Japanese maple puts on another excellent show
The show is over now, but during the past two weeks I watched the Japanese maple at the front corner of the house blush redder and redder.
Looking up through the leaves was like gazing through stained glass. I’m sure I looked odd staring up at the leaves, if any neighbors happened to see me. But I was pretty well hidden in there. Still, all those Ring cameras on front doors nowadays…
The giant leopard plant (Farfugium japonicum ‘Gigantea’), which started flowering a few weeks ago and is still going, has been bringing in butterflies and bees, adding to the beauty of this shady corner.
With the sedge lawnette (Carex leavenworthii), variegated flax lily (Dianella tasmanica ‘Variegata’), dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor), and ‘Everillo’ sedge along the foundation, it’s a typical mid-December scene, which I never tire of.
After a couple of recent dips down to freezing, the soap aloes (Aloe maculata) in the back garden have settled into their own version of winter color: intensified mauve leaves with orange tips and pronounced freckles.
It’s pretty psychedelic.
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Digging Deeper
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All material © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
The soap aloes are beautiful – I didn’t know they colored up like that in response to colder temperatures, although I’ve noticed that my hybrid (Aloe striata x maculata) has developed similar color on its outer leaf edges. I love your Japanese maple and wish I could grow them more readily here. You can’t them for providing that fall display of color.
It’s true. They are really lovely for fall color, and since Austin doesn’t get tons of fall color I’m especially grateful for this little maple.
Wishing you and all your lovely plants a safe and happy holiday. It is such a pleasure to have seen your garden over the year.
Thanks so much, Jane! I appreciate your visits to Digging. Happy holidays!
I love your little sedge lawnette. Butterflies and bees this time of year really sounds wonderful to me and the plants that attract them of course.
We’ve had a couple of light freezes now, so I’m especially grateful for any plants still flowering.
They are such lovely, graceful trees.
They really are.
How does your giant leopard plant perform in periods of drought in Austin? I do love it but am wondering if it will need extra watering. Btw, I have lurked on your blog for many, many years. I garden in Dallas and wish the gardeners in North Texas would take more cues from our friends in the central part of the state. We still have so many St. Augustine lawns and landscapes that require copious amounts of water. Thanks for your lovely blog!
Giant leopard plant is thirsty. I water it about 3 times a week in summer, and even then it sometimes wilts a bit during the hottest part of the day. I held off on trying it for the longest time for that very reason. But then the deer ate all my native river fern, and so I decided to give it a try after noticing deer left leopard plant alone in my neighborhood. So while I wouldn’t recommend it for large areas, you don’t need a lot of it, as it’s so bold. It’s a novelty plant, if you find it worth the extra trouble.
As you know, I agree completely about the value of saving water by reducing or eliminating lawn and planting mainly plants that don’t need a lot of fussing. It’s also fine to have a few plants that need a little extra babying if you put them where you can enjoy them on a daily basis. 🙂
Thank you for reading Digging, MaryClare, and for leading by example with a water-saving garden in Dallas!
It’s lovely to hear about butterflies and bees in your garden, Pam, when mine is blanketed in snow. My Japanese maple is bare now but, like yours, its stunning color in fall is a joy. Merry Christmas! P. x
I’m glad you had a lovely Japanese maple season too, Pam. Merry Christmas!
I love that giant leopard plant! It kind of reminds me of a hosta.
Those big, lush leaves, right?