Designer: Descanso Gardens | Garden Tours: Descanso Gardens |
Photographer: GardenSoft |
Common name: Border Forsythia
Botanical name: Forsythia x intermedia
Forsythia X intermedia is a deciduous shub that grows 3'-12' tall and 3'-12' wide with green leaves. It likes full sun, medium watering, and will live in any soil that is well drained. There is a bright yellow flower that blooms from January to June.
Common name: Japanese Maple
Botanical name: Acer palmatum
This magnificient plant can used as a small tree or shrub. It is deciduous with graceful leaves which have a scarlet color in spring as it leafs out. Leaves later turn orange or yellow in fall. It is slow growing to 20', and requires shelter from the hot sun. The leaves of this tree are small, light green in color, and deeply lobed. It should also be noted that this tree remains spectacular throughout all seasons.
Common name: Nandina, Heavenly Bamboo
Botanical name: Nandina domestica
Nandina domestica is a graceful upright shrub that grows from 3'-6' in height. It gets its name from its bamboo-like growth habit. When thinned from the center it bears a remarkable resemblance to bamboo. It is best used in groups. It can be used in a shaded patio or out in a shrub border with full sun. An interesting feature of Heavenly Bamboo is the bronze color in the new growth when planted in full sun. It also bears clusters of white flowers in the spring.
Common name: Calla Lily
Botanical name: Zantedeschia aethiopica
This perennial will grow 2'-4' tall and has large, glossy green leaves with beautiful cream or white flowers with a central yellow "finger" that bloom in spring and sometimes even summer. Calla Lily prefers full sun or afternoon shade in warm, inland areas. It prefers rich, moist soil and does well near water features or boggy conditions. Cally Lily is beautiful for cut flowers.
Common name: Hatsu-Garasu Japanese Iris
Botanical name: Iris ensata 'Hatsu-Garasu'
This perennial can reach 22"-32" tall. It has spectacular large (3"-6" in diameter) blooms that are largely purple with yellow accents. It blooms in June and July. This plant requires very fertile, acidic and wet soil, even surviving in shallow water. However, it cannot tolerate wet soil during the winter. This is a great plant for containers. It tolerates full and part sun.
Common name: Slender Deutzia
Botanical name: Deutzia gracilis
A small deciduous shrub that grows to 3' or less, the leaves of the plant are bright green in color, 2.5" long, and sharp-toothed along the edges. In the spring, clusters of snowy white, fragrant flowers cover the plant before the leaves. This plant does best in full to part sun with fertile, moist soil.
Common name: Navajo Willow, Globe Willow
Botanical name: Salix matsudana
Salix matsudana is a beautiful deciduous tree that is useful for erosion control or for shade. It is more drought tolerant that other species of willows. It is fast growing and can reach 50' in height. Its habit is globed shaped. Bare branches make wonderful dried flower arrangements because of the twisting shoots. Leaves are bright green, lance shaped and twisted. This tree is striking in the winter because of the twisted branches.