More Related Content Similar to Silver foliage 2016 (20) Silver foliage 20161. © Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County
Project SOUND – 2016 (our 12th year)
2. © Project SOUND
Silvery Delights:
gardening with white, gray
and silver foliage
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH (emeritus) & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
December 3 & 8, 2016
5. California landscape painters use these
contrasts to create lovely paintings
© Project SOUND
http://oceanquigley.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-series-of-california-landscape.html
6. As do the best landscape designers
© Project SOUND
https://sissinghurstcastle.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/when-a-wheel-barrow-wont-do/
7. Our California native gardens succeed best when
they take advantage of these contrasts
© Project SOUND
8. Many classic European ‘white gardens’ feature flowers
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/white-gardens/
9. Gardens with white flowers are
enchanting by day
© Project SOUND
http://wefollowpics.com/moon-garden-all-white-flowers-and-gray-foliage-white-forget-me-nots-tulips-daisies-and-money-plants-combined-with-
hostas-and-silvery-astelia-foliage/
10. …and even better with the fading light
© Project SOUND
Another name for white gardens is ‘moon gardens’
11. While temperate gardens showcase white flowers,
Mediterranean gardens excel with light foliage
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/482307441324344276/
http://youreasygarden.com/simple-ways-to-use-white-in-the-garden/
12. Why do temperate and Mediterranean gardeners
achieve their whites in different ways?
Temperate gardens are shadier
(and therefore darker)
They have more shade trees and
more overcast days
Bright white flowers and foliage
really brighten up shadier gardens
White stands out better than the
more muted silvery foliage types
Fortunately, temperate climates
also have many white flowers – but
less silvery foliage - to choose from
© Project SOUND
http://blog.theenduringgardener.com/holiday-at-sissinghurst/p1010369_2/
13. Why do temperate and Mediterranean gardeners
achieve their whites in different ways?
Mediterranean climate gardens are
sunnier (and therefore brighter)
They have fewer/less dense trees and
fewer overcast days, brighter sunlight
Gardens are already light; whites don’t
stand out as well
More muted silvery foliage – with a
little color to the mix – looks better
than neutral white in a bright garden
Fortunately, mediterranean climates
also have many native silvery foliage
plants to choose from – temperate
gardeners envy us our silvery foliage
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/522206519262061613/
14. Two concepts important for designing with
light-colored foliage:
1. How much contrast is
there between light and
dark (e.g. the degree or
range of contrast)?
2. Is the lighter foliage ‘cool’
in tone (blue-green),
‘warm’ (silvery-green;
silver/gold) or neutral
(bright white; neutral
gray)
© Project SOUND
warm cool
15. Dark colors make us feel…
Solid, grounded
Heavy
Somber
Sober
Calm, serene
© Project SOUND
You probably would not like
a garden that was all darks
16. Dark colors ‘recede’; light colors ‘advance’
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/white-gardens/
17. Dark colors ‘recede’; light colors ‘advance’
© Project SOUND
http://www.freshdesignpedia.com/interior-design-ideas/ready-for-the-summer-
furnishing-ideas-for-indoors-and-outdoors.html
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-Windham-6-ft-H-x-6-ft-W-White-Vinyl-Fence-
Panel-73002103/202297437
18. Large garden or small, background should be dark
(unless there’s a really good reason to do otherwise)
© Project SOUND
http://www.gardenista.com/posts/trend-alert-black-fences/
19. Creating a ‘dark’ garden background
Planting dark evergreen shrubs
Painting walls/fences a dark,
preferably grayed, color
Creating areas of shade
© Project SOUND
http://indulgy.com/post/WYfDcpGxQ1/the-white-garden-sissinghurst
http://www.bobvila.com/slidesho
w/awesome-accents-17-ways-to-
make-any-space-pop-with-color-
46922#.WEIU5mcU-Uk
http://www.readingeagle.com/life/article/garden-of-the-week-linda-yeager
20. Dark colors are usually used for
background…but not always
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/182466222379148078/
Light colored foliage can serve as a background for
darker accent plants
21. Light/pale colors make us feel:
Happy, peppy
Light (not heavy)
Excited
Summery
Like they are coming
towards us
Near by; close to us
© Project SOUND
You probably would not like
a garden that was all pastels
22. Dark colors ‘recede’; light colors ‘advance’
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/259449628502874271/
24. Ways of creating ‘light’ accents in the garden
Flowers with white/pale colors
Plants with white/silvery foliage
Hardscape
Pots and planters
Garden art
Walkway materials
Mulch, boulders, etc.
Lighting
© Project SOUND
http://pittsburghoutdoorlighting.com/tag/pittsburgh-landscape-lighting/
25. Light/pale colors are usually
used as garden accents …
but not always
© Project SOUNDhttp://www.bulldogtools.co.uk/blog/2013/12/winter-garden-tools/
26. Two concepts important for designing with
light-colored foliage:
1. How much contrast is
there between light and
dark?
