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jenn_gw

Shrub/small tree (or vine) suggestions for side yard

jenn
12 years ago

Our side yard renovation has been a slow work-in-progress for the past few years. The path leads from our patio to the back garage door, and will soon be covered with Apache Brown crushed stone accented with larger stones along the edge. The long oval area in the middle includes 2 new apple trees ('Anna' and 'Dorsett Golden'), and our true dwarf Meyer Lemon will go in the spot at the end (which is much larger than it may appear in the photo). The beds along the house and fence, and the spot marked with yellow X will be planted in late Fall.

I'm looking for a shrub or small tree, or vine, for the spots marked by the green and yellow X's. The soil is alkaline clay. I love the look of limbed-up shrubs with graceful arching branches.

Yellow X:

Morning sun until about 1:00pm in summer, and open shade in winter. Measures 4 ft. deep x 7 ft. wide, and is right outside our dining room window. The wall (back of garage) faces northeast. I envision a limbed-up shrub or small tree 6 or more feet tall. I was considering Brugmansia but I'm not sure it's suitable for this site. Also considering Brunfelsia (however, slow-growing) and Mock Orange, or a loose-growing vine covering an attractive iron trellis.

Green X:

Sun from late morning until mid-afternoon in summer. Measures about 5-1/2 feet deep and wide. I want it to hide the shed and am also considering a lattice "wall" to hide the shed and perhaps a vine in this spot. (Since the apple trees are still young it may be too early to add any permanent plants on that side until the trees are mature and we know how much sun they allow.)

{{gwi:545429}}

Would appreciate any suggestions.

Comments (10)

  • hosenemesis
    12 years ago

    Green X could use something dense that gets to a decent height in a decent amount of time. I would use Springtime Viburnum or Common Myrtle sheared into an egg. I love myrtle eggs. Mine gets pretty white flowers at this time of year.

    You may want to consider Duranta repens for the yellow x. A dwarf bottlebrush standard will weep for you, and they stay small. Brugmansia would look great. It sounds like an ideal spot for one. Put something like native sword ferns below so that you don't have to pick up all of the dead blossoms. I have a very nice Euphorbia that looks like a smoke tree- stays small, easy to prune into shape. It may live there. I'll take a photo tomorrow.

    I'd plant duranta up against the wood fence too. The variegated green and white ones would look great, and they get about ten feet tall.

    I love the shape of the path you laid out.
    Renee

  • jenn
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Renee, thank you for the suggestions. I'm often tempted to buy Duranta repens but Sunset says it grows to 10-25 ft. tall, 6-10 ft. wide, and Duranta in general needs continual thinning and pruning to stay under control --- yikes... that sends up red flags because I've ignored those warnings in the past and lived to regret it. After seeing it in a very large pot on a friend's patio, I've wanted to try it ever since. Sunset also recommends full sun. Do the variegated ones stay smaller? They tend to be less vigorous.

    Myrtle - I like that too.

  • hosenemesis
    12 years ago

    No, just the opposite. My variegated white and the yellow are both much bigger than the plain green ones. I find them all well-behaved plants, easy to prune and shape, and not very huge. The yellow one is 14 feet tall, whereas the green ones I have had have never topped 8 feet. I grow some in almost full shade, and they stay much smaller- about five feet.
    I forgot to take the photo. I'll do it tomorrow.
    Renee

  • jenn
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks Renee. Our soil seems to have steroids as plants seem to get bigger than expected, so I sometimes err on the side of caution. :-)

    I'm also considering Salvia madrensis or S. regla for the Yellow X. We have S. regla on the north side of the house in unamended clay soil. It has thrived there for several years since I started it with a cutting I stuck in the ground.

  • hosenemesis
    12 years ago

    Here's the Euphorbia. It cannot survive hard frosts.
    This one is about ten years old, and does not really grow any taller than this, but I cut back frost damage occasionally. I have not shaped it this year. I hope someone knows the proper name for it!

    {{gwi:545432}}

  • jenn
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks Renee -- really appreciate your posting the photo. I hope someone can ID it -- I like the size, shape, and color.

  • hosenemesis
    12 years ago

    Found it.
    Caribbean Copper plant. Euphorbia contino something.

    Here is a link that might be useful: San Marcos grower

  • jenn
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Oooh... I like that. With respect to frost protection, what type of exposure -- and how much sun -- does yours get? I can visualized it in a few different spots in our yard. Our winter temps can dip as low as mid-20s (rare), but usually no lower than the bottom 30s.

  • nancy_in_venice_ca Sunset 24 z10
    12 years ago

    Euphorbia cotinifolia.

  • jenn
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks Nancy. Sunset says Euphorbia cotinifolia likes full sun and "can't take frost". I think it won't like the site marked by the Yellow X in winter when it will be in open bright shade with little (if any - I don't recall now) direct sun... in summer, sun until noon. Perhaps next to the shed by the fence where it will get sun from late morning into the mid/late afternoon. It's beautiful and I'd sure love to try it in the right spot.

    Anyone else have any suggestions? Am I asking the impossible, LOL? :-)