Growing Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum)

Hens and Chicks also called Houseleeks are cold hardy perennial broadleaf evergreen succulents. Hens and Chicks are extremely cold hardy to USDA Zone 3 (-40°F). They may suffer at those temps, but should bounce back. They are guaranteed hardy to Zone 4 (-30°F). Since these guys are succulents, they do not like wet soils. They need full sun, and require excellent drainage. If your soil is all clay, make sure the soil is away from standing water, like on top of a mound, or protected from rain. Another way to make drainage better is to add organic matter to the soil. Adding sand to clay does NOT equal better drainage. This will actually fill up even more pores in the soil, thus having even worse drainage than before. Add fertilizer, or compost to the soil will loosen up drainage. One other thing you can add to loosen up drainage is adding perlite. This is a fine pebble like material that is good at absorbing oxygen and helping soil to dry. I have experimented with Hens and Chicks indoors, and they do not require a dormant state every Winter. They can be grown as houseplants, or in tropical regions. I mix them with my other regular succulents.

NatureMan

Growing Rosemary

Rosemary is a popular herb. It is extremely aromatic, and is fabulous for cooking, or just for smelling! It's foliage is cooked into or on top of meats, fish, vegetables, soups.. It's flowers are crushed to make oil, and perdfumes. Rosemary is also used as a mini Christmas tree. It is sold at stores around Christmas time in a pyramid/Christmas tree shape. People can walk by and have a delightful holiday smell fill the room! Rosemary requires excelent drainage to survive. It willl survive areas with lots of rain, but is absolutly essential to have excellent drainage for it to thrive there in that rainy spot. Only water in the summer if potted, or in the desert in the ground. Otherwise, it should handle the summer heat. Rosemary needs full sun. It can take part shade, but won't perform its best. Rosemary is very finicky indoors. Winters (at least in Indiana) are very cloudy. Days on end can be cloudy here. Even in a full sun spot by the window, the Rosemary could die. Or even if you have sunny Winters an area not directly in a sunny window may die. Since it is cooler inside, it takes longer for traditional potting mix to dry, and any remaining moisture for more than a day or two will rot the plant. Make sure you water it only when the soil is completely gone dry, and is in the brightest window of your home. It can also be grown under grow lights as well. Rosemary is freeze tolerant to a certain degree. It is hardy between 15°F to 20°F. It will only briefly survive temps in the teens. There are cultivars that are hardy below 0°F. These cultivars include 'Arp', 'Alcalde', 'Madeline Hill', and 'Athens Blue Spire'. These varieites are hardy in USDA Zones: 6-11. They can survive zone 5 with protection from winter winds. I have had success growing 'Arp' Rosemary in my USDA Zone: 5b in Indianapolis. It survived temps into the negative single digits with minimal damage. However on January 31, 2019 the polar vortex brought temps to -13°F with strong winds over 30 mph. I had protected it with multiple layers of burlap, but got zapped by the cold anyways. I have a rooted cutting from that plant before it died. I am also ordering more 'Arp' Rosemary plants this Summer, and have a new plan for winter protection next winter. 🤞

Also really popular varieties are weeping. Several weeping varieties do exist, and are beautiful drooping over planters, or walls.

Where temps stay warmer than -10°F at all times, the cold hardy cultivars I mentioned above should succeed with minimal damage. If temps colder than -10°F are expected provide extreme protection by means of burlap, heat lamp, or a box or cold frame of somekind to protect from the wind. Or a much easier route will be to dig it up and bring it inside untill it warms up.

Good luck!

NatureMan

Spring Window-Box Planter

I made a Window-Box planter with Spring annuals. It consists of Pansies, Dusty Millers, and Weeping Rosemary. All are freeze tolerant. Pansies are the most cold tolerant annual I know of. Pansies are cold hardy to 10°F. They will die back around 0°F, but they come back from the roots if that cold is very brief. Dusty Miller is hardy to 10°F. It may survive near 0°F, but will die back and may come back from the roots. Rosemary is hardy between 15°F to 20°F. While some cultivars are known to survive sub-zero °F, but Weeping Rosemary has the same hardiness as traditional Rosemary. Here in Indy the temp is not going to get any lower than 20°F till next Fall. My last frost will be in about a month or so. I hope this inspires you all to make your own awesome spring planters! 🌿🌷🌸🌼🏵️

