|
|
|
Oklahoma Proven selections made for 2008Oklahoma Now that daylight saving time has begun, gardening enthusiasts have extra time outdoors to prepare their landscapes. Gardeners who are looking for plants, trees and shrubs that can withstand the Oklahoma weather should look for the Oklahoma Proven selections at their local nurseries. The selections for 2008 include Bosnian Pine, 'Peek-A-Boo' Spilanthes, Hellebore and American Beautyberry, said Lou Anella, associate professor in the department of horticulture and landscape architecture at Oklahoma State University. "Currently in its 10th year, Oklahoma Proven is a plant evaluation and promotion program that we initiated at OSU," Anella said. "It is a program designed to help gardening enthusiasts select plants, trees and shrubs that have been proven to grow well in Oklahoma's diverse climate and soil types." 'Peek-A-Boo' Spilanthes is an annual featuring yellow flowers, each with a red eye poking out of the foliage. The flowers have an "eyeball" appearance, which makes this a great novelty plant in the fall. The green foliage is tinged with purple and can be used in salads. Spilanthes is also known as the Toothache Plant because the flowers have been used to numb pain. This plant grows in full sun to part shade and can be used as a flowering groundcover growing 12 to 15 inches tall and spreading about 24 to 30 inches. It also can be grown in a container. This year's perennial is the Hellebore. "Hellebore, also known as Lenten Rose, belongs to a genus of mostly evergreen herbaceous plants that are well known for their ability to flower in late winter," Anella said. "Older varieties have flowers that point down, but the new cultivars and hybrids are available with more brightly colored flowers that point upward, making them more attractive garden plants." The flowers range in color from green, white, yellow or purple and some plants even produce spotted flowers. Due to the evergreen leaves, this plant will provide some color in the garden all year long. Hellebore is a tough plant requiring little special care other than shade and pruning old foliage. While the plant does spread, it forms more of a clump. It works well in a woodland garden as an understory plant where it will be protected by shade. This year's shrub is American Beautyberry and it is native to the southeastern United States. It is a deciduous shrub that produces inconspicuous lavender flowers in mid summer. "As fall approaches, the plant becomes laden with brightly colored clusters of fruit which are just stunning," Anella said. "The flowers are not very showy, but the purple fruit produces a striking display." American Beautyberry grows best in light shade or in an area that is protected from Oklahoma's afternoon sun. It generally grows from 5 to 10 feet high and just as broad. However, if it gets too leggy, it can be cut back to the ground in winter without sacrificing the fruit. White fruited cultivars also are available. Bosnian Pine is the 2008 tree selection for Oklahoma Proven. This is a wonderful tree selection for city landscapes as it grows to only about 25 to 30 feet tall. It is a slow-growing evergreen with a dense pyramidal form when young. "While it has the potential to grow to 70 feet tall in its native environment, this is a good selection for smaller suburban lots and homes with overhead power lines," Anella said. "Although it will be a small tree in the landscape, in the Pirin Mountains of Bulgaria there is a 70 foot Bosnian Pine that is estimated to be more than 1,300 years old," Anella said. The cones of the tree are purple and turn brown as they mature. The seed they produce is edible. This tree prefers full sun and once it is established it is very tolerant of high pH soils and drought. Oklahoma is known to have many pine diseases, but the Bosnian Pine is disease resistant. Gardening enthusiasts who wish to see full color photos of the 2008 Oklahoma Proven selections can go to http://www.oklahomaproven.org. Oklahoma Proven is sponsored by the OSU Cooperative Extension Service; Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station; OSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture; Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry; Oklahoma Greenhouse Growers Association; Oklahoma Botanical Garden and Arboretum; Oklahoma Nursery and Landscape Association; and Horticulture Technologies at OSU/OKC. 3/24/08 Advertisement
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2009. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
Market Snapshot Inside Futures |
