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Broadening the gardeners palette |
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Broadening the gardeners palette |
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Botanical Name: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Lagerstroemia -
Crape Myrtle
Leiophyllum - Sand Myrtle
Lagerstroemia Deciduous shrub/Deciduous tree Full sun Crape Myrtle Crape Myrtles are considered to be southern plants, but we’ve had great success with the outstanding hybrids introduced by the United States National Arboretum. These hardy and highly ornamental plants come in a range of sizes—from midsize shrubs to small, multitrunked, vase-shaped trees—and offer brilliant fall color and exquisite peeling bark as well as large full heads of late-summer flowers (sometimes lasting over 60 days) in a range of colors. Crape Myrtles require full sun to bloom well but grow in almost any soil, as long as it is well drained. Depending on their size, they can be used as an informal hedge, a screen, or an accent. Wherever they are grown, they will not fail to attract notice. All of the National Arboretum introductions are fully hardy in Zone 7 and in protected areas of Zone 6. They will likely be smaller at the limits of their hardiness range. If a plant is injured by cold, simply prune out the deadwood in spring. Crape Myrtles bloom on the current season’s growth, so they can recover from injury and bloom by late summer. Please note that these plants are very late to leaf out in spring (late April or early May). Wait to prune until the buds break. The following is the core of a large and evolving list of cultivars that we grow. Let us know if you’re hunting for one that doesn’t appear here.
L. ‘Acoma’. Panicles of pure white flowers with golden anthers appear on a slow-growing shrub with a spreading habit. Fall color is dark red-purple. When the leaves fall, they expose the exfoliating light gray bark. Height: 9ft.
L. ‘Chickasaw’. A true dwarf. Grows no more than 3ft tall and has a tight, mounded habit. Flowers are pinkish lavender, the foliage dark green, turning bronze-red in fall. A great foundation, edging, or rock garden plant. 2–3ft x 3–4ft.
L. ‘Choctaw’. The bright pink flower heads, which are especially large, are carried on a multistemmed small tree. In fall, the glossy dark green leaves turn a bronze-maroon then drop to reveal a bark that displays varying shades of cinnamon. Height: 20–24ft.
L. ‘Hopi’. This compact selection offers medium pink flowers and deep orange-red fall color. Its bark is gray-brown. The first of this group to show color. Grows slowly to a mature height of about 7ft.
L. ‘Muskogee’. A vigorous grower that produces an abundance of light lavender-pink flower heads. Fall color is red. Trunks are an attractive light gray-brown. Height: 20–30ft.
L. ‘Natchez’. Pure white flowers adorn a multistemmed small tree. The glossy dark green leaves turn orange or red in fall. ‘Natchez’ has perhaps the most striking bark of all the Crape Myrtles, blending beige with large patches of cinnamon. Height: 20–30ft.
L. ‘Tonto’. Dark fuchsia-red flowers in late summer. Outstanding maroon foliage in fall. The bark on older branches is an attractive cream or gray. Height: 7–9ft.
L. ‘Tuscarora’. Lovely, red-tinged new growth in late spring is followed by eye-catching coral-pink flower heads in summer and orange-red fall color. The mottled light brown bark is very handsome. Makes a large shrub with an upright habit. Height: 15–20ft.
L. ‘Zuni’. Beautiful lavender flowers decorate a medium to large, multistemmed shrub. Leathery deep green leaves turn orange-red to dark red before dropping in fall. Attractive gray and light brown bark. Mildew resistant. Height: 8ft.
Larix decidua ‘varied directions’ Conifer Full sun European Larch The European Larch is normally a very tall deciduous conifer with a pyramidal habit. ‘Varied Directions’ doesn’t produce a central leader, so it doesn’t get very high off the ground. Nevertheless, it grows vigorously (after a slow start) in every other direction, the side branches acting as though they have minds of their own. The result is a spreading plant with a highly irregular (some would say artistic) form that makes it prized as a specimen plant. As with the species, the tufts of needles that line its stems emerge a fresh light green in spring, darken over the course of summer, and turn a rich gold before dropping in fall. For best results, give this special plant full sun, evenly moist soil, and plenty of room. 8ft x 8ft. Zone 3.
Laurentia fluviatilis ‘solenopsis’ Evergreen ground cover Full sun to part shade Blue Star Creeper Looking for something new and different in an evergreen ground cover? Laurentia is an Australian import that makes a prostrate mat of apple green, tear-drop–shaped foliage. In early summer, it blankets itself with tiny, star-shaped, pale blue flowers that continue to appear right through summer. It thrives in full sun or partial shade and evenly moist soil. A good choice for filling the empty spaces between newly planted shrubs. Makes a perfect companion for some of the late-blooming Azaleas, particularly the prostrate North Tisbury hybrids. Also useful for softening stone walls and filling the cracks between paving stones (though it doesn’t hold up under foot traffic). 1–2in x 3ft. Zone 6.
Lavandula angustifolia ‘nana compacta’ Evergreen shrub Full sun Dwarf English Lavender If you think of Lavender only as an herb, you’re denying yourself a superb ornamental for the landscape. Lavenders have lovely needlelike, evergreen (or perhaps we should say “evergray”) foliage and bear plentiful spikes of purplish blue from early to midsummer. We offer a sturdy, compact selection of the English Lavender that our landscape customers rave about. It serves as a terrific edging for a border. It can also be sheared to make a colorful and very fragrant small hedge. Like all Lavenders, it demands full sun and excellent drainage and is very tolerant of drought. Take care to plant it out of the reach of automatic sprinklers. 18in x 24in. Zone 5.
