After derecho devastation, a garden blazes beautifully
The derecho in Houston last May snapped in half a tall tree that shaded my sister’s tiny Heights backyard. Miraculously, while it caused some damage, the broken tree didn’t take out the house, swimming pool, or patio seating on the way down. And now there’s a bonus silver — or should I say crimson? — lining. The garden has responded exuberantly to the dramatic increase in light with an explosion of fiery flowers and lush growth.
I visited last weekend and was captivated by a gorgeous Rangoon creeper vine (Combretum indicum) in full bloom. I’d never even noticed the vine before, which swags a wooden pergola above a fire pit patio. It was only ever green, as far as I can remember. But now it’s lush and full and dripping with clusters of fragrant red and pink flowers.
What a showboat!
The flowers start out white and then blush pink and finally red. You can have all three colors at once.
I’d always thought Rangoon creeper, a tropical Asian vine, would grow fine in Houston’s 9b hardiness zone but wouldn’t survive in Austin’s 9a. But I’m learning that it does grow in Central Texas and even survived Snowpocalypse for some Austin gardeners.
Does anyone reading this in Austin have personal experience with it? I am coveting.
Along the pool, firecracker fern (Russelia equisetiformis) sparkles with ember-like flowers — a beautiful contrast with the blue pool. A silvery blue agave — I’m not sure what kind — in a tall Corten pot echoes the blue water and makes a focal point across the pool.
The tree lost to the derecho stood behind the bumped out section of fence behind the agave. Now, unhampered by its shade, elephant ears on each side have exploded with growth. My sister says they didn’t even plant them — they just appeared. Y’all, Houston gardening is a whole different world from Austin gardening, thanks to significantly more rain (50 inches a year versus 36 inches) that’s more evenly doled out, plus a milder winter.
That’s not to say gardeners in Houston don’t have their weather challenges. They sure do: floods, hurricanes, heat waves, the occasional deep freeze, and even drought. Weather extremes are a fact of life for all of us everywhere now. But in my sister’s garden I was reminded that even amid devastating loss, life and nature and beauty find a way. Keep your eyes and heart open, friends.
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Wow, that area is gorgeous! Love that vine. It’s showboating now, isn’t it! Just lovely. The russelia is one of my favorites. It’s so frothy and dependable.
Your sister’s garden is amazing. Who knew she had so many plants that would respond so well to sunlight!
She was as surprised as I was. A happy surprise!
Beautiful choice of plants and that Rangoon creeper- stunning. Very tropical and I’m sure works very well with plenty of humidity. One advantage!
Houston’s tropical humidity makes a lot of plants quite happy.
50 inches! That’s positively tropical. No wonder the elephant’s ears are doing so well.
No kidding!
So delightful! Although I’m sure they miss the shade the tree provided, this looks like a win to me. I think you should give the Rangoon creeper a try. I can’t imagine it’s a huge investment financially. It’s a gorgeous plant. And if it fails, well I’m sure it’s not the first plant you’ll have lost, haha. We gardeners are risk takers, always pushing the envelope, right? Go for it, Pam!
The other day I was wishing I had the plant tags for every plant I’ve ever purchased in my long gardening life (I’m 78). Just think of the stories they would tell, the memories they would provoke!! And the failures they would document! Oh my…
I’m always happy to try and kill another plant. 😉
I do so love silver linings! Your sister’s garden looks spectacular. I wish an elephant ear or two would just appear in my garden!
In our drier climates, I think a pond or bog garden would be the way to have them.
Alocasia like that can just show up? Good lord. Your sister has a lovely little garden space there, thanks for sharing it. As for your last sentence, yes.
I suspect they crept under the fence from the neighbor’s yard. Either that or Sis forgot planting them and the plants didn’t do much when the tree was there, and now they’ve exploded. 😉
I don’t envy Houstonians when I think of the humidity, but the rainfall total is certainly impressive! Perhaps spread out more evenly than ours in Austin, but then there are hurricanes, too. That garden is beautiful because of and in spite of all those things.
Well said, Linda.
Gorgeous yard! Love the Rangoon creeper. I haven’t had great luck with vines in SW Austin, but I just love the look of the lush, tropical garden. Grew up in SE Texas and that’s the only thing I miss about that humidity! Will be so curious to see if you give the vine a try!
I love vines and would like to give this one a go.
That Rangoon Creeper is to die for, but I haven’t had much luck with it in Horseshoe Bay Hill Country. I have had better luck with Evergreen Red Wisteria ( Millettia recticulata). Its deep red/ purple flower clusters are equally beautiful and smell wonderfully when up close. I bought it at The Natural Gardener in 2020. It is not invasive, receives part shade under a Hackberry Tree, and is Alkaline tolerant.
Thanks for sharing your experience with Rangoon creeper, Louise. I love that evergreen wisteria too!
I have a Rangoon creeper against the privacy fence in my 8b Old East Dallas back yard. It gets a few hours of early-afternoon sun. I planted it 20 years ago. When it never bloomed I tried to kill it after 10 or 12 years, but I failed. It swallowed other plants with foliage and about five years ago it started blooming — in September. Still blooming today. It dies back to the ground every winter and is slow to sprout new growth in spring.
Wow, I’m amazed to know it survives as far north as Dallas! And how frustrating that it took 15 years to bloom. Yikes! I hope you’re enjoyed the delayed flowering into November at least. 🙂
The vine is beautiful. It would probably grow in my region but for the lack of water. 36″ a year! More than double our average. (Let alone 50″) . Have always loved Alocasias…again, water. The Russellia is easy here and hummers are always at it, a great plant for them.
The neat, elegantly simple look of your sister’s garden is just right.
Water does make all the difference. Austin’s 36-inch average rainfall is not quite as glorious as it sounds though. While we do get far more rain than your region in SoCal, it comes in a pattern of drought…drought…drought…FLOOD (with water running off dry soil and causing flash flooding). A lot of times folks here try either 1) planting like they would for wetter regions, only to find that drought/heat kills the plants or 2) planting desert-style gardens that end up rotting when we get a big flooding rain or freezing in a deep freeze. It’s tricky but rewarding when you find the right plants for your place.
I look at this as an affirming happening. I have several huge trees and often wonder what will happen to my garden when one or more come down. I see here I have nothing to worry about.
I can see why you covet that vine. It is beautiful. My vote is to give it a try. 😉
Good philosophy, Lisa. The garden adapts!
Hi Pam,
My mom is outside of Brenham, TX and has had a rangoon creeper growing for about 8 years. It has survived and bloomed through everything, snowpocalypse in 6″ of snow, drought, absolute neglect. It gets smaller in a dry year, but it’s a survivor.
That’s great to hear, Eileen. Thanks for letting me know it’s a survivor in Brenham!