2. Is the lighter foliage ‘cool’
in tone (blue-green),
‘warm’ (silvery-green;
silver/gold) or neutral
(bright white; neutral
gray)
© Project SOUND
warm cool
27. These two concepts help explain why temperate
gardeners are so enchanted by mediterranean gardens
© Project SOUND
28. Let’s look at some actual landscapes
© Project SOUND
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02407/Harlowcarr2_2407849b.jpg
Clearly, a very high contrast garden
29. What about this temperate white garden?
© Project SOUND
High contrast/neutral white
37. More Mediterranean
gardens
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/522206519262061613/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/38632509282381226/
Moderate contrast – fewer darks
Mix of warm and cool silvers – but often more warm
Use of mulch – usually light colored – and other
hardscape as design elements
38. Where do S. California native plants fit?
© Project SOUND
40. Advantages of designing with white/silver
foliage (rather than white flowers)
Many such plants are water-wise
Foliage doesn’t fade (like white
flowers do)
Many have best color in sunny
places; but some are fine in low-
light situations
Many to choose from (both S. CA
natives and other mediterranean)
Lots of variability:
Size
Texture
Brightness
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/83035186858621967/
41. Benefits of designing with silver/light foliage
Color is long-lasting (often year-
round), not seasonal; easier to
design with stationary contrasts
Easy to produce masses/swaths of
color – year-round
Many size/height options: trees to
low-growing plants
Colors tend to be soothing –
whether you choose warm or cool
silvers/lights
Foliage texture adds additional
interest
© Project SOUND
42. Let’s discover some design clues by
studying Mediterranean gardens
© Project SOUND
Start with a good dark background
43. One common attribute of Mediterranean
gardens: trees with silvery foliage
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/212865519863542396/
44. Some of the best native trees with silvery
foliage are the manzanitas
© Project SOUND
45. Several manzanitas have silvery leaves
Bigberry manzanita
(Arctostaphylos glauca)
‘Lester Rountree’ manzanita
‘John Dourley’ manzanita
Whiteleaf Manzanita
(A. viscida ssp. viscida)
Diablo Blush Manzanita
(A. auriculata)
Ghostly Manzanita (A. silvicola)
Ian Bush Manzanita
(A. densiflora x A. pungens)
Laguna Manzanita
(A. glandulosa adamsii).
© Project SOUND
47. © Project SOUND
*Bishop manzanita – Arctostaphylos obispoensis
©1993 David Graber
©2011 Chris Winchell
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=13958
Foothills of coastal mountains, Monterrey
and San Luis Obispo Counties
Arctostaphylos obispoensis Eastwood [family
ERICACEAE], Leafl. W. Bot., 2: 8. 1937
48. © Project SOUND
Bishop manzanita: silvery foliage
Size:
5-10+ ft tall
5-10 ft wide
Growth form:
Woody shrub/small tree
Dense, mounded form
Attractive, dark red bark
Foliage:
Typical simple, rounded to
lanceshaped manzanita leaves
– somewhat leathery
Color: blue-green to gray-
green – pretty color due to
leaf hairs
http://www.worldbotanical.com/arctostaphylos.htm
©2006 Steve Matson
49. © Project SOUND
Pretty flowers & fruits
Blooms: late winter/early spring –
Jan-Mar is usual
Flowers:
Small, white, urn-shaped
flowers typical for manzanita
Attract hummingbirds,
butterflies, large bees
Fruits:
Small (1/2 inch or less) ‘apple’
of the manzanitas
Edible and tasty – birds will
eat if you don’t use them
Ripen in summer
©2016 Susan McDougall
Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences
50. © Project SOUND
Bishop manzanita: typical
of Central Coast species
Soils:
Texture: adaptable (even clay)
pH: best with neutral to
slightly acidic (pH: 6.0-7.0)
Light:
Full sun on coast
Part-shade everywhere else;
fine under trees (bright
shade)
Water:
Winter: need to supplement
most years
Summer: occasional (Water
Zone 1-2 to 2)
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: use an organic mulch
©2011 Chris Winchell
Most manzanitas have a nice,
natural shape and need little
pruning. Can be pruned up to
small tree.
51. © Project SOUND
Bishop manzanita
Nice evergreen foundation or
background shrub
Good under pines & other tall trees
Foliage color provides a nice accent
for other green shrubs
Fine on dry slopes
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/63--arctostaphylos-obispoensis-
san-luis-obispo-manzanitahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctostaphylos_obispoensis
52. © Project SOUND
‘Lester Rountree’ manzanita
Hybrid: A. pajaroensis X ? A. obispoensis
8-10 ft tall & wide
Open, sculptural growth habit
Light blue-green foliage – almost a gray-
blue cast – nice as accent color
http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/category/california-native-plants/page/2/
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/84/268090756_f6a54c9577.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mechanoid_dolly/4943065895
53. Use ‘Lester Rountree’ in
place of an olive tree
© Project SOUNDhttps://www.pinterest.com/explore/mediterranean-garden/
The size is better suited for a
smaller landscape
54. © Project SOUND
A waxy cuticle layer prevents moisture loss.
