Garden powers through a Texas heat wave
Arizona-level heat is plaguing us here in Austin this week. Temps reached 110 F (43.3 C) yesterday, and we’re cooling down to “only” 101-105 F all the rest of this week. The Death Star is on high beam! The garden must power through, as must we all, until October. Unfazed, this tough trio shows how to take summer in stride: ‘Green Goblet’ agave, mullein, woolly stemodia (Stemodia lanata), with the omnipresent backdrop of twisted live oaks.
Other plants are showing the brilliant coloring of heat-stress, which I find quite pretty. Agave x leopoldii turns from green to orange under the Death Star’s glare.
Not all of my ghost plants (Graptopetalum paraguayense) do this, but these growing in the orange Hover Dish deepen normally pale-gray leaves to charcoal and glow moonlight-yellow in the center during the sizzling summer.
Soaking up full sun on the deck, a spiny mammillaria cactus has flowered several times this summer in a fantastic display of carnation-pink flowers.
With a flower crown and flowers on the cactus pups at its base, it’s never looked better.
But evening is really the only time to be in the garden at this time of year. Uplighting on the steel pipe-planted toothless sotol (Dasylirion longissimum) allows enjoyment after dark. Whale’s tongue agave (A. ovatifolia), dwarf myrtle (Myrtus communis ‘Nana’), and ‘Frazzle Dazzle’ dyckia bask in a little reflected glow.
And don’t forget night bloomers like datura (Datura wrightii), which opens fragrant, dish-sized flowers after dusk.
I’m awaiting the cool breath of fall in early October, but until then the garden persists.
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Your ghost plant is one I have never seen. It is gorgeous in that orange planter. The cactus is amazing. I haven’t seen one of those with so many flowers either.
I thought about you and your garden when the national news was talking about the heat wave and I saw that your area was in the RED zone. Take care.
I love ghost plant. It’s bulletproof through our winters and summers, so long as it has afternoon or dappled shade.
The Graptopetalum color change is neat – mine have never done that. Not that that makes up for a temperature of 110F.
Having now lived through an equivalent heatwave myself, I’m entirely sympathetic. Our current heatwave is supposed to hit its max tomorrow but, so far, we’ve only reached 95F, which still feels pretty miserable but maybe my tolerance is declining. My husband and I just finished positioning some temporary shade covers until we (the royal “we”) can put together more professional summer shade covers. I think I need to invest in more flowering cactus too!
They are the right plants for heat waves, for sure!
Pam, I’m curious about your woolly stemodia. I know it’s drought resistant once established, but do you have any kind of water source such as drip irrigation to it? I finally located about 6 plants and healed them into an old vegetable bed until cooler weather. Would you suggest transplanting this fall or waiting until spring? Thanks.
Yes, I have a pop-up sprinkler system that waters the woolly stemodia once a week in summer. I am fairly sure it could go much longer than that, but other plants in the area cannot, when we’re at 100 F with no rain.
I’d go ahead and plant it in early fall, say early October, and water regularly to get it established and healthy before the first freeze. It will go dormant with the first hard freeze but start growing again in spring.
I’m sorry it’s so hot there. Our current heat wave is mild by comparison, with a high today of 93. Several years ago we had a week of highs over 100, with a peak of 108, and of course the A/C died. I hope never to experience that kind of heat again. Needless to say, I’m eagerly awaiting fall, as well, and a return of our rains so I can stop watering!
Heat comes with the territory in Texas, and it’s a hobby of mine to complain about it. But thanks for the sympathy. 😉 That 108 with no A/C you experienced sounds like a tad more Death Star than anyone should have to live through.
I’ll be honest, I’m waiting for cooler weather although we have cooled down some. I’m just not an enthusiastic about my summer garden as I am some years.
That blooming cactus is really something. Ooh la la!~~Dee
I’m waiting for fall too, and until then enjoying the garden through the windows. 🙂
You have chosen your plants well. I do think it helps that you have some filtered shade from your live oaks. I am fearful for my potted cactus and agaves that are in full sun during the day. I did not prepare them for the kind of heat they are getting.
I am grateful for the live oaks at this time of year. But I wouldn’t worry too much about your potted cactus and agaves. They are made for surviving such heat waves.
What a performance by that mammillaria!
It deserves a standing ovation!