Indianapolis, IN
USDA Zone: 5b

'Edith Bogue' Southern Magnolia Update: 3/4/19

This is an update post to my 'Edith Bogue' Southern Magnolia tree I planted last summer. Here in Indianapolis, Indiana in USDA Zone 5b the coldest temperature this winter has dipped to -13°F with winds howling at the time, winds at that coldest temp was taken at nearly 30-40 mph. (Note: only humans detect wind chill, not plants) The strong winds along with those cold temps burned one side of the tree facing the wind. While the other side not facing the wind had virtually no winter damage at all. As long as the temps in the winter do not get colder than -20°F the tree will survive and send new sprouts in the Spring. So on my tree, many leaves have burned or partially burned, but many are still unaffected as well. For anyone who has a Southern Magnolia in a northern climate, do not dig up or discard your tree if you see lots of brown on the tree before the next growing season. The new growth will form in the spring and push off all the dead foliage. Always wait until spring to determine if your tree is dead. There is a big 20' tall by 10' to 15' wide ish 'Edith Bogue' Southern Magnolia outside a local nursery here in Indianapolis. It has been in the ground for well over a decade. The tree there has experienced temps down to -25°F with winds blowing more than 30 mph during that time in the winter of 2014. Every single leaf on the tree burned. It most certainly looked dead. It wasn't dead though, just about every branch survived and sprouted leaves. The new sprouts pushed off all the dead leaves. By the end of the following summer, you wouldn't have even known it was damaged by the cold. It has done this at least a few other cold winters as well when temps dipped below -10°F.

Today is March 4. Indianapolis last night tied the record for the coldest temperature for this date. The record was set back in 1871. The low last night dipped down to 2°F. Sub-freezing highs and lows will continue until this weekend when highs are going to get into the mid 50s. Signs point to REAL Spring staying after this week. This month has literally been "March comes in like a Lion, and out like a Lamb."

NatureMan

Shrubs that Grow in Shade

1. Boxwood

2. Inkberry Holly

3. Hemlock (dwarf c.v's include 'Jeddeloh' 'Cole's Prostrate')

4. Azalea/Rhododendron

5. Yew

6. Oakleaf Hydrangea

7. Burning Bush

8. Pieris

9. Virginia Sweetspire

10. Euonymus

11. Summersweet


These are the best shrubs to grow in shade that are all hardy to at least USDA Zone 5. Boxwood, Inkberry Holly, Yew, Rhododendron (not Azalea), Pieris, and Euonymus are all evergreen. The others are deciduous. Very few good landscaping shrubs can grow in full shade. The common question is "What can I grow in my shaded labdscape???" Now you have a few really good options! There may be a few more I didn't list, but these are about it. Leave a comment if I left any out that are hardy to at least zone 5.

Happy planting!

NatureMan 🌿

Most Cold Hardy Palm Trees

1. Needle Palm

The most cold hardy Palm tree on Earth! Matures to 6' tall and wide'. Slow growth rate. Mature established specimens can withstand temps down to -10°F. Young specimens may die near zero if not protected. USDA Zones 6-11

          2. Sabal Minor Palmetto

This Palm shrub is hardy to around 0°F when mature and established. Matures to 8' tall and wide. One variety that may be almost as cold hardy as the Needle Palm is the "McCurtain" variety. It has been said to survive sub-zero temps with no winter damage. USDA Zones 7-11

         3. Saw Palmetto

Famous Palm known for it's medicinal uses. It has been known to treat, and some say cure prostate cancer. This shrub is hardy to around 0°F when mature and established. Matures to 6' tall and wide. It may be slightly less cold hardy than the Sabal Minor, but only by a few degrees. Most success in growing Saw Palmetto comes when temps do not dip below 5°F. Temps near or below 0°F can be fatal. USDA Zones 7-11

         4. Pindo Palm

The most cold hardy pinnate leaved Palm tree. Matures to 20' tall and wide. Hardy to 5°F. Temps in tbe single digits for any prolonged periods will kill this Palm though. USDA Zones 7-11

         5. Windmill Palm

This is the most cold hardy tree form next to Pindo Palm. The better thing about this Palm is that the Windmill Palm is much faster growing than the Pindo Palm. Matures to 30'-40' tall by 5'-10' wide. Hardy to 5°F with severe winter damage. Hardy to 10°F with little or no damage. USDA Zones 8-11 (warmer regions of Zone 7)

         6. Sabal Palmetto

This beautiful tree is the state tree of Florida and South Carolina. Matures to 25'-80' tall by 10'-20' wide. Hardy to 10°F with no damage whatsoever when established. Can withstand brief periods in the upper single digits for brief periods as well when established.  USDA Zones 8-11 (warmer regions of Zone 7)