A common adaptation in
plants from dry climates
Often found in combination
with succulent (water-
storing) foliage
Clues to a plant's surface
type can often be found in
its species name:
argentea denotes silver in
general
glauca defines the moodier
cast of waxy blue-greens.
55. Inspiration from a Spanish garden: Palacio, Palma
del Río, Provincia de Córdoba
© Project SOUND
http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/carmona-22.html#1
Manicured shrubs chosen for their foliage color
56. Light foliage
medium-size
shrubs
Lavender – Lavandula spp
Lavender Cotton – Santolina chamaecyparissus
Lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina)
Artemisia – Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Silver Queen’
© Project SOUND
Some common choices
Usually dense foliage with
small leaves – perfect for
either natural or manicured
look
57. The Artemisias are hard to beat for silvery
foliage that ranges from white to gold
© Project SOUND
http://prairie476.rssing.com/chan-7188697/all_p5.html
California sagebrush is known to most
gardeners – but other great species merit
attention
58. © Project SOUND
Coastal Sagewort - Artemisia pycnocephala
© 2005 George W. Hartwell
‘David’s Choice’ Coastal Sagewort is readily available
and well-loved
59. © Project SOUND
*Silver wormwood – Artemisia ludoviciana
http://redrockcanyonopenspace.org/education/biology/sage/
60. © Project SOUND
*Silver wormwood – Artemisia ludoviciana
©2012 Jean Pawek
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/draw_tiny2.pl?e4e3fcf507
Much of North America, from Canada south to
Mexico
Locally – San Gabriel Mountain range
Aka ‘Prairie Sage’ in the nursery trade; widely
available (best to get local source type)
http://www.crossconservation.org/encyclopedia/prairie-sage
61. © Project SOUND
Silver wormwood: luscious silvery foliage
Size:
1-2 ft tall
3-5 ft wide (species spreads)
Growth form:
Upright to mounded perennial or
sub-shrub
Many upright stems (somewhat
like Mugwort – bit more shrub-like
Foliage:
Lovely silvery to blue-green
foliage – wonderful accent
Leaves like cross between
mugwort & chrysanthemum -
fragrant
Roots: net-like roots
© 2005, Ben Legler
62. © Project SOUND
Flowers are inconsequential
Blooms: in spring – usually Feb-
Apr in lowland LA County
Flowers:
Composite flowers (ray and
disk flowers)
Flower heads are bell-shaped
(like CA Sagebrush) on
upright stems
Flowers small, yellow
Seeds: small, sunflower seeds –
birds like them, and plants will
re-seed
Vegetative reproduction:
spreads via rhizomes
2010, Ron Bockelman
© 2009, G. D. Carr
63. © Project SOUND
Easy-to-grow plant Soils:
Texture: just about any – not
particular and grows in many
different soils in wilds.
pH: any local
Light:
Full sun to part-shade; needs
at least a good 4 hours sun for
good color.
Water:
Winter: needs adequate water
Summer: wide tolerance range,
but best with some summer
water (Water Zone 1-2 to 2)
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: shallow organic mulch fine
http://khkeeler.blogspot.com/2013/02/sages-garden-sage-and-sagebrush.html
To look good, plants should be
pruned back to 4-5 inches (or
mowed) in fall – treat like
Mugwort or Goldenrods
64. © Project SOUND
Wormwood: lots of potential
As a ground cover – alone or mixed
with other natives (prairie planting)
As an accent plant in front of
evergreen shrubs
In Mediterranean or herb garden
As an attractive pot plant
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ARLU
© 2010, Ron Bockelman
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Artemisia_ludoviciana
65. Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Silver King’
Most like the species in terms of
size, growth habit, appearance
Blue-green foliage
Widely available – garden adapted
© Project SOUND
http://www.paintedflowerfarm.com/pages/plants/natives/artem
isia,silver-king.htm
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/434386326528208910/
66. Artemisia ludoviciana
‘Silver Queen’
A bit more shrub-like and less
apt to spread
Very silvery foliage
Refined appearance
Widely available – garden tested
© Project SOUND
http://www.zelen.cz/detail_galerie_rostlin/Artemisia_ludoviciana_Silver_Queen_pelyne
k_Ludvikuv
https://www.groeneparadijs.com/producten/tuinplanten/vaste-planten/artemisia-
ludoviciana-silver-queen-westerse-bijvoet
https://www.plantes-shopping.fr/articles/artemisia-ludoviciana-silver-queen-
1882.html
67. Artemisia ludoviciana
‘Valerie Finnis’
Most refined appearance of cultivars
Looks like shrubby perennial
Larger leaves
Very light, attractive foliage
Probably the most widely available
© Project SOUND
http://www.ivydenegardens.co.uk/Mixed%20Border%20Herbaceous/artv
aleriefinnis.html
http://www.gardeningimpulse.ie/shop/artemisia-ludoviciana-valerie-finnis/
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1600791/artemesia-
ludoviciana-valerie-finnis-photo
68. © Project SOUND
Why some plants have
white/silver foliage
Many silver/gray plants also use
their hairs (trichomes) for
defense against predation
(mostly from insects)
Some hairs are sharp
Others secrete unpleasant
chemicals
Some probably just present
physical obstacles to smaller
insects – or feel ugly to walk on
Protection is very important to
plants that have a limited
growing season.
