Ornamental Horticulture Update

Party Series Alternanthera

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Ornamental Plant of the Week
April 16, 2012

Party Series Alternanthera

from Allen Owings

New alternantheras (Joseph’s coats) have been released in the past few years. We know these for their multi-colored foliage. Some do best in shade while some do best in full sun. The Party series includes six varieties from Itsaul Plants: Cognac, Partytime (pictured), Crème de Menthe, Grenadine, Mai Tai and Raspberry Rum. These types do best in a shady landscape setting and are great companion plants for begonias, impatiens, torenia and caladiums. Great color patterns and proven performance.

Princess Flowers/ Tibouchinas

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Ornamental Plant of the Week
April 9, 2012

Princess Flowers / Tibouchinas

from Allen Owings

Princess flowers (Tibouchina) include several species. One of the lesser known species is glory flower (T.grandifolia), also known as big leaf tibouchina. It has much larger foliage and larger flowers than the other princess flower commonly grown. Considered a tropical or tender perennial, the plant is winter hardy most years in USDA hardiness zones 9A and south. Purple flowers start in late summer and continue through the fall months. Plants can be easily rooted via softwood cuttings.

A few garden centers in Louisiana sell this plant – needs to be used more. We need more wholesale production of all Tibouchina species.

Another great species is T. urvilleana. It is also called 'Athens Blue‘ tibouchina or dwarf tibouchina. We have been growing it at the LSU AgCenter the past three years and it is a great landscape performance with profuse bloom from late spring through fall on an 18-14 inch tall plant. There is also now a variegated form of the dwarf species (pictured). It blooms less than the green foliaged cousin but is an attention getter in the landscape.

Camelot Foxglove

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Ornamental Plant of the Week
April 2, 2012

Camelot Foxglove

from Allen Owings

The Camelot foxglove, a former LSU AgCenter Louisiana Super Plant, is currently in full bloom all over the state. These are seed-propagated and an improvement over the old Foxy variety (a former All-America Selections winner). Flower colors are white, cream, lavender and rose. For good landscape results, plant in October or November for spring flowers. You can also wait to plant until late January through mid-March, but best results are obtained with fall planting. Prune old flower plumes as they fade. Foxgloves perform well in full sun to partial sun/partial shade. If you have not used or grown these great plants before, be thinking about adding them this fall fall. Remember – "once a Super Plant, always a Super Plant."

Profusion and Zahara Zinnias

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Ornamental Plant of the Week
March 26, 2012

Profusion and Zahara Zinnias

from Allen Owings

Zinnias love heat and dry weather. They are more spring-through-summer or summer-through-fall performers. If it is a dry growing season, they will last much longer in the landscape. Limit irrigation. Plant zinnias several times during the year. You may plant from late March through early May, and you can plant also in late summer through early fall. Flowers are available in white, cherry, pink, rose, yellow, fire and apricot. The Profusion (Sakata Seed) and Zaharas (PanAmerican Seed) are the landscape-recommended varieties. Plants reach only 14-16 inches tall. No deadheading is needed on these zinnias, unlike the older, larger-growing varieties.

Robin Hill Azaleas

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Ornamental Plant of the Week
March 19, 2012

Robin Hill Azaleas

from Allen Owings

One of the azalea groups used considerably in Louisiana is the Robin Hill hybrids. These azaleas resulted from hybridization work conducted by Robert Gartrell of New Jersey in the 1950s and 1960s. These plants are characterized by large flowers on hardy plants, good form and foliage, and an intermediate growth size. Other main attributes are cold hardiness and extension of the blooming season. Most years, Robin Hill azalea varieties will bloom for six months in Louisiana. You can obtain two to three months of bloom in spring and three to four months of bloom in late summer through early winter. There are 70 varieties of this azalea group with 10-12 available in Louisiana. A great group of plants, these cultivars include Conversation Piece, Watchet, Nancy of Robinhill, Freddy, White Moon, Dorothy Rees, Roddy, Gwenda, Sir Boert and Sherbrooke.

Mayhaws

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Ornamental Plant of the Week
March 12, 2012

Mayhaws

from Allen Owings

Mayhaw season is approaching in Louisiana. Mayhaws are one of the most widely known of the native fruit tree species found in Louisiana. Interest in mayhaws has been building over the past 20 years, and these plants are now managed in fruit orchards around the state. You can also find some mayhaw trees at local garden centers during winter and early spring. Mayhaws make a wonderful addition to any landscape.

