have out-right thrived under difficult conditions. Still, there’s a lot more summer to go before relief arrives in October. I’ll post my next update in late August or early September, the most trying period in the typical Austin garden.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Lots of winners Pam! I love Toffee Twist, what a great plant. It’s planted on an edge in the Sunnier Susan’s bed here, but is shaded by taller plants. The cleome and juncus are plants I will consider for the garden. The late spring and summer have certainly been challenging in Austin, but that has given us the skinny on what these plants can tolerate. Thanks, gail
Nice selection of plants Pam. I am thinking of creating a planting mix with blooms that are both purple and yellow…that Catalina® Torenia Gilded Grape looks like one I need to consider. (without the weed whacker!)
A great service to all seeing the before and afters…look to see them again soon in the months ahead……
My Senorita Rosarita Cleome is also doing well. I have it in the most challenging conditions, full afternoon sun on a hot patio in a pot. I have to say it is not blooming as much right now as it did a month ago, but seems to be getting ready for another round of blooms in a week or so. Do you know if it would come true from seed?
My Diamond Frost seems to need more water than I expected. It is also in a pot and I may move it to from part sun to a more shady location.
Out of curiosity, what growing zone or part of the country are you in, Nancy? Probably my ‘Diamond Frost’ euphorbia would be happier with morning sun and afternoon shade (wouldn’t everything?). As for the cleome, according to the Proven Winners site, this plant does not self-seed. —Pam
Pam, what wonderful review. I love the before and after pictures. I cannot grow that Euphorbia. It hates my heat & is just sticks. Tried it two seasons. It’s not for me. The Torenias and the Cleome worked similarly for me. Love the Cleome. Wish I could find it in the stores. Thanks again for the info.~~Dee
I too love the before and after shots. I’m glad to see your Diamond Frost looks like mine. 😉 I couldn’t decide if it was me or the heat. Mine is in a potted arrangement and gets morning sun and afternoon shade. I may try cutting it back as well. I’d love to have those cleomes! I put a few in but they are looking poorly. I think I should have planted them earlier in the season (and maybe the variety is a factor). When I was working at the nursery this spring we sold a lot of torenia. I was a little afraid that they would look like yours by mid summer and I guess I was right! Thanks so much for this update. It gives me hope that there are heat friendly and drought tolerant plants out there!
You don’t mention what kind of cleomes you planted, Jean, but these PW ‘Senorita Rosalita’s are supposed to be able to withstand hot summer temps even over 100 degrees. These have been put to the test in that regard lately, and they’re holding up wonderfully. —Pam
Now I will take my toffee out of the container and plant it in the ground. All of my torenia is looking good, I water more than you though. I have had it reseed for about 3 years now, it’s everywhere. I actually moved about 100 plants this year.
Pam, I’m surprised that the majority of the plants have even survived, given the indignities they’ve faced already at the hands of Mother Nature. I’ll be interested to see how they look in August. Here’s to both our plants and ourselves holding up!
Okay, I’ll admit it. I thought Toffee Twist was dead. I’ve never seen a brown grass before that wasn’t dead. Well, I guess my lawn must really be in style right now LOL. 🙂 Great plants, Pam. Thanks for the follow up.–Randy
Ha! Randy, ‘Toffee Twist’ really doesn’t look dead in person. It reminds me of brown hair shot through with golden and reddish highlights. —Pam
You can only water on 2 days of the week!? Wow. What if you aren’t able to get to it on one of those days? Then your plants have to go a whole week? I could deal with that just fine for the established things in the ground but pots and newbies too? Wow.
I’m sorry I know that wasn’t really what this post was about but it caught my attention.
Watering restrictions always catch a gardener’s attention, don’t they? Actually, our current watering restrictions are pretty generous, if inconvenient to those without automatic irrigation systems. Under the City of Austin’s rules, homeowners have two days per week to water with irrigation systems or overhead sprinklers, and it must be done before 10 am or after 7 pm to reduce evaporation loss. The days are spaced out ; mine are Wednesday and Saturday. The good news is that homeowners can hand-water by hose or bucket on any day. Those with brand-new landscaping can apply for a variance until their plants are established, although you can’t get a variance for seasonal annuals. Businesses also have a set days for watering.
The idea is that it teaches people good watering habits, and I think it probably does help do that. But it’s really aimed at people with automatic irrigation systems and lawns who leave their systems set to run every couple of days whether it needs it or not. The rules are easy to follow if you have a programmable watering system. Unfortunately, it’s more difficult to follow the rules if you lack an irrigation system, as I learned at my former house, with a garden that I kept watered through a labyrinthine system of water-conserving soaker hoses and some overhead sprinkling. Trying to get everything turned on and off in the few daylight hours allotted on my designated days was frustrating. I was happy to inherit an automatic system with the new house, although of course hand-watering is still best for the tender, new plants that make up most of my new-baby garden. —Pam
Good selection of plants Pam. I tried the catalina {all colors} several yrs ago & found them to reseed for yrs after. Sadly I don’t think I have any at present. I like them so may try them again. I’ve also lost the seed to my cleome. I will try to find seeds again but both colors this time.