Dove Plant - Croton setagerus
69. Widely used
medicinal plant
Tea from leaves for stomach ache or
sore throat
Tea from roots as laxative
Dry, powered leaves as snuff for
head colds, headaches, sinus attacks
Strong tea as wash for eczema,
deodorant and antiperspirant for
underarms and feet
A wash of the leaves applied to
itching, rashes, swellings, boils, sores
A poultice of leaves for sores and to
relieve muscle pains
© Project SOUND
http://www.cannonvalleynursery.com/output/moreinfo/Artemisia_ludoviciana.asp
http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/artemisia-ludoviciana-valerie-
finnis/classid.2000006631/
70. Atriplex species form dense shrubs that can be
pruned to formal or informal shapes
© Project SOUND
http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/carmona-22.html
They also provide
warm, silvery
tones
71. © Project SOUND
Other interesting explanations for ‘silvery’
foliage
The foliage of Saltbushes
(Atriplex species) often has a
sparkly silver appearance,
providing an interesting foliage
contrast in gardens
Silver appearance due to salt
crystals secreted by special
glands in the leaves
Allows the plants to live in salty
soils – they simply excrete the
excess salt
They need to be under some form
of water stress, either drought,
salt, or salt spray
72. Why are Atriplex prized as
pruned shrubs?
Fast growth rate; small or large
Evergreen
Dense branching pattern
Small leaves; densely packed on
branches
Lovely pale foliage colors
© Project SOUND
http://www.jardinbotanico.uma.es/bbdd/index.php/jb-alm-02/
http://www.riomoros.com/2012/03/la-osagra-atriplex-halimus.html
74. © Project SOUND
Coast Quailbush: best
in larger gardens
On banks and slopes; good for
erosion control
As a screen or large hedge
At back of large beds
As an edible plant:
All parts are edible: roots,
young shoots & seeds
Salty
As a fire-retardant plant
As a great addition to the
native habitat garden
http://www.sanjose.watersavingplants.com/eplant.php?plantnum=2
4532&return=s_aQ
http://www.cnps.org/cnps/grownative/tips/native_garden_planning-part2.php
75. © Project SOUND
* Four-wing Saltbush – Atriplex canescens
http://www.perennialfavoritesnursery.com/native_a-f.html
76. © Project SOUND
Saltbushes : Habitat plants par excellance!
Foliage
Attract beneficial insects to the garden
- lacewings, ladybugs, and hoverflies
Many weird and fun insects – good
plants for insect-watching
Attract butterflies (larval food for
some sootywing skippers)
Fall/winter/spring browse for deer, elk
Dense cover for birds, rabbits, just
about any ground-dweller
Seeds
Very nutritious food source – high in
protein
Eaten by many creatures (including
humans): don’t fertilize if you plant to
eat them – takes up & stores many
metals
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/atrlen/plant.jpg
77. © Project SOUND
Four-wing Saltbush used
extensively in Southwestern
As a shrub in commercial plantings
– low maintenance/little water
Excellent water-wise hedge
In plants with a desert plant
palette – used like Salvias or
Coyote Bush - silvery color
For erosion control
As a fire-retardant plant – with a
little summer water
For re-claiming mine tailings &
other environmental problems
Also used as dye plant (yellow &
‘Navajo Black’ & medicine (emetic)
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Atriplex&Species=canescens
http://www.delange.org/FourwingSaltbush/FourwingSaltbush.htm
79. W. North America from CA/OR to ND and south
to AZ and TX. Greatest concentrations: Great
Basin and Colorado Plateau
In CA, widely distributed in salt-desert shrublands
of the Mojave (Lancaster; Barstow) and Great
Basin deserts and in pinyon-juniper (Pinus-
Juniperus spp.) woodlands, eastern Sierra Nevada
© Project SOUND
*Shadscale saltbush – Atriplex confertifolia
©2009 James M. Andre
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242415596
https://plantsofthesouthwest.com/collections/trees-shrubs
80. © Project SOUND
Shadscale is a silvery medium-size shrub
Size:
1-3 ft tall
1-3 ft wide
Growth form:
Mounded sub-shrub (part-woody);
usually densely branched
Partly drought-deciduous
Short-lived (10 years)
Foliage:
Leaves simple, rounded
Silvery green due to excreted
salt crystals
Used as salty seasoning; young
foliage as cooked greens
Roots: deep w/ many fine roots
©2012 Jean Pawek
©2012 Neal Kramer
©2015 Steve Matson
81. © Project SOUND
Seeds are showier than
the flowers
Blooms: in spring - usually
Apr-Jun in western LA Co.