Many of us have tasted the wonderful jelly made from mayhaw fruit. Mayhaw jelly has been approved by the Louisiana legislature as our state jelly. Berries on mayhaws are primarily red and ripen in mid-April through mid-May in Louisiana. You will occasionally see some yellow-berried mayhaw trees, although they are more common in the wild than in commercial plantings. Mayhaws have a low chilling-hour requirement, so white flowers appear anytime from late January through early March. This early flowering sometimes leads to a loss of flowers and fruit due to frost and freeze events.

A member of the hawthorn family, mayhaws are native to the southeastern United States. Mayhaws usually reach 20-30 feet tall at maturity and are native to habitats that have low, wet, slightly acid soil areas. Trees perform best in full sun to partial shade. The mature canopy is ball shaped and is highly desirable as a small ornamental landscape tree. The mounded form and exfoliating bark also are desirable landscape characteristics. Mayhaws are highly desirable for their wildlife attraction.

Do mayhaws have pest problems? Cedar apple rust and fire blight are the primary disease issues with mayhaws, although some selections and varieties are more tolerant than others. Aphids are occasional pests on growing terminal shoots in spring.

Try a few mayhaw trees if you have not added these to your landscape. You will be pleased with the landscape attributes, wildlife attraction and fruiting characteristics.

There is a Louisiana Mayhaw Association. See more at www.mayhaw.org.

‘Diamonds Blue’ Delphinium

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Ornamental Plant of the Week
March 5, 2012

‘Diamonds Blue’ Delphinium

from Allen Owings

Diamonds Blue delphinium has intense blue flowers and is a seed-propagated Delphinium chinensis from PanAmerican Seed. It was one of the best performers in the LSU AgCenter’s cool-season bedding plant landscape evaluation trials at the Hammond Research Station in 2009 and 2010 and has been picked up now by several greenhouse growers around the state. This plant is considered a first-year-flowering perennial but should be treated as an annual. Plant in full sun in the fall for great flowering performance from February through May. Space plants 12-14 inches apart. Plants reach a height of 18 inches with a 10- to 12-inch spread. This plant is really great – who knows, sometime in the future, like fall 2013, it may even be Super!

‘Pink Double Knock Out’ Rose

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Ornamental Plant of the Week
February 27, 2012

‘Pink Double Knock Out’ Rose

from Allen Owings

Pink Double Knock Out is worthy of being added to your rose portfolio whether you are growing, selling or landscaping with roses. From Conard-Pyle and the sixth member of the Knock Out rose family (Sunny Knock Out was number seven), Pink Double Knock Out has tremendous bloom potential and blackspot resistance. Petal count is 18-24 with up to 25 flowers per branch. Flower fragrance is a light tea rose; slightly spicy. Flower color is bright bubble gum pink. Patented. Official cultivar named is “Radtkopink.” Plant patent #18507.

Bandana Series Lantanas

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Ornamental Plant of the Week
February 20, 2012

Bandana Series Lantanas

from Allen Owings

The Bandana series of lantanas from Syngenta Flowers have been out for a few years now. These are nice plants and offer new options in selection of lantanas for commercial and residential landscapes. A few new colors in lantana flowers are available in the Bandanas. In addition, the growth habit is restrained and mounding making for an attractive appearance. Cultivars include Cherry, Cherry Sunrise, Orange Sunrise, Trailing Gold, Red, Rose, Peach, Light Yellow and Lemon Zest. Lantanas need full sun and limited irrigation.

Indian Hawthorn

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Ornamental Plant of the Week
February 13, 2012

Indian Hawthorn

from Allen Owings

Some Indian hawthorns to try include Snowcap and Spring Sonata. Spring Sonata is in the Southern Living plant program. Foliage is larger than other Indian hawthorns, and peak bloom in the spring at the Hammond Research Station is 10-14 days later than other varieties. Snowcap is a patented variety licensed by Athena Trees and Bold Spring Nursery. Snowcap is a dependable shrub with a dense habit and clean, dark-green foliage that turns burgundy as the weather turns cooler. Foliage is also disease-free. The best pink-flowering Indian hawthorn continues to be Eleanor Tabor.

Spring Sonata Snowcap Eleanor Tabor

Ornamental Horticulture Update

Party Series Alternanthera

Ornamental Plant of the Week April 16, 2012

Party Series Alternanthera from Allen Owings

Princess Flowers/ Tibouchinas

Ornamental Plant of the Week April 9, 2012

Princess Flowers / Tibouchinas from Allen Owings

Camelot Foxglove

Ornamental Plant of the Week April 2, 2012

Camelot Foxglove from Allen Owings

Profusion and Zahara Zinnias

Ornamental Plant of the Week March 26, 2012

Profusion and Zahara Zinnias from Allen Owings

Robin Hill Azaleas

Ornamental Plant of the Week March 19, 2012

Robin Hill Azaleas from Allen Owings