Shade is a wonderful feature in the landscape as we move into our summer months. It can also offer an opportunity to include a different palette of beautiful plants the bring color and brighteness to some filtered shade or full shade locations.
Here are a few plants to consider for those low light areas of the yard.
The native oakleaf hydrangea, Hydrangea quercifolia will do well in dappled shade spots. The leaves are attractive on their own but the addition of large flowers make it very showy. This native hydrangea will like a little moisture but soils should be well drained. A little morning sun is fine but afternoon shade is very helpful as the summer months progress.
The old standard Japanese aucuba, Acuba japonica, is a favorite with it’s green leaves speckled with yellow. New growth is damaged by sun so this evergreen shrub is best with a good amount of shade. Be sure to place in a spot with good air circulation to make the environment less conducive to some plant pests.
Each Aucuba leaf has a unique pattern. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County.
One of the shrimp plants that really needs shade is the White shrimp plant, Justicia betonica. Although this can be damaged in freezing weather, it is worth replanting every spring in a small grouping. Plants are easily started from cuttings and sometimes they will return from roots in the protected shade areas.
White bracts with pink flowers of White shrimp plant. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County.
An annual that is very showy for shade is related to the shrimp plant. Persian shield, Strobilanthes dyerianus is grown for it’s iridescent purple and silver foliage. It thrives in our heat with a little water when rainfall is lacking. It grows well either planted in the ground or in a container to provide bright color amongst the green foliage plants of your shady spot.
A bit of dappled morning sunlight on the Persian shield leaves. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County.
Most people know the Cast iron plant, Aspidistra elatior, which is a full shade plant. Plants that receive too much sunlight with have scalding spots. Although green foliage is attractive in summer, consider one of the cultivars with various types of variegation. You may choose a selection with white or yellow stripes through leaves or a plant with lots of white spots throughout green leaves.
Not all trees and woody species are welcome in the landscape. In fact, some woody species can be pesky and problematic and for lack of a better term “weeds”. Despite the fact that some of these species are native trees, bushes, and vines, many can be aggressive and problematic in the home landscape and urban settings. If you have ever cared for a flower bed or garden in the Panhandle, you are probably well acquainted with these and have pulled seedlings and small saplings out of beds, hedges, and seemingly any other nook and cranny of your landscape. If you cut them off using loppers or a saw you also know how aggressively they resprout and how extensive their root system can become. Vegetation grows quickly and often aggressively in our humid sub-tropical climates. If you leave an area of land vacant for very long here, it quickly becomes a thicket in no time. Some of our oaks, particularly water and laurel oaks, can be pesky and troublesome. It seems like I am constantly battling problem oaks in my home landscape, with varying degrees of success. I will pull out, cut out, and apply herbicide only to look up and see a substantial oak sapling rocketing up through azaleas or other hedges. Without fail this is a water or laurel oak nearly 100% of the time, with some other hardwood trees and shrub species thrown in occasionally.
Oak sapling overtaking shrubbery in a local landscape Escambia County, FL Photo Credit: Ian Stone
What is the best way to tackle these pesky woody “weeds” when they cause persistent problems and pop up in undesirable spaces? The answer is to either mechanically removal them or employ very careful and targeted herbicide application. As a professional forester I have spent a large part of my career controlling these brush species using a host of mechanical and herbicide control methods and very well planned prescribed fires. Obviously using large heavy machinery and prescribed fire in urban and suburban settings and landscapes is not an option but using hand tools for mechanical removal and herbicides where needed and best suited is a winning combo for the home landscape.
First you want to determine what species you are dealing with and what stage of development it is in. As I mentioned, water oak and laurel oak are usually the problem oaks we encounter and can reproduce at extremely high rates and create undesirable crowded stands of stunted oak. These species are what foresters call early successional, meaning they tend to establish in forest openings and areas impacted by a disturbance such as a hurricane or windstorm. They produce large amounts of small acorns and grow very fast and they also have poor characteristics where they are susceptible to wind throw and disease. Effectively, they reproduce heavily, grow fast, and die young; that is their natural adaptation and life cycle and what causes them to be pesky and weedy in the home landscape. We don’t realize it, but our home lawns and flower beds create the perfect early successional habitat for these oaks and other brush species such as yaupon holly, titi, wax myrtle, and others. It doesn’t stop there – in heavily shaded areas, very shade tolerant oaks, brush, and vines tend to become established. Vines such as Virginia creeper, greenbriers (Smilax spp.), pepper-vine, and others are particularly annoying as these woody species also love to grow up in fences, particularly chain link, and are difficult to remove.
So what are the best methods to handle problem woody species in the home landscape? The best option is to catch them as seedlings and young plants and pull them up by the roots and all. If you can do this, you will avoid issues with resprouting. If you have larger, more well-established brush and small trees in your landscape, you can cut them back close to the ground, but you are likely to have issues with resprouting. This can be very frustrating and can result in a persistent problem. By consistently cutting these back you may be able to exhaust the plant’s reserve, but this is unlikely. Depending on the size of the root system you may be able to dig up the roots using some elbow grease and a shovel or mattock, but if significant roots are left behind, some woody species can resprout from the remaining roots. This is when simply cutting off the main stem or other mechanical methods often are not sufficient for long term control.