Flowers:
Plants dioecious – separate
male & female plants
Both types of flowers are
small, yellow-green and
visited by insect pollinators
Seeds:
Developing seeds may be
pink in color – very showy
Seeds dry to gold; eaten by
birds and animals
Seeds are edible
©2015 Steve Matson
http://www.americansouthwest
.net/plants/wildflowers/atriplex-
confertifolia.html
82. © Project SOUND
Water-wise and
tough plants
Soils:
Texture: best in well-drained;
berm in others
pH: any local, including alkali
Light: full sun to part-shade
Water:
Winter: needs at least 6
inches – supplement if needed
Summer: wide range in wilds;
best with occasional summer
water (Water Zones 1-2 to 2)
Don’t over-water in summer;
susceptible to soil fungal
disease
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences
Use a desert mulch:
gravel or none
83. © Project SOUND
Adaptable Shadscale
As a silvery accent plant in a water-
wise habitat garden
As a formal/semi-formal hedge
In a desert-themed garden
Around the edges of an edibles or
herb garden
As an attractive pot plant
http://chelseanursery.com/?page_id=358
https://plantsofthesouthwest.com/collections/trees-shrubs
84. Human uses for saltbushes
Edible uses
Young foliage as cooked greens
Fresh or dried leaves as salty
seasoning
Seeds for flavoring or as
pinole
Medicinal uses
Poultice from foliage used for
muscle pains, chest congestion
Decoction of foliage for
respiratory illness
Other uses
Hard wood used for arrow
points, tools
© Project SOUND
85. © Project SOUND
Pruning Saltbushes - easy
In the wild, are eaten back
extensively by deer, elk,
rabbits
In the garden, you are the
browser – with your pruners
Trim back about 1/3 the
length of branches in fall for a
neat look
don’t cut back into old wood –
prune like a Salvia
will rejuvenate the plant
Can also hedge-shear
For best habitat value, leave
some branches at the base –
i.e., leave it pruned as a shrub
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_canescens_inflor.jpg
http://allergy.peds.arizona.edu/southwest/grass_weeds/wingscale.htm
86. Important summer/fall contrasts: dark
buckwheat flowers with something light
© Project SOUND
High contrast with white-foliage
sunflowers
Lower contrast silvery Salvias
and golden grasses
87. S. CA has many light-foliage plants in the
sunflower family (Asteraceae)
© Project SOUND
89. © Project SOUND
Mediterranean plants have other adaptations that
make them interesting garden specimens
Further drought-related
adaptations that help make silvers
hardy in warmer, drier areas
include:
Narrow leaves
Ability to roll leaf edges
Finely dissected or lobed leaves
All these adaptations can be used
to add textural interest to the
garden
92. S. Channel Islands (Santa
Barbara, Santa Catalina, San
Clemente Islands).
Recently re-classified as
Constancea
After Lincoln Constance
An expert on plants of the
parsley family
6 decade career in CA botany
and systematics (taxonomy)
‘Lincoln was the patriarch of
botany at UC Berkeley’
Found on rocky coastal bluffs,
coastal sage scrub
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Eriophyllum+nevinii
http://www.cnps.org/publications/fremontia/Fremontia_Vol29-No2.pdf
Lincoln Constance
Constancea (Eriophyllum) nevinii
Catalina Silverlace
93. Catalina Silverlace is satisfyingly simple
to grow
Soils: any well-drained
Light: full sun to part-shade
Nutrients: none needed
Water:
low needs; good for water-
wise garden
Will take occasional water in
summer
Maintenance:
Prune back severely in
fall/winter when new growth
is beginning to emerge
94. Uses in the garden
In mixed beds
As a silver-white accent
against darker green foliage
In rock gardens – remember,
it grows on rocky cliffs
In a ‘silver’ garden
As an informal hedge
In large pots or planters
In a fire-resistant ground
cover/shrub
Where ever you would use
‘Dusty Millers’
95. ‘Canyon Silver’
cultivar
Size: slightly more compact
Foliage:
More silver-green; lighter
color
Lacier leaves
Flower heads:
larger and held higher above
the plant
Slightly flatter
More showy
‘Canyon Silver’
Species
96. Frost-tender white-
foliage plants
When a frost is predicted:
Water around the plant the
day before
Cover with a loose cover (old
sheet works well)
After frost damage occurs:
Resist the urge to prune
immediately:
Not all is dead – hard to tell
immediately
Dead foliage shields new
growth
Prune once new growth is well-
established (takes several
months)
© Project SOUND
97. © Project SOUND
Leaf hairs or scales reflect the sun’s hot
rays, cooling the foliage
Hairy or scaly surfaces also
protect leaves from drying
winds by helping trap
moisture.
