Certain plants bring a smile to my face whenever I see them, and one of them is coastal woollybush (Adenanthos sericeus).
This is a shrub with plumes of soft needle-like foliage. It is native to the coast of southwestern Australia and is therefore tolerant of salt and wind. Woollybush is slow-growing, may eventually reach a height of ten feet, but typically stays 3-5 feet tall. One caveat is in order: As is the case with all other members of the Protea family of plants (Banksia, Grevillea, Hakea, Leucadendron, Leucospermum, Macadamia), phosphorus is deadly to woollybush. Therefore, make sure the fertilizer you apply to it is phosphorus-free. Then again, as I have mentioned many times, a four-inch layer of mulch, whether in the ornamental garden or the fruit orchard, should eliminate the need for fertilizer altogether.
Of course, the best mulch for Australian plants would come from Australian natives such as Eucalyptus and Melaleuca trees as well as many species of Acacia. In the case of Australian natives, mulch consisting of wood chips or leaves of any plant are acceptable with fresh mulch being most desirable. Since Australian natives tend to grow on soil with low fertility, aged compost with nutrient minerals readily available would not be the best choice for a mulch.
However, fresh wood chips from oak trees, for example, that break down slowly, releasing their nourishing minerals gradually over time, would make an excellent mulch for Australian natives and, of course, for California natives too.
Pine tree wood chips also break down slowly so should be acceptable mulch for Australian natives, especially since the acidity of these chips matches the somewhat acidic soil in most of Australia, which averages between 5.5 and 7.0.
When I think of tactile leaves, rugosa roses quickly come to mind. If you have never grown a rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa), I strongly advise you to consider doing so. Rugosa comes from the Latin word for “wrinkled” and aptly describes the foliage of this rose. But if this was the sole notable quality of this rose species, there might not be sufficient reason for planting it. However, rugosa roses are also pleasantly fragrant and stand up well to droughty conditions although they will perform better with a deep soaking once a week. For especially strong fragrance, consider these varieties: Hansa, with its opulent double magenta blooms; Alba Plena, with its large white flowers; F.J. Grootendorst, showing off double red blooms with a compact growth habit. 20 varieties of rugosa roses, including the seldom-seen yellow Rugelda, are available through Heirloom Roses (heirloomroses.com)
Where California natives with notably textured leaves are concerned, hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) is a species of special distinction. Its coarse leaves explain its drought tolerance when grown in shady exposures. It’s one of the few flowering perennials recommended for planting under oak trees. It seems that its flowers are always in bloom, to one extent or another, and its floral spikes may grow as tall as three feet. A native for a similar exposure with starkly contrasting foliage, from a tactile perspective, is meadow rue (Thalictrum fendleri). Once you see and touch the foliage of meadow rue, you will have to have this plant. Its foliage will make you think of a fern although it is actually a member of the buttercup family. Meadow rue has a clumping growth habit but it advances slowly through the garden bed. It does require somewhat moist soil and its irrigation requirement will increase in dry soil or in a mostly sunny exposure.
Naturally, when we speak about native tactile species for the shade, we must bring in a few ferns. Deer fern (Blechnum spicant), a name that acknowledges its tastiness to Bambi and friends, should not be planted in a neighborhood where deer hang out. Yet it is an incredibly lush species and is a stand-alone beauty that looks stunning in a container or hanging basket.
Deer fern is recommended for dry shade, so you can plant it under your oak tree, but it will accept moist soil too. In the manner of ferns generally, it is blessed with rhizomes, those underground or semi-underground stems which, like bulbs, are food storage organs that make it possible to survive freezes and droughts.
Deer fern, which is native to northern California, would make it through the coldest southern California winters just fine. Its clumping, spreading growth habit means that it lends itself to propagation by division of its root mass. It has the cleanest, most flawless fronds you will ever see. At the beginning of the growing season, perfect emerald, sterile horizontal fronds emerge followed later on by vertical, spore-bearing fronds. Giant chain fern (Woodwardia fimbriata) has four-foot fronds and it has a reputation as the largest fern in the US, reaching a height of eight feet.
Last but not least, maidenhair ferns are among my favorite plants and the California native species (Adiantum jordani) is no exception. Maidenhairs are somewhat water-needy, especially during their first two years in the garden, but are more self-sufficient after that. Maidenhair ferns are named for their jet-black stems and were used for decorative effect in baskets woven by Indigenous peoples of the West.
While it is called foxtail fern, Asparagus densiflorus var. Myersii is a relative of edible asparagus, although you would rather touch it than eat it. Easily identifiable by its plume-like stems that really do resemble furry tails, this species is a highly ornamental addition to any half-sun, half-shade exposure. The fluffy stems grow up to two feet long. Fern asparagus (Asparagus setaceus is a vining plant with wispy foliage that is highly prized for floral arrangements. Yet it is a weed in the garden and, based on personal experience, you will probably never get rid of it once it sprouts from a seed that, no doubt, was excreted by a bird. Sprenger asparagus (Asparagus sprengeri) is another popular ornamental.
Although attractive with a wavy, pillowy presence, it too may become a nuisance plant over time. Keep it in a container or hanging basket since, once planted in the garden, it is difficult to control due to a tuberous root system and berries containing seeds that germinate at will. The last of the textual asparagus worthy of mention is Ming asparagus fern (Asparagus retrofractus), whose large foamy sprays of foliage bestow an irresistibly soft and inviting look. Note that although these species are magnetically attractive, all of them possess small, yet sharp thorns so make sure you wear gloves when pruning them.
California native of the week: In response to a recent column about plants with flowers in the blue-violet-purple spectrum, I received an email from Laura Curran suggesting a blue penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus var. Margarita BOP) for parkway planting. She also made the interesting comment that natives are more inviting to indigenous birds and bees than other plants so planting more native plants supports the health of native wildlife. The plant she recommends is one of the most famous perennial natives, with a life span of more than a decade. Its varietal name suggests its origin. It was found growing as a volunteer in Santa Margarita (just north of San Luis Obispo), where Las Pilitas Nursery is located. The BOP stands for “bottom of porch,” since nursery founder Bert Wilson discovered it growing there. As he explained on laspilitas.com, “Every year it would flower and be gorgeous in clear sky blue, fading to purple, at the bottom of our front porch. We’ve never watered it nor maintained it. Every year, we talked about how beautiful, neat, and clean it was. The bicycles, skateboards and dogs had run over it tens of times but it still looked good at the Bottom Of the Porch.”
Do you have a tactile plant story you would like to share? If so, send it to Joshua@perfectplants.com. Your questions and comments, as well as gardening predicaments and successes, are always welcome.
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