Leiophyllum Evergreen shrub/Evergreen ground cover Full sun to part shade Sand Myrtle The Sand Myrtle is a hard-to-find native of the East Coast with fine evergreen foliage, a compact habit, and a charming display of delicate white flowers, which open from tight bunches of pink buds in May and June. It belongs to the Heath family, and like its cousins the Heaths and Heathers, it requires moist but very well-drained, acid soil. Sandy soil enriched with plenty of organic matter is ideal. It’s less precise about its light needs. Full sun or partial shade suits it just fine. Zone 5.
L. buxifolium. The only species in the genus. It bears glossy evergreen foliage that is almost obscured by the fuzzy clusters of white flowers that open in midsummer. It makes a tidy, dense bush that is ideal for use along the edge of the shrub border, in the rock garden, or with Heaths and Heathers. 12–18in x 24–36in.
L. b. var. prostratum. This is a prostrate version of the species. It forms a ground-hugging, evergreen mat that serves as a distinctive ground cover. 6in x 24–36in.
Lespedeza Deciduous shrub Full sun to part shade Bush Clover This small genus of shrubs from the Far East contains one species (L. thunbergii) that becomes a cascade of small, pealike flowers in late summer, when few other woody plants are in bloom. The semiwoody stems are often killed back over winter, and the plant benefits from being cut to within a few inches of the ground in spring. New shoots, bearing blue-green, Clover-like foliage, soon emerge from the soil to form a vase-shaped shrub. Bloom is so profuse that the stems arch downward under the weight of the flowers. Bush Clovers flower best in full sun but tolerate partial shade. They require well-drained soil and seem to be happiest in lean, dry, sandy soil. They tolerate salt spray and a wide range of pH. These easy-going plants provide an abundance of late-summer color to the shrub border. 5ft x 5ft. Zone 5.
L. ‘Pink Fountain’. This may be a hybrid, for it has large leaves, large flowers, and a very heavy cascading form. When August rolls around, it earns its name.
NEW L. thunbergii ‘Avalanche’. The flowers are white and abundant, and they appear to tumble down the arching stems. Stunning in a perennial border with the hot-colored daisies of late summer.
NEW L. t. ‘Edo-Shibori’. Exquisite bicolor flowers of purple and white smother this arching shrub in the dog days of summer. It is best planted near a path or a patio, for the interplay of colors is lost at a distance.
Leucothoe Evergreen shrub Part shade Shade-loving and in most cases evergreen shrubs for the woodland garden. They are prized for their foliage, which is long and pointed, leathery and lustrous. The new growth may be brightly colored before turning a handsome dark green; winter color varies from bronze to burgundy. The leaves are carried on long branches that generally arch close to the ground, giving the plants a sprawling, layered look. Creamy white, urn-shaped flowers are produced in pendent racemes in April and May, but they play second fiddle to the foliage. Like Rhododendrons and Azaleas, Leucothoes require evenly moist but well-drained soils rich in organic matter and with a distinctly acid pH. If these needs are met, they make an attractive woodland ground cover or a glossy, evergreen blanket for a partly shaded slope. Zone 5.
L. axillaris. The Coast Leucothoe is a glossy-leaved evergreen shrub with a suckering, stoloniferous habit. The new growth is an outstanding blend of red and orange. In winter, the leaves turn a lovely shade of mahogany. A superb companion for Rhododendrons and Azaleas. Native to the Southeastern United States but perfectly hardy to –20°F. 3ft x 6ft.
L. keiskei. A handsome species from Japan that’s hard to find in the trade. The new growth is bright red, the winter color a soft wine. It has a low, spreading habit and looks splendid cascading over the top of a wall. This Leucothoe requires shade and is slow to become established. A collector’s plant. 1ft x 3ft.
L. Scarletta® (‘Zeblid’). PP #5195. This may be the showiest of the Leucothoes. Its exceptionally glossy foliage is scarlet in spring, deep dark green in summer, and burgundy in fall and winter. Compact habit. 2ft x 4ft.
L. walteri ‘Mary Elizabeth’. A unique and interesting plant. Its glossy green leaves are very narrow and strongly recurved, giving it an unusual texture. In winter, the foliage turns a deep mahogany. Plants have a mounded habit. 1ft x 3ft.
Lindera obtusiloba Deciduous shrub Full sun to part shade Japanese Spice Bush A large, multistemmed shrub grown for its early flowers and its superb fall foliage display. The pale yellow blooms are very small, but they are borne in puffy clusters along the bare stems in early April, so they’re quite showy. The three-lobed leaves are a pleasing dark green until October, when they become the most intense yellow imaginable. The memorable fall show can last a full two weeks. Japanese Spice Bush is at home either in full sun or partial shade and prefers moist but well-drained soil. It’s a good choice for the shrub border or for specimen use. By the way, the “spice” in the common name refers to the fragrance released when either foliage or stems are bruised. 10–20ft x 10ft–20ft. Zone 6. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Environmentals, Inc., 22275 Main Road, Cutchogue, New York 11935, (631) 734-6439, Fax (631) 734-6452 info@environmentalsnursery.com
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