Blue Daze Evolvulus

Many of you may wonder why a lot of desert plants in Tucson have that grayish/silver/fuzzy kind of leaf? It's a defense from our hot sun and if you see that color on plants, it's a good indication that the plant will survive our extreme temps in the desert.....which this plant did!  One of the shocking things to survive our extreme freeze here was the Blue Daze Evolvulus.  This plant performed wonderfully this past year providing lots of lovely light blue blooms under one of the trees here during our summer months.  It received a good amount of southern sun....at least 6 hours.  However it was not placed in the direct sun and it rarely, once established, needed great amounts of water.  I am going to buy more of these plants again this year.  They are hardy and do extremely well in amended soil.  Many people use this plant in hanging baskets.  Sounds like a good idea to me:)  Here are the facts....

Evolvulus, or blue daze, is an evergreen subshrub that grows in a low, spreading mound, up to 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) in diameter, but no more than 1 ft (0.3 m) tall. The stems become woody as they age. Leaves and stems are densely downy, covered with a light gray fuzz. Use your tongue to feel the feltlike texture. The egg shaped leaves are about a 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide and 1 in (2.5 cm) long. The funnel shaped flowers are born individually in leaf axils near the stem tips. They are about 1 in (2.5 cm) across, with five pale lavender or powder blue petals and white throats. Evolvulus blooms profusely and almost continuously, but each flower lasts only a day, opening in the morning and closing by afternoon. The cultivar, 'Blue Daze' is widely available.
Culture

Evolvulus grows well in full sun in poor sandy soils that are well drained. Light: Evolvulus does best in full sun, but can tolerate a little shade, especially at midday.

Moisture: Evolvulus needs a well drained soil, but also frequent watering. It cannot tolerate wet soils at all, and very rainy periods or overwatering will cause fungus problems and lead to premature death. Evolvulus needs very little water in winter, and the humidity should be low when the temperature is low.

Hardiness: USDA Zones 8 - 11. This is one plant that likes it hot! In areas that get frost, grow blue daze as an annual or in a container that can be brought inside. Some specimens of blue daze may survive light frosts, especially if they have been mulched.

Propagation: Propagate blue daze from softwood stem cuttings or by seed. The stems tend to take root where they touch the ground, so blue daze can be propagated easily by separating rooted stems from the mother plant.

The name “Evolvulus” means to untwist, referring to its nonvining habit. That's pretty special for a plant that is in the morning glory family.

More plants to write about for this groundcover series.  Until tomorrow gardening friends....

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!