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Posts Tagged: Lantana
Greeting the Gulf Fritillary
Ah, the Gulf Fritillary... We spotted this orange-reddish butterfly nectaring lantana last Saturday near downtown Vacaville. In fact, the...
Gulf Fritillary on lantana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Gulf Fritillary is one of the showiest butterflies in California, according to butterfly expert Art Shapiro of UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
On its underside, the Gulf Fritillary is spangled in iridescent silver. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Polecat Geranium
Also known as Shrub Verbena or Polecat Geranium, this rugged evergreen perennial Lantana camara 'Confetti' is a local favorite for its hardiness and cheerful blossoms. This medium sized shub grows well in zones 9a through 11b and tolerates soil types ranging from clay, to loam, and sand both acidic and alkaline as long as the soil is well-drained. This shrub has an upright growth habit varying from 2 to 3 feet, although I prune mine back to just below 4 feet a couple of times each year. It can reach 8 feet across, but as you see in the accompanying photo, I keep it pruned to a shape similar to that of a weeping cherry. This shrub is a very carefree plant that wants lots of sunshine to cover itself in blooms almost year round in our Solano climates. The 'Confetti' variety produces small 1 to 2 inch clusters of blooms grouping individual small flowers of bright yellow, pink and lavender. The flowers are attractive to us gardeners as well as bees, butterflies, and birds. The leaves are dark green and aromatic with coarsely-toothed margins which are simple, opposite, and lanceolate ranging from ¾ of an inch to 3 inches long and ½ inch to 1 ½ inches wide. The leaves can be an irritant to the skin and the berries which follow the flower are toxic so plant this shrub away from children or dog play areas. The fast growth rate and drought tolerance makes this shrub a good choice for xeriscape gardens. This shrub is seldom bothered by pests or disease, but too much water or fertilizer will result in fewer blooms. This tropical plant will die back at temperatures of 28 degrees F. or less but the plant will return growing from the roots when warm weather returns.
Lantana camara 'Confetti'. (photo by Trisha Rose)
From Roses to Relaxed- part 2
A couple years later and now we are both retired. We decide to pull out another mow strip in front and put in some nice perennials and herbs. We are now cooking alot more and fresh herbs are always a good idea. The dogs play in the backyard so the herbs were much safer in the front. Also, we were beginning to think it would be nice to have some plants that aren't as attractive to insects and disease as our roses have proven to be. I was spending a lot of time with my Sunset New Western Garden Book looking up rose disease and pest solutions by now and had begun to notice that many perennials had some pretty nice features.
So the middle strip of lawn between the walkway up to the front door and the driveway eventually got dug out. Since our two dogs love their daily walks around the neighborhood and I am the designated dog walker, I am noticing more what is going on with the neighbor's gardens and appreciate what is blooming and doing well or not. Have I mentioned that it is very windy in the front yard as our street faces the Carquinez Strait. There is virtually nothing to slow down the wind so the plants have to be sturdy enough to withstand both the long exposure to sun and frequent day long winds. These same winds, I suspect, have also played a role in spreading some of our most prevelent rose diseases and pests amongst our neighbors, namely rust, black spot, mildew and the most invasive of all, the aphids. Thank you perennials for entering our lives.
As we planted our newly dug out mow strip, just by luck did we choose a Lantana montevidensis 'Confetti' to anchor this garden area. I can't claim to have studied a book or website to make this decision. The Lantana was just sitting very prettily near the entrance to Mid-City Nursery the day I had chosen to make some plant purchases. This plant has proven to be one of the hardiest and most prolific bloomers in the garden. It has stood up to my trimming and shaping with a vengence. It has become a real stunner as it is now shaped as a small bushy tree with branches that bend gracefully with many blooms. Besides the many people that like this plant, it has attracted Monarch butterflies each year along with bees and many different birds that are attracted by the berries in late summer. We have added many herbs including Origanium vulgare, Salvia officianalis, and Thymus vulgaris. Besides the herbs, we have added Aloe attenuata and arborescens, Coreopsis, and many, many different succulents. This old mow strip has really turned into a joyful garden.
So with success brings confidence. As we shape our gardens we continue to learn what grows well, and looks good. and when it is time to shovel prune an intruder or poor student as in the case of many of those early rose choices. Truthfully we haven't had to shovel prune much, we have grateful neighbors with more patience and know how who have been happy to give new homes to our cast-offs.