 

Cold Hardy Bamboo

Bamboo is famous for being a tropical plant in the jungles of China and Asian countries. You may have also heard Panda's eat Bamboo in Tropical China. While yes, these are true, there are other Bamboo plants that are not tropical and are more subtropical or warm temperate hardy plants. These grow in the mountains of China where it is still very warm in the summer, but winter's are much colder. These plants have adapted to temps below freezing, and even below zero. In this post I will only share the most cold hardy kinds. These being hardy to between -10 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit. They are broadleaf evergreen plants. While many will call them trees, they are actually grass. I won't go into the science on trees vs grass, but just know they are not trees. There are many articles online that explain the difference. These plants add a great tropical vibe to the landscape. Tall green plants outside in the brutal cold and snow makes you feel like you are in a warmer place.

The two most cold hardy genera of Bamboo are Fargesia and Phyllostachys.

Some popular species in these genera include Fargesia nitida, Fargesia sp. 'Rufa', Fargesia sp. 'Rufa' Green Panda, Phyllostachys nuda, Phyllostachys bissetii, Phyllostachys aureosulcata, Phyllostachys atrovaginata 'Incense Bamboo' just to name some of my favorites.

When temps are below zero, winds may burn the foliage. The cold wind dries the leaves, and they die. When it is -10 degrees and there is little to no wind the plants will be unharmed, but when there is dangerous wind that may cause severe winter burn on the foliage. Since these plants are very cold hardy, they usually send up new shoots in the Spring and will regrow rapidly the next summer. If you plant gets burned, wait until Spring to look for new growth at the base before considering removing your Bamboo plants.

I took this picture of a grove of Bamboo probably 20' or 30' or so tall in Bloomington, IN. Bloomington, IN is in USDA Zone 6a. Coldest average temperature is -5 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit. I am unaware of what genus or species it is, but is definitely one of the two genera I mentioned above. This photo was taken in January, 2019. The weather is forecasted to be below zero next week, I expect at least some winter burn to the foliage, but will likely re-shoot next Spring if there is any severe winter damage. I can see some dead stalks, most likely from winter damage from last year, or a few years back. The owner just didn't cut it down. At the time of taking these photos there hasn't been temps cold enough to cause winter damage. Coldest temp so far was right around zero with minimal wind. As I said earlier I expect cold the cold and strong winds next week to cause some or severe winter burn. They have very aggressive root systems, and almost always recover. I suspect in years past this grove may have completely died off to the ground, especially after the 2014 winter which was historically cold. Lows down to near -20 with strong winds. It fully recovered and spread quickly.

LINKS to learn more on cold hardy Bamboo:
http://www.bamboogarden.com/cold%20hardy%20bamboo.html

https://www.thespruce.com/growing-bamboos-in-cold-climates-2132863

Most Cold Hardy Holly Trees

I will list the most cold hardy Holly trees used for hedges or as screening, not the shrubs. All these are hardy to USDA Zone 5 (-20°F). There are many more Holly trees, but are hardy to Zones 6, or 7 at the coldest. Zone 5 people still have hope for that broadleaf evergreen tree hedging!

'Steed's' Japanese Holly

6'-10' tall by 5'-6' wide

Makes the perfect hedging tree, or simply placed in the garden or along your house. Looks like a boxwood than a Holly.

'Sky Pencil' Japanese Holly

8'-12' tall by 1'-2' wide

Very upright. Perfect for blocking unwanted areas like power boxes, or great for along front of buildings for design. Branches bend and get deformed or snapped in heavy snow. In areas prone lots of snow wrap your plant with twine or rope to prevent this. Resembles Boxwood than Holly.

'Castle Spire' Holly

8'-10' tall by 3'-4' wide

This is one of the only true Holly looking plants with the spikes in the foliage. It is one of the only varieties that reach tree size that is hardy to Zone 5. Other varieeties are hardy toto zones 6 or 7 for coldest. Great for hedges, or around a buildings for design.

American Holly

20'-60' tall by 15'-35' wide

Next to 'Castle Spire' one of the only tree hollies for Zone 5. Perfect for hedging or larger screenings.