Many are desert (or local)
species.
Plant names that include
tomentosum, pubescens,
canescens, villosa, or lanata
have downy leaves
These plants generally fall in
the group of brighter, whiter
grays.
99. © Project SOUND
Desert gardeners love
Brittle Bush
Popular in desert landscaping
Good choice for mixed dry
borders and rock gardens
Does well on dry slopes
Good choice for habitat
gardens
Good for ‘Evening Garden’
Don’t plant: choose CA
Encelia instead
Near coast
Any area near natural
populations of CA Encelia
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Encelia_farinosa.html
http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/encfar.htm
102. Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of CA, AZ, NV; locally
Riverside and San Bernardino Co.
First collected from Providence Mtns (JG Cooper)
1860-61 – named by A. Gray [1868]
MK Brandegee collected - Daggett, Nipton in 1914-15
© Project SOUND
*Wooly brickellbush – Brickellia incana
©2008 Aaron Schusteff
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?BRIN
http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Shrubs/Bricke_inc/_Bri_inc.htm
103. © Project SOUND
Wooly brickellbush: silvery desert shrub
Size:
1-4 ft tall
2-4 ft wide
Growth form:
Mostly evergreen sub-shrub
Upright to mounded form
Foliage usually dense
Attractive with just a little water
Foliage:
Silvery to white color due dense
hairs (trichomes)
Leaves simple, oval
©2010 Lee Dittmann
104. © Project SOUND
Flowers: typical
Brickellbush
Blooms: Anytime from spring
to fall, depending on rains,
temperatures
Flowers:
On white-hairy stems
Distinctive silvery bracts
around the flower heads
Disk & ray flowers small,
yellow-gold
Seeds:
Fluffy seeds are actually more
showy than the flowers
Seed-eating birds will eat
©2010 Lee Dittmann
105. © Project SOUND
Drought-tolerant
Brickellbush
Soils:
Texture: well-drained (or plant
on slope of berm)
pH: any local
Light: full sun
Water:
Winter: needs good winter
rains – at least 10 inches
Summer: best with occasional
deep summer water (Water
Zone 1-2)
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: Shape will likely be better
with late fall pruning (as with many
drought-tolerant Sunflowers)
106. © Project SOUND
Shot of silver-white
Attractive accent plant in most
local water-wise gardens
Looks lovely against evergreen
background plants
Good habitat plant
Likely candidate for large
containers
©2010 Lee Dittmann
http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Shrubs/Bricke_inc/_Bri_inc.htm
https://dryheatblog.wordpress.com/2015/07/08/its-111-degrees-garden-visit/
107. Gardens can be enchanting with airy
white plants that naturalize
© Project SOUND
109. © Project SOUND
White everlasting is
very easy to grow
Soils:
Texture: any
pH: any local (5.0-8.0)
Light:
Full sun (best)
Part-shade – will be more
leggy
Water:
Winter: can take short
flooding
Summer: very drought
tolerant (Zone 1 to 1-2 best)
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
110. © Project SOUND
White Everlasting is great
for an ‘Evening Garden’
Most people include this species
as a butterfly plant – larval food
for American Lady
Excellent choice for an ‘Evening
Garden’ – looks nice during the
day but very striking in low-light
situations
Makes an attractive pot plant;
place where you can watch the
butterflies
Let it naturalize to ‘tie the
garden together’ with its white
foliage
American Lady larva
http://www.theodorepayne.org/plants/
plants_for_butterflies.htm
111. Very few native white shrubs provide both
large white leaves and airy stalks
© Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/243--hazardia-detonsa
J.S. Peterson, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
113. Mostly N. Channel Islands; a few specimens from San
Clemente Island
Open, rocky hillsides, canyon walls, sea cliffs in
coastal scrub, chaparral, pine woodland
First collected by Edward L. Greene, T.S. Brandegee
AKA: Island bristleweed
Interesting fact: in the Jerusalem Botanic Garden
© Project SOUND
Island hazardia – Hazardia detonsa
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora
_display.php?tid=3184
©2013 James Gonsman
114. © Project SOUND
Island hazardia: tough, resilient and pretty
Size:
3-8 ft tall (usually 3-4)
3-5 ft wide
Growth form:
Part-woody sub-shrub; somewhat like
giant buckwheat
Fast-growing
Upright to mounded; most leaves in
basal rosette, particularly when
young
Foliage:
Leaves simple, succulent and fairly
large (to 5 ½ inches)
White to blue-green color due to
dense trichomes (hairs)
Very attractive foliage
©2009 Gary A. Monroe ©2014 Zoya Akulova
115. © Project SOUND
Flowers typical for Hazardia
Blooms: whenever conditions are
right – spring to fall, but more
likely summer-fall in garden
Flowers:
Small (less than ½ inch) composite
heads – ray & disk flowers
Showy white involucral bracts,
flowering stems above the foliage
Small flowers golden yellow – may
be tinged with red
Attract insect pollinators
Hybridizes with other Hazardias
– don’t plant near Preserves
Seeds: small, fluffy seeds – loved by
finches
116. Native sunflowers are
easy to grow from seed
Collect dry seed when ripe – it will
be blowing or birds eating it.
