|
Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 19:31
| We inherited a foundation planting on our southwest facing side a row of redtwig dogwoods, which were an annual battle to keep from burying our small one-story ranch trying to (naturally!) reach their normal size of 10-15'. I finally pulled a few of them (for a number of reasons!) and would like to replace them with a native that would co-habit with some perennials and not try to exceed 3-4 feet tall. New Jersey Tea? Leadplant? Any suggestions for something short, beautiful, and preferably a friendly neighbor or host? |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| New Jersey Tea is very nice. Other ideas include dwarf forms (cultivars) of other plants ('Little Henry' Itea virginica; 'Pee Wee' Hydrangea quercifolia; 'Nana' Ilex vomitoria). |
|
| Fothergillas have nice flowers and great fall color. There are two species that are commonly planted, one that stays quite small and a slightly larger one. Fothergilla major is the larger one I believe. |
|
| Because you're thinking about New Jersey tea, or Leadplant, I figure the area you want to plant in tends to be somewhat dry? If so, I think the New Jersey tea or the Leadplant are good choices. If the area is sunny, you may also want to try Bush/Shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa or sometimes called Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda). It gets yellow flowers in the summer, and would probably do okay in dry-ish conditions. I believe it's native to NE Illinois, and that butterflies like it. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Bush Cinquefoil
|
| It sounds like Blue False Indigo would be perfect for you. It's beautiful, well-behaved, and ours have been maintenance-free. Tim |
Here is a link that might be useful: Blue False Indigo
|
| If you're at all inclined to keep the red-twig dogwood... I tend two red-twig hedges for clients, one is in front-of-the-house foundation planting, the other is along a (different) client's driveway. With twice a year pruning, these hedges are kept to about 3-4' in height and look wonderful year-round. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Native Plants Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.