A nod to a very handy plant
Tuesday 15 September 2009 - Filed under Plants
One of my few and favorite garden newcomers this year was Luzula nivea. Grassy and furry, it looked like a sun plant to me, so I did a double take when I found it in the shade section, but the tag confirmed it:
“Woodland evergreen, foliage clad in soft hairs. Forming multiple rosettes, in time will form a large clump. Revels in part shade to shade and surprisingly rough, dry conditions. Best with supplemental water in rich soil. To 8″ tall with tan/ochre flower tassels. Hardy to zone 5a.”
It sounded too good to be true, but so far so good. A hot dry summer its first year in the ground, and me, too lazy to water, and it still looks this good. And if it can tolerate dry soil but thrives in moist soil, it should do just fine with Portland’s months of rain followed by months of zero rain. I like a plant this easy going.
I’ve had good luck with another Luzula, plant tag long lost. It might be Luzula sylvatica ‘marginata.’ I got two for my rarely watered front porch containers in deep shade. They put up with my neglect like champs. This picture was taken last fall, they’ve completely filled up the containers now. I think they’re ready to be divided, so I’ll get to grow the collection next year.
They’re unfortunately one of those plants I find impossible to catch in a flattering photograph, but they were smashing in spring when they bloomed.
I passed some up earlier this year, a golden leafed variety, Luzula sylvatica aurea. I think it threw me to have them paired up with those weird colored heucheras. They’d be much better against something with more contrast, either dark green or red leaves. Given their record of success, I’ll probably snap them up as soon as I come across them again.
“Golden selection of this evergreen workhorse of a woodland sedge. New growth in late winter and early spring emerges bright chartreuse and then fades to a medium green by mid-summer. Excellent in winter containers or along a path in a woodland. Forms large patches in part shade with regular water. Golden flower spikes in spring. 18″ – 20″ wide. Does not reseed. Clump increases moderately fast.”
Good stuff.
2009-09-15 » megan
16 September 2009 @ 3:53 am
That furriness is a really attractive feature.
16 September 2009 @ 4:13 am
Will have to read about this family of plants. Really interesting. I do like the fuzzy edges of the first one.
16 September 2009 @ 7:09 am
These are really nice, especially the first, fuzzy one. I’ve never heard of Luzula before, but they look and sound like just the thing for my very shady front garden. I like hearing they’re on your front porch: I need a performer like that for mine, if you don’t mind my stealing the idea!
16 September 2009 @ 12:09 pm
The Luzula is a find, and so are you. Came here by way of mulchmaid. Slowly, I am ferreting out Portland bloggers. While it is fun to see what gardeners in the rest of the world are up to, you can’t beat the insights from close to home that can actually be put into practice.
16 September 2009 @ 12:30 pm
Love the fuzz!
BTW I spotted one of the grass’ that you featured in your last post (with the black blooms) when I was out on a walk last night. It is a beauty….you should get another.
16 September 2009 @ 7:24 pm
Cuteness! The second one looks somewhat like Carex morowii, don’t you think? I have some sedges somewhere, i think, but not these. Thanks for the tip, I need some stuff for shade that will increase over time but not run rampant.
17 September 2009 @ 5:42 pm
I’ll say, good stuff! I was shocked when I saw its hardiness. It looks tropical to me. Although I’ve heard of the genus Luzula, the species that I’ve seen look so similar to the genus Carex that I ignored them. No more. Luzula nivea is going on my wish list.