plants for the worst conditions

21 years ago

Our bird migration monitoring site, Palmyra Nature Cove, has a large dredge spoil area. The areas soil is composed of loose nutrient poor river sand that grows very few plants. Conditions are not that different from SW desert conditions, being very hot and dry in the summer, and just dry the rest of the year do to sharp drainage. Can anyone suggest plants that might be useful in these kinds of conditions? (AgastacheMan are you out there?). One choice seems to be agastaches, but which ones. Ideally it would be one that would reseed and spread around - the area is several acres.

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Comments (6)

penny1947
21 years ago
Ward I have had good luck with Agastache Aurantiaca,Agastache Cana and Penstemon x mexicali 'Red Rocks'. I think most will reseed as long as the soil is loose enough for the seeds to settle in.

The area where my salvias and agastaches and penstemons are mostly located is very dry somewhat rocky and somewhat raised. I have added very little amendments other than pea gravel for extra drainage in winter and esthetics. I have watered this bed very little the entire summer even though we had only 2 or 3 good rain falls and everything has thrived. It is located on the south west side of the house and it got direct sun from around noon until sunset for most of the season.

Penny
penny1947
21 years ago
Here are a few more that may be of use

Aquilegia desertorum (Arizona Columbine)
Agastache Cana 'Sonoran Sunset' ( trying for 1st time)
Agastache Neomexicana
Agastache rupestris
Agastache X 'Desert Sunrise'
Liatris
Zauschneria garrettii (California Fuschia)

Penny
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wardw
Original Author
21 years ago
How bad is it? So bad that in ten years ragweed which lives next to the site doesn't grow. In 10 years after only about 10% of the area has anything growing at all. Those are good choices Penny, now I'll need to find seed.
sarahbn
21 years ago
How about the wood lily They love dry sandy soil. and are the most beautiful lily I have ever seen You can get them at Fairweather gardens They grow in very dry sandy soil I don't know if hummersc use them but they use their cousin the canadian lily. Here are two pictures of the only one to survive
wardw
Original Author
21 years ago
It's a thought. The only problem is deer. Have deer ever met a lily they didn't love? Maybe I'll check what plants High Country Nursery recommends for the inferno garden. Right now I just want as many suggestions as possible. The site has been bothering me for years, it just calls out to the garden guerilla in me.
flowerpowereverett
21 years ago
Ward - I wonder if Hesperaloe parviflora or Zauschneria arizonica would work in your area? Also, Nepeta fassenii and Perovskia atriplicifolia are not necessarily known to be hummingbird attractive, but they are pretty blue and drought tolerant and not picky about soil. Ruth