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Leucspermum 'Spider Hybrid' 2016-2017
Leucospermum tottum x L. formosum 'Spider Hybrid' December 2016
July 2017
Adding insult to injury, the weeds around it were thriving.
Oh, well. On the other hand, the tiny Melampodium leucanthum seedlings, gifts from a garden-buddy, have grown. Sweet, yet tough. Sometimes the tiny ones are the toughest.
The flowers are about an inch (25 mm) in diameter.
I was impressed with their performance at the local fire station/native plant garden. Excellent here as well.
Note in the below photo the drip line and my shoe. So desperate for activity while hiding indoors from the heat, I cleaned and polished my shoes. There's desperation for you.
I moved one of the 6" 'Yellow Bird' Leucospermum seedlings to 'Spider Hybrid's spot, cranking up the dripper output and providing a shade cover. It was in another place on the slope, screaming at me: "Too hot! Too dry!" Okay, how about here?
RIP Spider Hybrid'. Your post sent me out to check on 'Brandi'. She still hasn't bloomed but the plant appears to have settled in. My fingers are crossed for flowers next year. The Melampodium flowers are lovely - your close-up photos brought to mind Cosmos.
ReplyDeleteYes, short little Cosmos that live on near zero water. A nice plant!
DeleteGood news on 'Brandi'! Fingers crossed.
And I couldn't keep that melampodium alive when I tried it recently, last summer maybe. I try to keep in mind Dustin's comment that you can't overwater a young leucospermum, so that's been my approach, but there's still a lot of summer left. Sorry about the casualty!
ReplyDeleteThe Melampodium is said to want very sharp drainage. The slopes here ensure that.
Delete'Spider' I think it might have been insufficient water; I did have two drippers on it and turned them down because I thought it might have been too soggy. It was soggy--for the slope. My bad. My giant Leucospermum has its own sprinkler, having engulfed it, and the results are awesome.
Melampodium looks like something I should track down. Cute little flowers to grow around the agaves. RIP for the leucspermum - weird how plants will sometimes just up and die...
ReplyDeleteSometimes they do. Melampodium might work well for you. They like slopes. Look also at plants in the genus Dalea--a guy who gardened native plants in the Las Vegas area recommended them as super tough, pretty plants that are true desert plants that can take the heat. And the Eremophilas.
DeleteThose little white blooms are really dainty yet you say they are robust plants...just how perfect can a plant get?
ReplyDeleteThey must have sharp drainage is the thing. This garden happens to have that. It always comes down to Right-Plant-Right-Place, doesn't it?
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