-
- Articles
Index : Landscape Plants
-
-
- 14. Dwarf Shrubs Make Ideal Container Plants - Top
- Patio container gardening is one of the most popular aspects of home gardening here in the desert Southwest. It’s a great way accentuate the beauty of your plants and dress up outdoor living spaces.
A group of plants ideal for growing on the patio are dwarf flowering shrubs. They provide lots of seasonal color and will live for many years in the same container without the need for replanting. Because they’re dwarf selections, they can also be grown in moderate-sized containers, from 16 to 24 inches in diameter. Here are some of the best dwarf shrubs to grow as potted patio plants in the Tucson area.
Dwarf Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis ‘Little John’)is one of the most unique dwarf flowering shrubs, and a rather new introduction. Flowers at the end of each stem are fuzzy clusters comprised of hundreds of bright red stamens radiating from the stem in a cylindrical fashion, resembling a bottlebrush. The shrub is dense, with attractive dark green leaves growing in a rosette fashion under the flower clusters. The Little John grows into a 2 foot rounded evergreen shrub that blooms continuously during the warm months. They flower best in full sun to partial shade.
Dwarf Pomegranate (Punica granatum ‘Nana’) is a compact plant growing less than 3 feet tall and wide with shiny apple-green leaves and beautiful balloon-shaped orange flowers. There’s also a double-flowered form that produces silver-dollar-sized, carnation-like blooms. Evergreen and flowering for most of the year, dwarf pomegranate does have a brief resting period in the winter when old leaves drop and there’s a brief pause in flowering. Dwarf Pomegranate grows best in full sun.
Miniature Roses (Rosa chinensis ‘Minima’) are ideal for container culture with cultivars that range in size from 3 to 18 inches in height and spread. Single and double flowering varieties are available in virtually every color except blue. Some of the best varieties for the desert Southwest are: Jean Kenneally (apricot blend), Hot Tamale (yellow blend), Bee’s Knees (yellow), Fair Hope (yellow) and Miss Flippens (pink). During hot weather, miniature roses require daily watering and some afternoon shade to look their best.
Dwarf Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’)
looks very much like dwarf evergreen boxwood, but unlike boxwood is tolerant of full desert sun and heat. It grows in a dense rounded form 18 to 24 inches wide and requires very little pruning to shape. It’s an excellent plant for adding a formal topiary accent on patios and in gardens. Dwarf yaupon hollies make great border and edging plants around walks, patios and garden beds. They’re tolerant of desert soil conditions but do require frequent irrigation during hot weather.
Dwarf Pittosporum (Dwarf Pittosporum) (Pittosporum tobira ‘Wheeler’s Dwarf”)is the dwarf version of a shrub more commonly known in the Tucson area by the name Mock Orange (Mock Orange). It’ a dense low-mounding shrub with lustrous, dark-green leaves that grow in a rosette pattern from the stems. Wheeler’s Dwarf is a shade loving evergreen that grows to a height and spread of 18 to 24 inches. Although morning sun is acceptable, this plant cannot tolerate direct mid-day or afternoon sun during Spring and Summer.
As with all patio container plants, these dwarf shrubs require a minimum 16 inch diameter pot size. All grow well in a mixture of 4 parts standard potting soil and one part perlite. A soil moisture meter is the best tool to determine the frequency of watering. All of the dwarf shrubs listed, when grown in pots, should be kept evenly moist.
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,
520-626-5161. - Updated: May 7, 2006
-
-
[e-Mail me
the Articles] - [Search
the Articles]
-
|
