Osmanthus x burkwoodii

November 13, 2015November 13, 2015 ~ Aurora Artemesia

Osmanthus x burkwoodii
“Burkwood osmanthus”
OLEACEAE

Evergreen Shrub

Zone: 7 – 9
Native habitat: hybrid was raised in England; Asia and Europe for parent plants

Conditions
Soil: fertile, will tolerate any including clay
Moisture: well drained, drought tolerant once established
Light: full sun (better) to full shade (few flowers and more open growth)
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): Slow growing to 5′ – 10’ x 5′ – 10′
Other: will shed leaves if too dry but will usually recover

Aesthetic

Shape/Stem: large, dense, evergreen, rounded habit
Leaf: Thick, serrated, opposite, mid-green, leathery. ovate, 2.5-5cm
Flower: Little white, tubular flowers, fragrant, absolutely covered
Bloom: April
Other: slow to grow; fruits are few and black

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: regular, water while establishing; can grow open when young if in too much shade so keep this in mind
Maintain: low maintenance; fertilize once per year; can be pruned hard and will come back, prune after flower (thinning or heading back)
Propagate: seed, cutting

Uses
Landscape: Background plant, hedging (spectacular in flower), large mixed borders, woodland margin, or anywhere where the fragrance would be appreciated, bank or slope, screening
Companion planting: can look stunning planted in a white garden (with other white blooms); strong enough constitution and large enough stature to support a clematis growing up to add summer excitement; ombines with others with larger leaves, such as rhododendrons and Mahonia
Medicinal: not known;
Other:

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals: rabbit resistant

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase): 1 gallon
Nature: large tough slow growing evergreen shrub, fragrant
Identification (key features): leaves: dark green, ovate, 2.5-5cm; flowers, clusters of small, highly-scented, white, April
Interesting facts: AGM winner; parents are the Chinese Osmanthus delavayi and the Turkish/Georgian Osmanthus decor
Cultivars: O. delavayi – rounded plant with arching stems 10′-16’ x 10’
Comments:

Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’

April 9, 2015 ~ Aurora Artemesia

Osmanthus heterphyllus ‘Goshiki’
“False Holly”
OLEACEAE

Evergreen Shrub

Zone: 7-10
Native habitat: Eastern Asia

Conditions
Soil: rich
Moisture: moist, well drained
Light: full sun to part sun
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): 4′ x 5′
Other: drought tolerant once established, flowers best in part shade

Aesthetic
Shape/Stem: compact
Leaf: opposite, holy like, coarsely spined, oval, leathery, marbled with cream, new growth can be tinged bronze/pink
Flower: inconspicuous, small, white, fragrant, in leaf axilis, tubular, 4 lobes
Bloom: late summer
Other: slow to grow; blue black fruit

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: regular
Maintain: low maintenance; minimal
pruning (keep dense form when young)
Propagate: seed, cutting

Uses
Landscape: woodland, colourful informal hedge, container (happy for years), courtyard, informal, rock, patio, city, evergreen accent
Companion planting: looks bad with other variegated plants (so avoid planting with these)
Medicinal: not known;
Other: great year round colour

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals: rabbit resistant

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase): 1 gallon
Nature: compact, slow growing evergreen shrub, fragrant
Identification (key features): leaf shape (holly like), 5 colours, small flowers and their scent
Interesting facts: great plant pick; Goshiki means ‘five colored’ in Japanese and refers to the various colors found on each leaf
Cultivars: is a cultivar; there are many other cultivars too
Comments:

Cornus mas

March 29, 2015July 7, 2015 ~ Aurora Artemesia

Cornus mas
“Cornellian cherry dogwood”
CORNACEAE

Deciduous shrub or small tree

Zone: 5-9
Native habitat: Europe to Western Asia

Conditions
Soil: average
Moisture: well drained, moist
Light: full sun to part shade
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): 15′ – 20′ x 15′
Other: keep moist in summer

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: shrub or tree (depending on how you train it), dark brown branches, young twigs green, old bark exfoliates
Leaf: opposite, ovate, oblong, entire margin, broad, 3″ x 1-2″, green, red fall foliage,
Flower: clusters/umbels (10-25 flowers), small, four petals, 5mm, yellow, before leaves, sometimes showy bracts
Bloom: winter
Other: fruit, oblong, drupe, red, 1″, messy, contain 1 seed

