Boulder Raspberry

Appearance

With its ostentatious white flowers clamoring for your attention, Boulder Raspberry (Oreobatus deliciosus ) impresses like a hybridized cultivar, rather than a native shrub. Growing three to five feet tall and six feet wide, arching, sprawling stems carry bright green, lobed leaves that turn yellow in fall before dropping for the winter. Spring’s blooms develop into small reddish purple fruit resembling cultivated raspberries. While edible, the berries are generally considered unpalatable. However, they will attract birds and other wildlife. Unlike other raspberries, the stems are thornless.

Habitat

Dry shade is enough to send most plants running, but Boulder Raspberry thrives there. Long-lived and very hardy, you can find these shrubs on Rocky Mountain slopes and ravines between 4,500 and 9,000 feet. They prefer gravelly or silty soil with good drainage.

Landscape Suitability

A bit coarse for a formal garden, Boulder Raspberry combines well with other natives in a natural setting. It works best as an understory plant or in a northern exposure. Pink shrub roses (such as ‘Nearly Wild’) or purple-leafed ‘Diablo’ Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) would make outstanding companions. For best results, situate plants in light to medium shade, and add two to three inches of compost to the soil. Water deeply but infrequently.

Article and photos by Leslie Holzmann, Certified Colorado Gardener

 

‘Colorado Gold’ Hardy Gazania

Gazania linearis ‘Colorado Gold’

Appearance
Gazanias for Colorado! With this cultivar, those of us in cold-winter areas can overwinter these daisy-like flowers usually reserved for gardens in warmer climates. Clumps of strap-shaped green leaves grow only three-inches high, while the big, sunny blossoms hover above on their short stems, stealing the show. The flowers close up at night, and stay that way on cloudy days. An extra bonus: the leafy clumps are evergreen.

 

Basket of Gold

Appearance
Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatilis) is a long-lived, low maintenance ground cover for small. Gray, slightly fuzzy leaves are present year round, forming clumps 6 to 18 inches tall and 6 to 12 inches wide. In early Spring the plants are totally covered with masses of tiny cross-shaped flowers. Eye-catching colors range from soft yellow ‘Citrina’ or ‘Dudley Neville’ to the blindingly intense golden yellow of ‘Gold Dust.’ A similar species, Mountain Gold (Aurinia montanum) is more compact, with smaller leaves. Mountain Gold is also a bit harder to find at a garden center.

 

Golden Currant

Golden Currant (Ribes aureum)

Appearance

Aptly named Golden Currant blooms in early spring with showy clusters of small but fragrant bright yellow flowers. The blossoms are followed in summer by edible fruit that ripens from green through red to black. In autumn, green, lobed leaves turn to amber or scarlet before falling. The arching branches can reach anywhere from three to nine feet in height, depending on age and habitat.

 

Angelina Stonecrop – Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’

Appearance
Angelina Stonecrop is a garden asset all year long. In summer, the low-growing succulent forms spreading mats of cheerful yellow-green, adorned with clusters of yellow star-shaped flowers. These blooms attract butterflies. But it is in winter that Angelina really shines, when those same fleshy leaves turn an incredible, brilliant orange, with subtle shades of red and yellow. The colors are so intense, the ground appears to be on fire. Such a show would be welcome at any time, but is especially appreciated when everything else is dead or dormant.

Cultivation
All the stonecrops are very easy to grow. They thrive in full sun, and tolerate dry, poor soils. Too much water will kill them. Hardy from zones 3 to 9, they tolerate our Colorado winters with no problem.  Pruning to control size may be done at any time; no other maintenance is needed. Even deer and rabbits tend to leave them alone.

Landscape Use
Angelina Stonecrop is well-suited to rock gardens, especially where it has room to spread. The trailing plants will cascade over walls or the edges of containers. Or place it in front of the border, where its winter glow will complement the browns and golds of dormant grasses.

Article and photo by Leslie Holzmann, Certified Colorado Gardener

 

Cotoneaster

APPEARANCE

As summer’s flowers fade, plants that produce berries take center stage. Branches covered with bright red berries make cotoneasters especially attractive now, but they offer year-round interest. In spring, tiny but abundant white to pink flowers may be obscured by the shiny round green leaves. Foliage turns orange-red in fall. Finally, the berries persist into winter, or until the birds pick them clean.

CULTIVATION

The hardest part of growing cotoneaster is pronouncing it correctly (it’s “ko-TON-ee-AS-ter”). These shrubs thrive with little attention, handling poor soils, full sun to afternoon shade, and moderately low amounts of water. New shrubs should be coddled a bit until vigorous growth begins. Give plants room to spread, pruning only to remove oldest wood and enhance appearance. As with all members of the rose family, cotoneasters are occasionally susceptible to fire blight; some new varieties are tolerant of this disease. The many different species in cultivation vary in hardiness. Most will survive zone 4 or 5 winters, but check the label for the variety you are purchasing.

LANDSCAPE USE

There is a size and shape for every use. Spreading plants under three feet high make good groundcovers. Try planting them where their arching branches can spill over a wall. Small, stiffly erect shrubs may be used as informal hedges. Tall, fountain-shaped growers form good screens.