Very interesting results. It’s so surprising that a Cuphea bit the dust. I must admit that Torenia looks the same after it’s been in my garden for a month or two. I don’t bother with them anymore.
Pam, that’s great information. Since my garden appears to be quickly dying – even my Cannas aren’t growing this year, I thought they were indestructible – I think I need to get a few of these. Does BSN carry them? Or Great Outdoors?
I haven’t seen the Proven Winners plants at BSN, Robin, but Great Outdoors does carry some of them. You can also find them at the box stores, I think. —Pam
What a great post idea, and it’s a learning experience. You sold me on the Yellow Straw flower and it’s going on my list. Thanks, Bob
Pam, I’m in zone 8b I think.West of you in College Station. But I spent 20 years in Austin and will probably always think of it as my “home”..The conditions here are slightly more damp and humid than Austin (kind of like a mix between Austin and Houston weather, not as dry as Austin, not as humid as Houston).We also have more clay in our soils and a lot of sodium in the city water than I was used to when I gardened in Austin…
Thanks, Nancy. Actually College Station is east of Austin (as I’m sure you meant). Lucky you to be close to Brenham and the Antique Rose Emporium. I love to visit there. —Pam
Hi Pam, thanks for your honest appraisal. We can’t grow torenia here, or the ageratums other than the wild perennial one which is almost thug like. Surprising about the King Tut not in water too. I have grown some types of that in the pond. Toffee Twist does very well here, better with extra water. The unwatered cupheas died outright. Sounds like the yellow strawflower is the one to look for too. Plants have to be thought to survive in both our climates in the summer.
Frances
Have you tried the bat-face cuphea, Frances? It would be an annual for you, but it can handle more sun and less water than the ‘Totally Tempted’, I’ve found. —Pam
I’m quite amazed by how well your garden looks after all the heat I have been hearing about. A little shade helps plants a lot. I’ll be looking out for some of your successes.
I love that Cuphea….what a dynamite color!
All in all, I’d say for the most part, they have done very well considering this furnace we seem to be stuck in right now. I am in love with Toffee Twist–the name almost as much as the plant!
It’s good to see the progression over a few weeks, through plant-friendly weather and weather that’s more of a challenge. I particularly like your notes on where the exposure the plants receive. We’re still easing into our water restrictions: up to three days a week for sprinklers, 10 minutes at a time, but I’m sure we’ll be as restrictive as Austin before too long.
Except for the cleome, chrysocephalum, Juncus, Ageratum, and that fabulous Toffee Twist, those plants are all in my sacramento area garden so the next time our temperatures hit 108° like they did on Sunday, I’m going to go remind them that their cousins are alive and doing well in Austin! (and then I may just have to go find those 5 that I don’t already have)
This is a wonderful review, Pam–and thanks for posting the “befores and afters” too. Funny that some things are similar between here and your much hotter Texas climate… ‘Totally Tempted’ cuphea croaked for me in too much sun, too! Unfortunately, that’s where most of my annuals are needed, so I didn’t even try it again this year.
By the way, you have now totally enabled me to buy ‘King Tut’ next year. I have shady areas where I would love to get some height, and they look so cool! 🙂 I’ve just always thought of them as sun plants (and water-lovers, like you said) so I never even thought to give that a go…
Pam–Have Senorita Rosalinas for the first time and they’re terrific behind verbena and just below our wall fountain. They have gotten pretty tall and leggy–can they be trimmed in expectation of regrowth and bloom this season, or is this cycle the works for this summer (in SC)? Can they be trimmed at all?!?.
I really don’t know, Bob. This is my first growing experience with cleomes. I would guess, though, that one could treat them like any long-blooming plant, and give them at least a light trim to rejuvenate flowering. You might pose your question on the Proven Winners site, if they have a place for questions. And if you find out, please let me know. 🙂 —Pam
Pam–got an e-reply to my query from Kerry Meyer at Proven Winners. He says: “You can trim the Senorita Rosalitas back and they should branch out and begin flowering again in a few weeks”–we may not trim them too severely but at 3-plus feet the tops are obscuring the bottom of our wall fountain right now.
Bob T.
Thanks for sharing their reply, Bob. Mine are at least that tall too, but they’re planted at the base of an elevated deck, so they aren’t blocking views of anything. I am very impressed by how they are withstanding our ongoing month of 100+ degree days. What a great plant! —Pam