Longleaf Pine

The Longleaf Pine is perhaps the most interesting tree in all the world. Longleaf Pine forests are one the most biologically diverse forests on Earth. A single Longleaf Pine forest can contains nearly 1000 species of plants, and over 300 animals endemic to Longleaf Pine Ecosystem, several of the animal species are endangered. It is the most diverse forests next to tropical rainforests. Many of the grass plants hold up the dead Pine needles from the ground, and makes for better fires, that can spread easier. Fires are essential to the survival of the Longleaf Pine forests. The pine cones won't open up to release their seeds until extreme heat by fire roles by. Even the grasses and hundreds of other plant species require fire in order to reproduce. The Longleaf Pine forests require wildfires every 2-5 years or so. Fires naturally would start by lightning stirkes in Spring and early summer thunderstorms. With logging that began in the mid-1800s and through the early 20th centrury brought the Longleaf Pine forests to a dwindle. The remaining forests were threatened by wildfire bans by the government. The remaining forests either didn't reproduce and died from lack of fire, or the forests lost plant life and were unhealthy for future generations. Before logging and fire supression began, there were over 90 million acres of Longleaf Pine forests. Now less than 5 million acres remain, and only a fraction of that is old growth forests. Now many people and are working hard to bring the species back from the brink of extinction. Millions of Longleaf Pine seedlings are germinated to be sold to people with private land and preserved forests to restore this once great ecosystem. Even the grass and plants that only exsist in a Longleaf Pine forest are being grown and planted in the new restoration areas. Every couple of years there are prescribed burns to keep the Longleaf Pine ecosystem healthy. Prescribed burns are done by the nature conservationists in the government, or by private land owners by getting burn permits.


                               Native Range

Longleaf Pine Ecosystem endemic plants

          Rare undisturbed Longleaf Pine forests

Photos from the 1800s of old growth Longleaf Pine Forests and Logging

Colorized

Longleaf Pine Plantations

Prescribed burns on Longleaf Pine Forests

Alternatives to Blue Spruce

The Colorado Blue Spruce has susceptibility to needlecast in portions of the the U.S. It can be deadly to millions of tree planted in the landscape. You still want that blue frosted look, but can't plant the Blue Spruce. Here are some trees that make a great substitute!

Concolor Fir (White Fir)

'Blue Cloak' This variety has been cultivated to be smaller than the traditional version, and to have a more silvery blue color. 

Mature size: 25'-30' tall by 10'-15' wide

'Candicans' This variety is known to have the bluest of any White Fir. At a distance it may appear to be a Blue Spruce due to its deep blue color. Smaller than the traditional White Fir.

Mature size: 25'-30' tall by 15'-20' wide

USDA Growing Zones: 3-7

'Paul's Select' Norway Spruce

This variety of Norway Spruce is the only Norway Spruce to have Blue needles. A dwarf compared to the traditional Norway Spruce. 

Mature Size: 15'-20' tall by 5'-10' wide

USDA Growing Zones: 3-7

Blue Atlas Cedar

Has deep silver blue needles. Doesn't form the traditional pyramid Christmas tree shape. Varieties include weeping, dwarf, fastigiate, and the traditional one has outward growth to add a unique look to the landscape. It is less hardy than all the others listed and the Blue Spruce. 

Mature Size: 35'-50' tall by 25'-50' wide (traditional form)

USDA Growing Zones: 6-9 (can be successfully grown in Zone 5 in a sheltered area away from windy sites)

 'Boulevard' False Cypress 

Deep blue silvery foliage. Needles are bent and twisted, adds unique texture to the landscape. This is a dwarf tree/shrub. Matures to 10'-12' tall by 2'-4' wide.

USDA Growing Zones: 4-8

'Pacific Blue' Macedonian Pine

Outstanding blue Pine. Perhaps the bluest Pine tree out there! Soft long needles stay strong through strong winds, and winter cold.
Matures to 20' tall by 15' wide.

USDA Growing Zones: 4-7

   

                         'Candicans' White Fir

                         'Blue Cloak' White Fir

'Paul's Select' Norway Spruce

Blue Atlas Cedar

 

Boulevard False Cypress

Pacific Blue Macedonian Pine

Needle Palm Winter Protection

I wrapped my Needle Palm to protect it from the cold wind before the January subzero cold arrives. It has endured highs in the 20s, and coldest temp of 10°F. Still alive and well, with minimal damage. The Needle Palm is extremely cold hardy. It can withstand temps down to -10°F possibly colder for brief periods. The problem is that in Indiana it is cold for prolonged periods. Highs below freezing for days on end, and several nights possible of near or subzero temps with lots of wind. This can damage or kill the Palm. So I wrapped it in 3 layers of burlap, then doubled wrapped a tarp over that. I will probably uncover it come February once the coldest of winter has past.

Indianapolis, IN

USDA Zone: 5b/6a


NatureMan

       
                  Taken first week of December