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Evergray Plants |
Evergray plants can certainly play a central role in a drought tolerant garden. Their use is enhanced by planting them among colorful annuals or perennials.
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One combination which can take the summer's
heat consists of Stachys byzantina, which appears in the foreground, and Alyssum
argenteum.
Stachys byzantina or Wooly Betony is a perennial with whitish-gray, woolly leaves reaching a height of 30 cm. In late spring and summer it produces a woolly spike of purple flowers. Commonly called "Lambs' Ears", this plant provides a dense ground cover in poor and rocky soils and will spread quickly. Once established it is drought resistant. It requires good drainage and benefits from resting on a bed of gravel. The flowering stalks form on new stems and, therefore, older portions must be removed down to the ground. This bare patch will quickly fill in with new growth. The rooted divisions which are removed will easily take elsewhere in the garden. While in bloom, it attracts bees and hummingbirds. It is useful planted along a path where it will wander over the paving.
Alyssum argenteum is a shrubby evergray perennial coming from Southern Europe. It forms a mound of 30-45 cm and produces heads of golden-yellow flowers over a long period from late spring through the summer. It benefits from being clipped to the ground after flowering. Easily grown from seed.
A
second successful pairing includes the evergray plant Santolina chamaecyparissus and
Portulaca grandiflora. The
former is also known
as Cotton lavender and is a mound forming plant which grows to 60 cm. It is
undemanding but like all gray leaved plants, requires good drainage. During July
and August it produces yellow button-like flowers. After flowering, Santolina
benefits from being trimmed to retain its compact shape. It is easily propagated
from rooted cuttings taken when dividing the plant.
Portulaca grandiflora is a trailing annual from Brazil with sprawling stems spreading to 50 cm. It has succulent cylindrical leaves and large flowers of up to an inch in diameter in vibrant yellow, red, orange, purple and pink colors. There are both single- and double-flowered varieties. Easily grown from seed the first year, it will subsequently self seed in the garden. Unlike its relative, the common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), it is inedible.