Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Leptospermum 'Dark Shadows' is my favorite plant in the garden (this week)…

For everyone who’s been frustrated by my featuring plants that aren’t hardy in your zone here’s one I love that isn’t even hardy in my own zone…Leptospermum 'Dark Shadows’

I fell hard for that foliage last spring at the HPSO Plant Sale…damn! Only hardy to Zone 9, but wow…I was in love (it was so small then!)…

Into a container it went.

Okay honestly I really wish I could put this plant in the ground, but I can’t. It spent the winter under the shade pavilion where (because I am a wimp) I did turn the heat on our coldest nights (23F), but I doubt I really needed to.

Isn’t that foliage just gorgeous?

The stats:
  • A shrub or small tree in the Myrtle family, from Australia
  • Blooms in the summer, cream colored flowers (haven’t seen them myself, couldn’t really care less)
  • Size (when set free in the ground) 12-16 ft tall, 15-20 ft wide
  • Full sun, drought tolerant
  • Hardy 20-25F

The only problem it has given me was a brief interlude last summer when I didn’t realize how dry it was and it lost a few leaves. So it might be drought tolerant in the ground but watch it if you’re growing it in a container.

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

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