Plant soon; small seeds lose
viability quickly
Any potting soil is fine – may want
to add some vermiculite
Surface plant or just barely cover
(need light to germinate)
Place in bright shade
Keep medium moist until seedlings
are ready to transplant/plant out
© Project SOUND
©2009 Zoya Akulova
http://www.hazmac.biz/080728/080728HazardiaDetonsa.html
117. © Project SOUND
Hazardias are not particular
Soils:
Texture: most local soils (even
clay) but prefers well-drained
soils
pH: any local
Light: full sun on coast; part-shade
(morning sun) elsewhere.
Water:
Winter: needs at least 10
inches
Summer: Semi-dry to 1-2 times
per month in summer (Water
Zone 1-2 to 2)
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils;
yearly ½ strength dose in
containers
Other: remove spent flowering
stalks in fall/winter©2014 Steve Matson
118. © Project SOUND
Silver for the garden
Contrast with green foliage associates
like Laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) and
Brickellia californica
Important plant for ‘Channel island’ theme
Can even be grown in large containers
©2015 Robert Sikora
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5285/5314495162_f70a9bcbd9.jpg
119. Agaves are popular accent plants
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/mediterranean-garden/
http://www.bevbeverly.com/agave-garden-design.shtml
Prized for both their unusual
shapes and their silvery color
120. © Project SOUND
Agave attenuata: a Mexican species
available in the U.S.
http://www.geographylists.com/sandiegoplants.html http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/09/30/berkeley-succulent-garden-3/
122. © Project SOUND
Agave ‘Blue Flame’
Combines the features of its
parent species: A. shawii X
A. attenuata
http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=2871
http://www.huntington.org/BotanicalDiv/ISI2005/isi/2005-06.html
124. Mojave Desert & desert mountains; Imperial,
San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego Counties
Anza Borrego Desert, Palm desert and on the
arroyos below the western slopes of the San
Bernardino Mountains. There is also a small
concentration at a base level of the Providence
Mountains in the Mojave Desert
AKA: Maguey de Desierto; Desert century plant
© Project SOUND
*Desert agave – Agave deserti
Glenn and Martha Vargas © California Academy of Sciences
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101305
http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/Fall00Projects/3Agavedeserti.html
125. Native sub-species
available ssp. deserti - south-central CA, Baja
Offsets prolifically; sometimes large
colonies.
Pale silvery (or greenish-silver) leaves
Typical rosette 2' high and wide; some
larger & hardier forms from San
Jacinto Mountains
Easy to grow
ssp. simplex – AZ, mountains of Mojave
Desert, CA
Usually solitary or produces few
offsets
frequently have very strong horizontal
banding on the leaves, a striking
feature.
slow grower and appreciates dry,
gritty soil and heat. it ought to do well
in the Pacific Northwest also.
© Project SOUND
©2007 Charles E. Jones
126. © Project SOUND
Showy native agave Size:
1-2 ft tall
2-3 ft wide
Growth form:
Evergreen succulent with
typical agave form
Leaves, flower stalks edible,
useful (cordage)
Foliage:
Silvery or blue-green, sword-
shaped leaves; armed
Leaves from basal rosette
©2005 Richard Zmasek
http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/individual/index.php?occid=3195373
127. © Project SOUND
Flowers: unbelievable
Blooms: usually late spring
(June) in Western LA County
Flowers:
Plants bloom only after enough
energy stored – 8-20+ years
20 ft flowering stalk – grows
inches per day
Showy yellow flowers attract
hummingbirds – desert bat
pollinator
Parent plant dies after seeding
Vegetative reproduction: Most
commonly available types either
sucker or not
©2005 Richard Zmasek
©2005 Dee E. Warenycia
128. © Project SOUND
Tough desert plant
Soils:
Texture: will grow in most – best in
well-drained
pH: any local including alkali
Light: full sun; young plants grow to N.
