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Another Look
at Native Plants
Mountain Mahogany |
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Much of the content for this
column I actually wrote almost 4 years ago when my
primary motivation for recommending the use of
native plants in Wyobraska landscapes was more
philosophical than necessarily practical. But the
almost 10 year drought lingers, even though we seem
to get a year or two of relief every so often. And
now there is abundant evidence that the increased
heat associated with this recent adverse climate
cycle is already driving some widely planted trees
from Wyobraska landscapes—Colorado spruce and white
birch to name a couple of examples.
Every so often I like to review
columns from previous years to see if any of the
topics bear repeating, and in a recent review, this
2004 column on native plants went right to the top
of the list. Plants that are native to Wyobraska
or regions similar to this have a proven ability to
not only survive, but even to thrive through the
sometimes harsh conditions that occur in regions
like Wyobraska with almost predictable regularity.
So this time I suggest that you
consider using at least some native plants in your
next landscape project for the very practical reason
that even if the current drought continues for
another 10 years, these plants will continue to add
their distinctive beauty to your Wyobraska
landscape.
In my experience, here are some
of the best native plants for Wyobraska landscapes:
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Previous Articles
It's
Finally Spring - March 13
Spring Garden Calendar-March 20
No
Garden Left Behind-March 27
Planting Trees for a Cooler Earth in a Warmer
WyoBraska-April 3
Viburnums - Shrubs for Wyobraska Springs-April 10
Want A Water Conserving Lawn? You might already have
one-
April 17
Creating Long
Term
Tree-lationships April 24
Bigger, Bolder, Brighter,
Better—and Back In The Landscape May 01 & 08
Hardy Shrub
Roses
May 15
Another Look
at Native Plants
May 22
2007 Articles
2006 Articles |
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Bur Oak—This native tree is
deservedly gaining popularity for its durability and
its rugged beauty. Wrongly accused of being
“slow-growing”, this tree is surprising Wyobraskans
with growth rates of 2-3’ per year when young. This
tree should probably be the main shade tree in
Wyobraska communities, and may now be on its way to
achieving that status
Rocky Mountain Juniper—Another
superb native tree that has an undeserved reputation
for ugliness. The shorter, denser cultivars of this
species have long been used as “upright junipers”
and planted at the corners of homes and sheared into
perfect cones. But the more typical form of this
plant is a medium height (25-30’) horizontally
branched evergreen tree. Unfortunately junipers
don’t develop their real beauty until they are 30-50
years old. But their youthful appearance is good
enough to earn them a spot in most landscapes.
Pinion Pine—The native habitat
of this plant extends into southern Colorado—close
enough to consider it a Wyobraska native. Pinion
pines flourish in almost any Wyobraska landscape
setting, and as a small evergreen tree, they are
extremely useful in the compressed landscapes of
today’s smaller residential home lots.
Pinion Pine Cone with Nuts
Ponderosa Pine—Most homeowners
can’t tell the difference between an Austrian Pine
and a Ponderosa Pine, particularly when they are
young. Yet for some reason the Austrian pine is far
more widely planted in Wyobraska landscapes. But in
tough sites there is no comparison between the
adaptability of these two plants. The Ponderosa
Pine will grow circles around an Austrian Pine in
any tough site.
Gambel’s Oak—This shrubby
cousin of the bur oak is native to east Central
Colorado and the Black Hills of South Dakota. There
are reported native specimens in the Pine Ridge area
of Nebraska. Superb soil adaptability means that
this plant will thrive in any location. Often
overlooked as a large shrub because it does not
flower, this oak overcomes that deficiency with
attractive foliage, unique winter interest, and a
very manageable habit of growth
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Gambel's Oak Leaves and Acorn |
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Gray Dogwood—If it’s spring
flowers and fall foliage color that you want in a
large shrub, consider the gray dogwood. Some
specimens are a little shrubby when young, but a
little spring pruning is all that is needed to turn
this plant into a refined landscape plant. It’s
another native whose appearance improves with age.
Bright red fall foliage.
Rabbitbrush—A true Wyobraska
native. The silvery-blue or green stems and leaves
of this four to six foot tall and wide shrub can be
easily found in the undisturbed natural settings
such as ravines and ridges that line the region’s
rivers and streams. A true xeriscape plant it
actually performs better with no irrigation once
established. Golden yellow flowers cover the plant
in September.
Saskatoon or Western
Serviceberry—The lush deep green summer foliage on
this medium sized shrub makes it look like anything
but a Wyobraska native. But this plant is native
the Black Hills of South Dakota and the foothills of
the central Rocky Mountains. White blooms in the
spring and dependable red fall color make this
native plant rival any non-native for traditional
landscape appearance.
Big Bluestem and Little
Bluestem—Two native grasses with excellent landscape
value. These two warm season native bunch grasses
are not major spring or summer contributors to the
landscape. But from late August through late March
these grasses provide structure, color, and interest
in the landscape. Their maroon fall color fades
gradually through the winder to a rusty brown.
Along with evergreens, these plants dominate a
winter landscape.
Big Blue Stem Seed Heads
Curl Leaf Mountain Mahogany.
This plant wasn’t on the 2004 list, but it should
have been. This unique large shrub is an excellent
background plant in any xeriscape or native
landscape. It is native to western Wyoming, and it
is one of very few deciduous evergreen plants native
to the region. It is long-lived and its beauty
improves with age.
Hardy shrub roses. That’s
right, many of the hardiest of the shrub roses
actually can be considered native plants. The
Canadian introductions especially have proven their
hardiness and adaptability to growing in the
inorganic soils of regions like Wyobraska. Don’t
overlook hardy shrub roses in your xeriscape or
native landscape planting. |