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: seperate seed from flesh, stratification, generally easy to grow, slow germination, plant in a warm place by a wall
Maintain: low maintenance, rarely prune, train to be a tree by taking off low branches
Propagate: seed, hardwood cuttings autumn

Uses
Landscape: fall colour, winter garden, flower bed, screening, cottage, specimen, woodland
Companion planting: Hamamelis mollis
Medicinal: edible, Chinese medicine used to retain the jing, essence, tonify the kidneys
Other: fruit is edible and pretty but don’t plant on a dive way or patio where have to clean, make jam out of it, distill to make liquor; wood is dense and used traditionally for making tools

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant,
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals: rabbit resistant, animals eat berries

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase): 1 gallon – 2 gallon
Nature: hardy upright shrub of tree
Identification (key features):
Interesting facts:
Cultivation: C. m. ‘Golden Glory’ (most notable of cultivars, RHS’s AGM, more prolific bloom at a younger age), C. m. ‘Variegata’ (thick white margin, grey green leaves, RHS’s AGM), C. m. ‘Aureoelegantissima’ (yellow variegation with pink and green tinges), C. m. “Aurea’ (yellow leaves)
Comments:

Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’

March 29, 2015July 7, 2015 ~ Aurora Artemesia

Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’
“Siberian dogwod”
CORNACEAE

Deciduous shrub

Zone: 3-9
Native habitat: Siberia

Conditions
Soil: neutral, acidic
Moisture: well drained, moist
Light: full sun to part shade
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): 5′ – 8′ x 4′ (un-pruned)
Other: full sun for best colour

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: thicket of thin stems, multi-stemmed, woody, young stems bright red, suckering
Leaf: ovate, green, turning red in fall
Flower: small flowers, dense clusters, cream, flat head, (some showy bracts), not too significant
Bloom: spring
Other: white berries, best colours in young stems

Treatment (how to…)
Plant:
Maintain: low maintenance, prune in late march (before bud break), coppice (to keep colour in stems) or remove 1/3 of stems that are oldest to the base yearly; layer compost over it in fall
Propagate: hardwood cuttings autumn

Uses
Landscape: rain garden, hedge, winter interest
Companion planting: cornus spp. in other colours
Medicinal: none known
Other: attracts birds and butterflies

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant,
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals: rabbit resistant,

Interest
Local info,: not native grows well
Pot size (to purchase): 1 gallon
Nature: vibrant red multi-stemmed shrub
Identification (key features): red stem, lenticles,
Interesting facts: RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM)
Cultivation: C. a. ‘Elegantissima’ (variegated green and creamy white folliage)
Comments: grown for winter colour, helps control erosion

Salix ‘Flame’

March 16, 2015July 7, 2015 ~ Aurora Artemesia

Salix ‘Flame’
“Flame Willow”
SALICACEAE

Deciduous Shrub or Small Tree

Zone: 3-6
Native habitat : Salix (of which this cultivar is from) is found all around the Northern Hemisphere

Conditions
Soil: average soil
Moisture: well drained to poor drainage, moist to average
Light: full sun
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): 20′ x 15-20′ (unless pruned)
Other: want it to face the light from the direction you will be looking at it

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: upright, oval, multi-stems, orange to red winter stems, older stems get browner, stems turn slightly inward
Leaf: alternate branches and leaves, narrow, lance shaped, 4″, bright green, turn yellow in the fall
Flower: no flowers, no catkins, no seeds
Bloom: n/a
Other: Neat, does not spread out

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: may want to give a water ring, may want to stake if in a windy location,
Maintain: coppice every 1-3 years, or prune hard (to maintain smaller size)
Propagate: No catkins or seeds, only reproduce by cutting; roots very easily, take a stem, cut 1/8″ bellow bud and stick it in the ground

Uses
Landscape: grown for great colour on fall bare branches, can be substitute for red dogwood
Companion planting:
Medicinal: none known
Other: cut vase

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: not common, rust, aphids, caterpillars
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals:

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase): 1 gallon
Nature: prolific willow with great fall and winter color
Identification (key features): colour of bark, alternate buds
Interesting facts:
Comments: grows very fast, reproduces only vegetaively,

. west coast island blooms .

plant guide for gardening in victoria

winter colour