of grass nurse plants in wilds
Water:
Winter: needs at least 6-8 inches –
supplement if needed
Summer: very drought tolerant
(Zone 1 to 1-2 – occasional water to
simulate Aug. ‘monsoon’) ; rapid
response to rains;
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other:
No mulch or gravel
Low maintenance; carefully remove
dead leaves, plants
©2006 J. Zylstra, SBNF
129. © Project SOUND
Dramatic Desert agave
As a dramatic accent plant –
even in containers
Tough, easy groundcover – good
for hot, dry slopes
In desert-themed gardens,
rock gardens
©2009 Thomas Stoughton
©2014 William Flaxington
http://www.desertnorthwest.com/articles/domestic_agaves.html
130. Hardscape plays a key role in
Mediterranean gardens
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/534732
155736778905/
131. Agaves & other succulents in containers?
Choose the right plant: small-
medium, slow-growing species are
easiest
Choose the right container – large
and deep (most important)
Choose the right planting medium
(based on natural conditions for
plant)
Locate in an area that gets some
summer shade
Give yearly ½ strength fertilizer
Water: Zone 2 to 3
© Project SOUND
132. Next month we’ll return to container gardening
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/227361481166598111/
134. Mojave Desert and Sonoran Deserts (CA,
AZ, NV, UT, northern Baja CA)
Alkaline locations such as desert dry wash
and creosote bush scrub
Usually on hilly and rocky areas and in
canyon washes rather than lower playas
© Project SOUND
*Desert holly – Atriplex hymenelytra
©2010 Neal Kramer
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242415594
135. © Project SOUND
Desert holly: dense medium-size shrub
Size:
2-3 ft tall
2-3+ ft wide
Growth form:
Evergreen shrub/sub-shrub
Form: mounded to somewhat
open
Slow-growing
Foliage:
Silvery white to silver-green
Salt excretions produce the
silvery patina
Leaves look like holly leaves
Roots: deep if well-established
http://www.werc.usgs.gov/outreach.aspx?RecordID=164
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_hymenelytra_form.jpg
http://macskamoksha.com/2016/03/ecosystems-risk-4-death-valley
136. © Project SOUND
Seeds are showy
Blooms: winter to early spring:
usually Jan-Apr.
Flowers:
Plant usually dioecious in wild;
may have both sexes in
cultivation
Flowers small, yellow-green,
not very visible or remarkable
Seeds:
Developing seeds can be
bright pink – attractive
Seeds provide food for birds,
small animals. ?Probably high
nutrient value.
http://www.werc.usgs.gov/outreach.aspx?RecordID=164
http://www.abdnha.org/pages/03flora/family/amaranthaceae/atriplex_hymenelytra.htm
137. © Project SOUND
Harsh desert slopes
Soils:
Texture: well-drained; sandy,
rocky or gravelly
pH: best with alkali (pH > 7.5); fine
with salty soils
Light: full sun
Water:
Establishment: needs adequate deep
water for root development
Winter: at least 6 inches
Summer: best quite dry (give water
in June & August - or just wash off
the foliage).
Very drought tolerant once
established – needs some stress
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: gravel or no mulch; not cold
tolerant
Margaret Williams, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://www.calflora.net/recentfieldtrips/deathvalley12C.html
138. © Project SOUND
Try Desert holly in a
container
As an attractive pot plant
Grow with its native associates:
Sphaeralcea ambigua, Encelia
farinosa
©2012 Jean Pawek
http://www.desertusa.com/flowers/Desert-Holly.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/21529332@N08/8109508685
140. Beautiful gardens rely on planned contrasts
© Project SOUND
https://sissinghurstcastle.wordpress.com/2014/10/23/researching-the-white-
garden/the-same-statue-and-pear-tree-later-in-the-20th-century/#main
141. Dark colors ‘recede’; light colors ‘advance’
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/259449628502874271/
142. © Project SOUND
Classic English ‘White
Gardens’ suggest ways to
use white in the garden
White flowers, foliage, even
white barked trees can be
used as an accent, against
darker green foliage
Plants with white flowers/
foliage can be used to ‘unify’
plants with varying flower
colors
White/silver plants can be
combined in a garden area
that features white plants –
the ‘white garden’ or
‘evening garden’.
http://www.friendsschoolplantsale.com/page/2/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robroy/977716219/
143. Some of the easiest contrasts to work
with (in S. CA gardens) are those
involving foliage
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/152559506104712395/
144. Two concepts important for designing with
light-colored foliage:
1. How much contrast is
there between light and
dark?
2. Is the lighter foliage ‘cool’
in tone (blue-green),
‘warm’ (silvery-green;
silver/gold) or neutral
(bright white; neutral
gray)
© Project SOUND
warm cool
145. Secrets of
Mediterranean gardens
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/522206519262061613/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/38632509282381226/
Moderate contrast – fewer darks
Mix of warm and cool silvers – but often more warm
Use of mulch – usually light colored – and other
hardscape as design elements
146. Where do S. California native plants fit?
© Project SOUND
147. Fortunately, S. CA native plants give us
plenty of silvery foliage to work with
© Project SOUND
148. 2017 Season – Small is Beautiful: Native
Habitats in Smaller Gardens
© Project SOUND