Foliage Follow-Up February 2015 - Mystery Yucca and Others

This is possibly my favorite yucca in my garden.  It was purchased in a five gallon pot at a nursery that's now been out of business for eight years. (Edgewood Flower Farm.)  I'm thinking that it's been in place for at least ten.  It is an extremely slow grower.  It's perhaps a foot taller than it was when I put it in but two feet wider. (now about 3 feet tall and perhaps five feet wide) and has beautiful coloration that's almost as pale as Y. bright star and without that rust spot problem.  Of course it had a tag but somehow it got lost.  Any ideas?  I don't think it's Y. recurvifolia 'Banana Split' or 'Margaritaville'  but it could be.  Did I mention one foot of growth in ten years?

Another favorite foliage plant, this one for shade, is Azara macrophylla 'Variegata.'  "Arching branches bear clusters of tiny, intensely scented spring flowers, exuding a white-chocolate like fragrance.  Orange berries follow for late summer and fall interest.  An outstanding choice as a small tree, effortless espalier, or container specimen." (Monrovia website.)  I've not noticed fragrance or berries yet but even without those, the evergreen foliage and graceful form brighten this shady corner of my garden.  It's always moving with the breeze which is why I've yet to get a good picture of it. (My excuse and I'm sticking with it.)

Syneilesis palmata foliage emerging from the soil is a favorite spring sight. They pop up like this and open like little umbrellas.  I have no luck with this in the ground as my beds are too full of competing plants that push it out.  Last year, I got the idea to plant it in a pot and plunk it on top of the thugs.  It has worked beautifully!  O.k. it looks good in the summer when the foliage covers the pot.

With evergreen foliage and gorgeous peeling bark, Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp aspleniifolius is a gem of which Sean Hogan says, in his book Trees for All Seasons  Broadleaved vergrns for Tmerate Climates, "Truly one of California's most handsome natives...A fabulous small garden specimen...the species tends to  late-summer purge of leaves which drives even the less compulsive among us to clean the canopy; the brown seed clusters are unsightly as can be."  I purchased mine at Cistus a number of years ago and it's grown rapidly.  The phormium killing winters killed some parts but it has rebounded nicely.  Sawing/pruning dead branches after those winters made it very clear why the common name is Catalina ironwood!

Some more foliage and a tip:  If you're going to plop a pot of hosta in a summer dark area of  the garden, you might want to remove it again when the foliage no longer hides the red pot in an otherwise turquoise - pot area. Or you could just avert your eyes until the plant re emerges.  

Foliage Follow-Up is hosted by Pam Penick at Digging on the day after Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day to remind us of the important role of foliage in our gardens.  Click here to visit her blog and see foliage that is grabbing the attention of other gardeners at this time of year.