These two plants may be better options than crape myrtles and Knock Out roses
Two kinds of plants stand out in the Piedmont landscape through the summer, and both crape myrtle trees and Knock Out roses deserve the attention and space they get. They are hard to beat, but they are not the only choices for reliable summer color.
Let me name two others consider for your home or business landscape: Drift roses and the vitex tree.
Drift roses came into the marketplace in the past decade and have proved to be a reliable alternative to the popular Knock Outs. Drifts come in eight beautiful colors, including white, soft peach, apricot, pink and bright red.
Like Knock Outs, they produce a very long season of bloom spring to fall. Unlike Knock Outs, they stay small, growing about 3 feet wide and 2 feet tall. That makes the Drifts well-suited for mass planting as a ground cover or as an edging plant. Their low-growing habit works well to soften up the hard edges of a concrete or brick patio or walkway. When using as an edger, take care with placing young, small plants so that they have space to grow to mature width so that you don’t have to prune away good growth
Mine and others I have noticed over the past few years have grown nicely but not rampantly, with only long-acting fertilizer applied in spring.
Full or nearly full sun is required for good bloom, as with most rose plants. Deadheading of spend blooms will keep the plant looking tidy and encourage fresh growth that produces new flowers.
The blooms are smallish, but appear in clusters to great effect. While the plants are full, the flower stems have a loose effect that is quite charming.
A second alternative for summer bloom is the vitex, a beautiful ornamental tree of medium height with lovely flowers that can be lilac to deep violet. The colors look lovely against lush, grayish-green foliage. Pruned to tree form with the lower stems cleared of foliage, it makes a distinctive sight. Left unpruned, it becomes more of a thick shrub, also beautiful.
Now crape myrtles, especially the newer ones such as Natchez, are renowned for their year-round beauty. I cannot say vitex is that good, but it is good enough to consider as an alternative when you have seen enough crape myrtles.
Vitex originated in the Mediterranean, which tells you that it is good around heat and drought. The typical vitex grows rapidly into a graceful, spreading canopy rising above several main trunks. There are smaller forms that make little trees, usually under 10 or 12 feet. It is deciduous, meaning it loses its leaves in autumn. The leafless effect is quite nice through the winter.
Ask Nancy
Q. Shrubs I set out recently seem to be wilting rapidly even though I water them well. What am I doing wrong?
A. It is likely that you are watering too quickly and the water does not seep into the root ball, instead running off the top and down the sides. Try watering these new plants by using a slow trickle so that it seeps into the root ball. This takes more time but it will ensure the plant gets the water into the root ball, where it is most needed. And keep it up through the summer because the heat will only get worse. This type of watering is most needed on plants that are newly set out because the roots have not yet moved into the surrounding soil.
This story was originally published June 25, 2017 at 7:37 PM with the headline "These two plants may be better options than crape myrtles and Knock Out roses."