Sedums: Love the One You're With

Emerging Sedum Rosettes

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 Sedum Rosettes Expanding

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Ask me to name my favorite plant, and I may not always give you the same answer.  Actually the season has a great influence on my choice.  It’s a little like the Stephen Stills song “Love the One You’re With.”  In early spring, one of the very first signs of life is the dainty sedum rosette that pokes its way through the chilly soil.   At that season there are very few signs of life, and suddenly there it is—my old friend coming around for another visit—the sedum.  The sedum rosette slowly extends into a rather nondescript stalk and leaves.  All summer it stares down the sun, needing very little water.  Then when the calendar turns to autumn, the sedum begins to develop a flower bud.  It grows and grows and finally flourishes a flashy smile.  Its sweet nectar is beguiling to all sorts of pollinators, and when other flowers are fading, the sedum is fresh and showy.  So what's my favorite plant in autumn?  "Love the One You're With."  Sedum is always a loyal friend and worth a place of honor in your xeric garden.   

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SWEET ANTICIPATION

Plumeria Flower Stalk Emerging

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Growing

Up to Nine Inches

Remember that ballad from Carly Simon -- “Anticipation?”  That’s exactly the feeling generated by my beautiful Plumeria.  A Hawaiian native, the Plumeria really, really doesn’t like winter.  They much prefer sunny life on the beach with cool breezes gently ruffling their leaves.  Nevertheless the Plumeria is a good sport if given a little TLC.  Mine was a “pass-along” cutting from three years ago.  It looked like a giant brown asparagus.  I carefully followed instructions for rooting this lifeless-looking specimen, and just when I had almost given up all hope, it began to show signs of life.  During the summer it sends out beautiful  large leaves that always drop in the winter, even with protection in the house.  Every spring the process begins anew.  Plumeria love the heat and even the morning sun, and they produce delicately perfumed blossoms which are used to make the leis in Hawaii.  The flower stalk is a teaser, however.  Remember Carly’s “keeping me waiting.”  The Plumeria keeps you waiting and grows ever so slowly until finally it begins to explode with beautiful, fragrant flowers.  No wonder this beautiful flower represents the Hawaiian symbol of “aloha” and affection.   Oh sweet anticipation!

First Bloom

Worth the Wait

THE MONARCHS ARE COMING!

Monarchs nectaring on Frostweed in my garden

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The weather is moderating, the leaves are beginning to change colors, and THE MONARCHS HAVE STARTED THEIR FALL MIGRATION.  Hopefully you have nectar plants for these flying wonders.  In my garden they are feasting on Lantana, Tithonia, Frostweed, and others.  They also like the nectar from the Milkweed flowers; however, they are unlikely to deposit any eggs there.  All their energy is needed for the long flight to the mountains in Mexico where they overwinter.  The Monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains travel to Mexico, while those west of the Rockies have a southern California roosting area.  This migration and overwintering effort is extraordinary.  While the usual lifespan of a butterfly is about two weeks, the lifespan of this migratory group is well over six months.  They are bigger, stronger, and even brighter.  Eventually I hope to visit the fascinating Oyamel fir forests in Mexico to witness this wonder firsthand!  In the meantime, I will revel in the fact that THE MONARCHS ARE COMING!

Monarch nectaring on Tithonia

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Monarch nectaring on Bog Sage

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Monarch nectaring on Bog Sage

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Monarch nectaring on American Basket Flower

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Monarch nectaring on Frostweed

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Monarch nectaring on "Silver Frost" Buddleia 

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THE TWEETING WILL FALL SILENT

Ah, sweet artificial nectar!

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Wonder what flavor this is.

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Hmm, it's really quite tasty.

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Okay buddy, don't even think about it!

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I can see all those guys from here.

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It's going to be quite a flight!

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I know that just any day my garden will fall suddenly quiet when my tiny twittering visitors return to their other home.   Since early spring I have enjoyed the constant buzz and chatter among three tiny hummingbirds.  Hummers arrive every spring and provide great joy for several months.  Then in August they start “bulking up” for their long journey south.  Of course they also expend lots of energy in their territorial guarding of favorite blooms and feeders.  They have multiple expressions.  Sometimes it seems as if the twittering is exclaiming “hey, here I am; look at me.”  Other times it may be “get away from that feeder NOW, it’s mine.”  Their aggressive flight and reckless maneuvers amaze and sometimes frighten those in their path.  It’s been fun, but I know soon the garden will again be silent. 

THE FLYING FLOWERS OF SUMMER

The “flying flowers” of summer are amazing!  Who has not watched in awe as these delicate creatures flutter and dance about the garden and drink deeply from the sweet nectar of the blossoms.  Some butterflies are residents, and others are only periodic visitors.  To coax them to linger in your garden, it’s essential to have flowers for nectar and host plants on which they will deposit their eggs.   One of the best online resources about butterflies and butterfly plants is the Dallas County Lepidopterist’s Society.  Find a comfortable place in your garden and take time to enjoy as these “flying flowers” transport you to a tranquil place.

Gulf Fritillary on Lantana

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Painted Lady on Zinnia

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American Lady on Penta

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Common Buckeye

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Sulphur on Bog Sage

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Tiger Swallowtail on Buddleia

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Queen

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Monarch on Tithonia

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PLANNING NEXT SUMMER'S GARDEN

Look around your garden.  Do you have a few plants that really suffered or even succumbed to our blistering summer?  I certainly do, and now is the best time to make a commitment to those plants which will withstand our super hot summers.  Don’t wait until next April when nurseries stock all those beautiful plants that thrive in 80 degree temps but go into shock when the thermometer registers 100.  Spring time is too late to commit because your resistance will be low, and you will be tempted to try that special plant “just one more time.”  Those plants which are toasty now will be just as toasty next year.  Make your sketches, make your lists, make your promises--do whatever is necessary to make your gardening less stressful next year, but do not wait—START NOW!

Here are a few of my happiest plants in full sun (I’ll suggest part-sun plants later).  They have survived the summer and still look quite good.  Plan for next summer before it's too late!

Lantana (click to enlarge)

Jethro Tull Coreopsis (click to enlarge)

Zexmania (click to enlarge)

Bougainvillea (click to enlarge)

Mexican Sunflower (click to enlarge)

Miss Huff Lantana (click to enlarge)

now for something completely different

Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia)

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You just never know what you may encounter in the garden.  This morning I noticed what I thought was the beginnings of a wasp nest above the patio door, so I dutifully brought the broom with the intention of knocking it down.  Upon closer inspection, I discovered it was clearly not a nest but rather a very large moth of just over 2 inches in length.  After taking several pictures, I set upon trying to find this critter’s name.  After several passes through Caterpillars of Eastern North America by David Wagner (which also includes the moth/butterfly adult pics), I discovered it is a Hypercompe scribonia or Giant Leopard Moth.  Moths generally fly at night, and we just don’t notice them.  This one, though lethargic in the daylight, was impossible to miss.  One that does fly in the daytime is the Hemaris thysbe or Hummingbird Moth which is sometimes confused with either a Bumble Bee or hummingbird.  Moth caterpillars are usually quite dramatic, and I’ve had a couple of large ones (3 inches long) recently, including the ones shown below.  Maybe I’ll get pics of the moth later.  Be sure to look around your garden, and you, too, may find something completely different!

Hummingbird Moth (Hemaris thysbe)

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Tersa Sphinx (Xylophanes tersa)

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Tobacco Hornworm/Carolina Sphinx (Manduca sexta)

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