When dealing with well-established woody species with a significant stem size, using a properly labeled and effective herbicide can be a big time and hassle saver. You want to use a herbicide that is labeled for hack and squirt applications and/or cut stump applications. Many brush control and tough brush herbicides are labeled this way and can be applied using these methods. Herbicides with the active ingredients of triclopyr or glyphosate are the most effective for these methods and readily available for home use. Triclopyr products are usually the most effective on tough brush and woody species. Make sure the species you are targeting is listed on the label and follow the label directions exactly for the methods and concentrations to apply the herbicide correctly.
Oak resprouting from stump after herbicide treatment. Note the deformed leaves on the regrowth showing herbicide damage. Photo Credit: Ian Stone
Cut stump and hack and squirt applications require a bit of a different method of application. Instead of spraying foliage, you apply the herbicide into fresh cuts using a squirt bottle or a paint brush. You should wear proper protective equipment when working with any herbicide and this is also listed in the label. Long sleeves and pants along with chemical resistant gloves and eye protection is usually the minimum recommended. For hack and squirt, make a series of connecting cuts in a ring around the problem stem and squirt the herbicide mixture into the fresh cuts using the squirt bottle. For cut stump treatments cut the stem(s) of the problem tree or shrub off slightly above the ground and apply the mixture using a paint brush or squirt bottle, focusing on the outer portion of the stump right next to the bark. These methods work by introducing the herbicide to the cambium layer, which is the actively growing and live tissue just under the bark in woody plants. By doing this it will travel through the tissue and kill both the roots and stems. It is very important that the cuts are fresh, and the application must be made as soon as possible after the cuts are completed. Once the brush is killed back, you can wait for the stem or stump to rot or remove it once it has completely died. This method is effective at controlling resprouting but is not 100% effective on all applications. If the woody plant in question continues to resprout, you can make fresh cuts and reapply. An advantage of this method is it can be done in winter even when the plant is dormant, as it does not rely on foliage to uptake the herbicide. That means you can use it year-round, and you can take advantage of the cooler winter weather to do this labor-intensive work.
With careful work and proper technique, these methods can be beneficial to control persistent brush problems in the home landscape. When using herbicides it is very important to be aware of off target damage to desirable plants. One of the advantages of hack and squirt and cut stump applications is that they are very targeted and minimize issues with off target damage and drift. Care should be taken not to get the herbicide mixture on the stems of desirable shrubs and trees, and they can penetrate the bark and do damage, especially on thin barked species. If you have questions about how to properly use a herbicide or reading the label contact your local extension office.
One of my favorite landscape plants is blooming right now in Panhandle landscapes – ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia. ‘Soft Caress’ was first introduced into the commercial nursery trade in 2006 and included in the Southern Living Plant Collection, but didn’t achieve garden fame until 2013 when it won first place in the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. I first planted a group of ‘Soft Caress’ about ten years ago and as those plants have matured, so too has my appreciation for them. The following are a couple of my favorite outstanding aspects of these small shrubs.
Fall Flowers. Other than camellias, there isn’t a lot else in Panhandle landscapes blooming from mid-November to January and ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia helps fill that flower void. Brilliant yellow flower spikes rise above the deep-green fernlike foliage and very welcome in this otherwise drab and dreary gardening season.
‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia’s winter flowers are excellent pollinator attractors. Photo courtesy Daniel Leonard.
Quick growing but small statured. If you’ve gardened very long, you’ll know this is a tough ask! Plants that reach mature size relatively rapidly but also don’t get very big are a rare breed. ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia grows quickly but also maxes out in size rather quickly – mine are very easily maintained at 3-4’ in height with a single annual trim.
~10-year old ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia Shrub. Photo courtesy Daniel Leonard.
Extremely tough and adaptable. My Mahonia plants have persisted through drought, hurricanes, floods, and freezes and have never looked better. These little plants are simply tough. They’ve had no disease issues and no pest problems (except for a little deer browsing one year, but that appears to be an isolated incident). While they prefer shade, they can also handle several hours of morning sun without incident.
‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia is a standout plant that fills a mostly flowerless period in landscapes, fills its designated landscape spot quickly but won’t outgrow it, and is truly tough. Add a couple to your landscape this winter!
A recent visit to the Dothan Area Botanical Garden (DABG) reminded me that although many of our summer flowers are winding down, we have a great garden show coming this winter when the southern classic camellias start to show their stuff. DABG has a large collection of camellias that will start blooming in the coming months. Here is a little background on the two most common types of camellias grown in our area.
Camellia japonica
Also known as Japanese Camellia, C. japonica thrive in partial sun to full shade. Direct morning sun with some shelter from the sun in the hottest part of the day is a good compromise. Too much shade can reduce flowering, so aim for at least partial sun.
