Regional Picks: Unusual Autumn Stars – Northern California

If you ’re disgusted of the same old asters and mums , why not constitute an unexpected surrender - genius instead ?

Here some truly out - of - the - average plant life for up your fall garden biz in Northern California . Some of these alternative provide excellent leaf colour while others put on a floral display in the terminal throws of October .

reckon for some autumnal stars for your containers rather ? ReadAutumn Pots Minus the Mumsby Sarah Partyka for even more out - of - the - box twilight planting inspiration .

1. ‘Marina’ Strawberry Tree

Name:Arbutus‘Marina’

USDA Hardiness Zones:8 to 10

Size:20 to 40 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide

Conditions : Full sun ; needs good drainage and prefers infrequent irrigation

‘ Marina ’ strawberry tree has everything : cosmetic bark ; flowers ; yield ; and dark , leathery , evergreen plant leaves . Reported to get up to 50 feet tall along the California glide , it is slow growing and unlikely to extend to that size in a hotter , interior California garden . The arm have a brawny signifier , with placid burnt sienna barque that peels in autumn to bring out a lighter cinnamon colour below . In our arena , this tree diagram bring on beautiful drooping clusters of flushed pink flowers in January , followed by attractive reddened fruit . Grown as a multitrunked specimen , the sculptured branches make a marvelous focal point in the low - water supply garden .

2. Giant Sea Squill

Name:Drimia maritima(syn.Urginea maritima)

Zones:8 to 10

Size : wintertime foliage , 1 to 2 ft tall and panoptic ; prime stalk , up to 5 feet improbable

Conditions : Full sun ; tolerates a chain of mountains of soil types , with or without summertime irrigation

Giant sea sea onion is a football - size bulb aboriginal to the Mediterranean region and well adapt to our dry , rainless summertime . In wintertime , the bulbs sprout leaves that are 2 feet long and 6 inch widely surface with a pliant bluish bloom . The leaves drop off with the onset of summertime heat , then , in August and September , the bulb sends up an awesome 3- to 5 - understructure - tall tower of starry white blossom . locate this easy - to - grow flora the same path that you would California ’s omnipresent belladonna lily ( Amaryllis belladonna plant , Zones 9–10 ) . It mould well combined with drought - tolerant , wintertime - deciduous herbaceous perennials , such as California fuchsia ( Epilobium canum , Zones 8–10 ) .

3. Pine Muhly

Name:Muhlenbergia dubia

Zones:6 to 9

Size:3 infantry tall and wide of the mark

weather : Full Lord’s Day ; not fussy about soil and prefer infrequent irrigation

Pine muhly is a dull evergreen native eatage . It produces a long-wearing , year - round display of tan efflorescence spindle redolent of a Fourth of July pyrotechnic burst . Similar to native California deer grass ( Muhlenbergia rigens , Zones 6–10 ) , pine muhly is neater and more petite , mature to only half the size . Valued for its tough nature and symmetrical form , it tolerates hard conditions , such as road medians and south - facing walls . In the dry garden , its gentle texture contrasts nicely with darker - foliage works and orotund succulents , especially when backlit by the afternoon Sunday . shorten this plant heavily to the reason every few years to rejuvenate it .

4. Shrubby Hare’s Ear

Name:Bupleurum fruticosum

Size:4 to 6 feet tall and wide

Conditions : Full Lord’s Day to easy nuance ; tolerates alkaline soil and prefers infrequent irrigation

Shrubby rabbit ’s ear is an understated evergreen shrub with smooth , leathery , grey - dark-green leaves . It produces fascinating yellow - unripe umbels from July through September . Easily shaped , it can be used as a filmdom , hedge , or specimen . For best shape , prune to stimulate branching when the flora is young . The peak clusters are produced on the stem ends ; they make long - hold out cut blossom , which are especially charming when mix with dark maroon foliation . This plant is adaptable to sun or refinement , and it requires little body of water once establish .

Ellen Zagory is director of public horticulture at the University of California – Davis Arboretum .

Photos : # 1 , Joshua McCullough ; # 2 , Donkey slam / courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org ; # 3 , courtesy of San Marcos Growers ; # 4 , Doreen Wynja

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Regional Picks: Unusual Autumn Stars - Southeast

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