False Heather/Allyson Heather

A plant that captures my attention at the nursery every year during the summer months is Mexican Heather or False Heather or Allyson Heather.  Whatever you call it, it's a great compact plant that LOVES full sun.  False Heather can be seen when the weather starts warming up around town....and when I say warming up, I mean the 90's and 100's!  This plant thrives in sun but looks shabby in winter.  On an impulse buy, I purchased several of these plants 2 years ago and loved their performance in the hot weather. In previous winters, the plant snapped back, but unfortuneatly this last extreme winter freeze killed mostly all of them. Only 2 have returned and they were situated in the fuller sun area.   I'll buy more again but not for mass plantings or permanent settings.  These are going to go into pots and planters around the place. They add a nice punch to an area, but get leggy at times. This is what I would call a tender perennial. Freezes back, but snaps back in spring. 

Here are the facts from Jack Scheper with some side comments from me....

Description

"Mexican false heather is a small tropical evergreen sub-shrub with many charming attributes including compact form and fine textured foliage. Growing to a maximum height of about 24 in (61 cm), false heather grows to form flat topped mounds 18-36 in (45.7-91 cm) in diameter. The plant's flat feathery sprays of foliage are 12-18 in (30.5 cm) long and are highly branched. The small oblong leaves resemble those of Scotch heather (Calluna vulgaris also known by its synonym Erica vulgaris) and are about 3/4 to 1 in (1.9 cm) long and 1/4 to 1/2 in (0.6-1.3 cm) wide. They are arranged alternately the length of the stems giving the plant a fernlike appearance.

In tropical climates tiny flowers emerge from the axils (the points where the leaf attaches to a stem) to create a show of color that lasts for much of the year. False heather flowers range from the typical purple and lavender to the less frequently seen white, pink and deep rose varieties.

Location

As one of its common names implies, Mexican false heather in native to a region extending from Mexico south into Guatemala. In the last decade or so, its popularity in warm winter areas as a garden plant has increased greatly - you see the stuff everywhere!

Culture

Prune lightly in spring if the plant becomes scraggly. Prefers well drained fertile soil so provide a good slow release fertilizer in late winter, spring and summer for best flowering. Indoors use a liquid fertilizer according to manufacturer's directions.

Light: Foliage color is prettiest when grown in broken shade. False heather can take full sun but the plant looses its rich green color. When grown as a house plant provide lots of bright light but protect from direct sunlight.

Moisture: Needs regular watering to look good, but mine seem to be rather durable, surviving short periods of drought.(In Tucson, if it's in direct sun, watering is fine, but make sure the water can easily drain and not sit.  Our clay soil can trap water for periods of time which is not good for the plant.)

Hardiness: USDA Zones 9 - 11. This is a tender tropical shrub and it will be killed to the ground by freezing temperature. (Here in Tucson, Zone 9, only a small few are returning back to their healthy forms.)  Propagation: Large clumps may be divided. It can also be propagated by taking short, 4-6 in (10.2-15.2 cm) tip cuttings. In warms areas, Mexican false heather may self-sow.(but doesn't do so in Tucson as the ground is a bit hard.) It is easily grown from seed planted in spring.

Usage

In tropical areas Mexican false heather is a perfect choice as a permanent evergreen groundcover(I wouldn't use this as a permanent ground cover in Tucson) and delivering an almost non-stop flower show as a bonus. Requiring only minimal pruning and bothered by few pests, this low maintenance shrub is excellent for commercial plantings. Also works well in beds and borders(yes!!! For Tucson, I recommend this plant be used for planters and pots that receive lots of sun!) as its fine textured medium green foliage provides gentle contrast to coarser leaved varieties. Its height also recommends it for use in mid-bed plantings where its 2 ft (0.6 m) height is sufficient to hide late summer legginess in background plants while itself providing a pleasing background for showier, shorter bloomers in the foreground. This plant is also a good candidate for greenhouse and conservatory where it delivers lots of color and satisfaction but requires little effort.

Features

False heather's compact size and evergreen nature make it a perfect permanent addition to small spaces. It blends nicely with other plants in container gardens and rarely requires special attention. Combine false heather with it's close cousin, cigar plant (Cuphea ignea) for a sensational color combination of orange and purple. False heather is easy to find at most garden centers and nurseries. It is cheap and easy to grow so plant a few and all kinds of sulfur butterflies will come running to dine on this vibrantly colored feast that you have set!" End of article. Until next time....

Source: http://www.floridata.com/ref/c/cuph_hys.cfm

New Additions to the Garden

My Favorite Hero-Storm

This morning I sit drinking my coffee preparing for another day outside.  I listen to Bear McCreary's music from BSG and think about the ways of the world.  I am surrounded by my furry friends with laundry and dishes getting cleaned.  The birds are emptying the bird feeder at a dizzying speed and life is good.

Last night we had another major storm which was incredible.  The rain came down so hard and the lightening and thunder were incredible.  I left the door open and listened to the storm. I turned off all appliances and TV and just sat in the dark watching the real show happening outside.  It was a half hour without commercials and incredible.  Someone once asked me, "If you could have any power in the world, what would it be?"  The power to control the weather....the wind, rain, snow, lightening....and glide on the wind's back.  As a child growing up, I always imagined that I could control the weather and fly when a wind gust came my way. Sometimes I think about leaving teaching to become a weatherman on TV.

Lantana...a weed here in Tucson

Okay...enough of pretend and back to reality:)  This past week, I've been investigating the possibility of becoming a docent at our local gardens here.  There is a class that begins in September and ends in November.  I really want to do it and it's at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.  I checked into the Master Gardener Program and was absolutely disgusted.....the only people that can really do a program like that are the retired ones.  The program runs during the day and week only.  I am absolutely bummed that I won't be able to do this until later on in life.  So I'll do what I can for now and learn as much as I can....but there is always so much to learn and I think I'll die still trying new plants and combinations.  When I start making my own "tea" for the plants, I know I'll have crossed over to that kind of gardener:)

False Heather...another great plant in Tucson

In the garden this week.  I have to string up and wire the bouganvillea that was pulled off the buildings by the storm.  I also have to look into silicon for my bamboo....it is growing at an incredible rate and I need to keep it off the walking path. I guess you use the silicon to attach to the building where then you can string and attach the bamboo to it lifting it up.   The Buddha's Belly is beautiful but people should be able to walk by it and not thru it:)  Yesterday I trimmed and restaked several jacaranda trees and cleaned off the patio.  The good news is that the castor plants may make it.  I put concrete blocks against them to keep them up and they seem to be doing alright.  So I didn't lose anyone over this past week, and that's a good thing.

Blue Daze Evolvulus...New for me but the leaves are grey/green which equals good here.

I have also planted several new trailing and bushier plants around the property in those wells that I created several weeks ago.  I'll take pics when I have my camera with me the next time.   The pics are listed in this blog.  I have given up on two plants forever....verbena and algerian ivy....I kill them every single time.  However, I don't kill most plants so that's good:) It all comes down to soil and location here in the desert...and sometimes the cold nights.  That's the update to the place....I'll have more as I slowly reclaim the neglected garden spaces of El Presidio one patch at a time:) Until next time, Happy Gardening!!

Dwarf Cup Flower...also new for me

Salvia or Autumn Sage...great plant for Tucson!