Most Japanese Camellias bloom from January to March, but some may start earlier in the season. Flower shapes include single, semi-double, anemone, peony, and formal double. Flower colors are white, pink, red, and sometimes a combination of multiple colors! Camellia japonica mature at 10-15’ tall and wide but may get as big as 25 feet. This makes them ideal to create privacy in the garden or have the lower limbs trimmed into a tree-form.
Camellia sasanqua
Sasanqua camellias also prefer part sun but can also thrive in full sun once established. Leaves and flowers are typically smaller than C. japonica which is an easy way to differentiate. Although most have upright habits and can grow 10-15’ tall as well, there are a few cultivars such as ‘Shishi Gashira’, ‘Bonanza’, and ‘Mine-no-yuki’ that have more horizontal branching making them good options for foundation plantings. Sasanqua camellia are usually in full bloom in the fall, but may bloom as late as January. Flower shapes are similar to C. japonicas, but many varieties have more open flowers with exposed stamens that are beneficial to pollinators.
Despite being a near-perfect ornamental for the Panhandle, Crape Myrtle is often misused. Though there are dozens of commercially available varieties in all shapes and sizes, many people choose the wrong one for their yard. The most commonly sold cultivars ‘Natchez’ (white flowers), ‘Muskogee’ (pink flowers), and ‘Tuscarora’ (watermelon red flowers) – all three attain mature heights more than 20’ – are almost always too large for siting near a house or other structure and are often out of scale with landscapes. The simple solution to making the best use of Crape Myrtle in smaller yards (certainly not dramatic pruning – Crape Murder is among the worst landscape sins), is to select a smaller growing variety and ‘Tonto’ is a personal favorite in this category.
‘Tonto’ Crape Myrtle, one of the selections that emerged from Dr. Don Egolf’s Crape Myrtle breeding program at the U.S. National Arboretum over 50 years ago, is among my favorite Crape Myrtle varieties for several reasons. First, Tonto’s fuchsia hued flowers are as vibrant as flowers come; they practically glow in the landscape. The flower show lasts for several months and are a valuable food source for pollinators, bees in particular, in the late summer when few things are blooming. Tonto also is a relatively slow grower that only reaches about 10’ tall and wide at maturity. This allows the variety to be exceedingly versatile in landscapes as it can be used in the background of planting beds, as a specimen plant, limbed up as a small tree in open areas, or even placed in very large containers. Finally, beyond just the flower show and ideal size, ‘Tonto’ has uniquely attractive, cream colored, exfoliating bark and reliably attractive fall foliage. Both these features add interest to landscapes, even when ‘Tonto’ isn’t flowering.
Though ‘Tonto’ sports many unique qualities, it shares many other excellent traits and growing preferences with its Crape Myrtle kin. For best results growing any Crape Myrtle, trees should always be sited in full sun, at least 6-8 hours a day. Shading will result in greatly reduced flowering and lanky plants. Regular watering during the first year after planning while trees are becoming established is helpful, as is periodic fertilizer application. Once established, ‘Tonto’ and all other Crape Myrtles are exceedingly drought tolerant and can get by on their own with minimal inputs from gardeners.
If you’ve been struggling with a Crape Myrtle that has outgrown its site or thinking about planting a new Crape, I’d encourage you to give ‘Tonto’ a look. It’s an outstanding shrub/small tree, will reward you with flaming fuchsia flowers and smooth cream-colored bark each summer, and will never outgrow its space. Plant one today! For more information on growing Crape Myrtles or any other horticultural topic, contact us at the UF/IFAS Calhoun County Extension Office. Happy gardening.
What is a titi? Google it. Wiktionary says it is “a New World monkey of the genus Callicebus, native to South America, distinguished by their long soft fur”. But deeper into the definitions you will find “a shrub or small tree of the southern Unites States, having glossy leaves and elongated clusters of flowers, occurring in wet soil conditions”.
Titi is just a common name for two species that grow in the wetlands. Black titi (Cliftonia monophyla), also referred to as buckwheat tree, is the first to bloom in the spring. Native seedlings produce clusters of small white flowers at the tip of the branches. The sweet-smelling blooms provide a nectar source for bees in February and March. Following pollination, golden-brown seed pods will form, resembling buckwheat grains; hence, the other common name. The seed persists through the fall, providing added aesthetics and a food source for native and migratory birds. Pink-flowering sports of the Black titi have been propagated for the native plant nursery trade. ‘Chipolo Pink’ is one of the most popular (pictured).
The other species is Red titi (Cyrilla racemiflora), also called Swamp titi. It will send out multiple drooping white flowers in a finger-like cluster from the previous year’s wood. Blooming begins in the late spring and continues into the summer. Unfortunately, the nectar has shown to be a source for purple brood disease in bees, a terminal condition for the baby bees.
So, when deciding on native plants for your wetlands edge or rain garden, look for the Black titi and the new cultivars on the market. Then research other summer-flowering nectar sources like Clethra alnifolia, Sweet pepperbush, and their many new cultivars.