Contributed by Leslie Holzmann, Colorado Master Gardener. For answers to your horticultural questions, contact the Master Gardener Help Desk at 520-7684 or CSUmg2@elpasoco.com

Photo courtesy of Leslie Holzmann, Colorado Master Gardener

 

Snowberry – Symphoricarpos albus

APPEARANCE

While most fall and winter berries are red, or perhaps dark blue, snowberries sport showy clusters of pristine white, berry-like fruit. If not eaten by the birds, the fruit will adorn the bare branches in winter. The upright, finely-branched shrubs are about three feet tall. Moderate growers, they are long-lived, with tiny pink, bell-shaped flowers that appear in early summer.

CULTIVATION

A Colorado native, snowberry is well adapted to our growing conditions, and is hardy to zone 3. Soil type doesn’t matter, so long as it’s moderately fertile and reasonably well-drained. Plant in full sun, and water until established. While mature plants are highly drought tolerant, they also survive once-a-week watering, which also results in heavier fruit crops. Prune only to remove old, dead wood.

LANDSCAPE USE

While the slightly toxic berries are considered inedible by people, deer will browse on the plants. With its dense foliage, snowberry makes a good foundation shrub. For a woodland feel, combine with other natives such as Oregon grape and ponderosa pines.

Contributed by Leslie Holzmann, Colorado Master Gardener. For answers to your horticultural questions, contact the Master Gardener Help Desk at (719) 520-7684 (new number) or CSUmg2@elpasoco.com

Photo courtesy of Leslie Holzmann.

 

Elderberry – Sambucus candensis

APPEARANCE

Elderberries are upright, spreading shrubs that grow six to twelve feet high. Their leaves are opposite and compound with five to eleven leaflets. Leaves also have serrated margins. Their showy, white flower-clusters generally are six-to-ten inches in diameter and have a pleasant fragrance. The fruit is a smooth globular berry that measures three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter. The broad, flat clusters of berries, which ripen in early August to late September, are deep purple to black.

CULTIVATION

Elderberries are drought and cold tolerant. They also tolerate almost any moisture condition and soil type in full sun or part shade. They grow in Zones 2-9 with a preferred pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Some elderberries are partially self-fruitful and generally show increased fruit-set when two or more cultivars are planted within close proximity.  Plant elderberries five to seven feet on center to accommodate air circulation. Plant bare root stock or rooted cuttings in early spring and container-grown plants anytime during the growing season. It’s important to cultivate these shrubs carefully, because the root system is shallow and can easily be damaged. Prune each winter, thinning out spindly suckers and removing all wood older than 3 years.

Elderberries have few pests, and natural predators often control outbreaks.

LANDSCAPE USE

Elderberries are native shrubs that produce fruit used in jellies, pies and wine. The fruit is seedy and tart, but high in vitamin C. These shrubs also are used for landscaping and wildlife habitat. To harvest, cut whole clusters off when fruits are dark blue or purplish black and soft to the touch. Clusters of white flowers are also edible.

Contributed by Nadine Salmons, Colorado Master Gardener. For answers to your horticultural questions, contact the Master Gardener Help Desk at (719) 520-7684 (new number) or CSUmg2@elpasoco.com.

 

Leadplant – Amorpha canescens

APPEARANCE

Silvery, delicate foliage and mid-summer spikes of violet-blue flowers make leadplant a desirable addition to local gardens. Upright, slightly arching stems grow two to four feet high and three feet wide, with an open, spreading habit. They become woody with age, dropping their leaves in winter. The flowers turn yellow in fall. They’re followed by small, attractive seed pods.

CULTIVATION

Leadplant is hardy in zones 4 to 8, and prefers full sun. The deep-rooted shrubs are moderately xeric. Once established, they’ll appreciate a deep soaking every two weeks. They tolerate most well-drained soils; avoid wet clay. Like other members of the legume family, leadplant adds nitrogen to the soil, reducing the need for fertilizer. While the plants are easy to grow, you may not see flowers for the first several years. Pruning stems back to one foot in late fall will encourage more prolific bloom.

LANDSCAPE USE

A Great Plains native, leadplant combines well with grasses and other prairie plants. Unfortunately, it’s very attractive to rabbits and deer.

Contributed by Leslie Holzmann, Colorado Master Gardener. For answers to your horticultural questions, contact the Master Gardener Help Desk at 719.636.8921 or CSUmg2@elpasoco.com.

Photo courtesy of Leslie Holzmann

 

Mexican Hat – Ratibida columnifera

APPEARANCE

This colorful prairie coneflower is a native perennial to western North America. The flower has a protrusive central cone surrounded by drooping petals that resemble a Mexican sombrero, hence the name Mexican Hat. The foliage has pinnately lobed, gray-green leaves that predominately spread from the center clump, also extending partway up the flowering stems. Colors include yellow, butterscotch, brownish purple, and red.

CULTIVATION

Mexican Hat blooms from June to September and is drought tolerant. It prefers full sun and does well in poor soil. This flower, at maturity, can be 2-3 feet high and 12-24 inches wide. It dies all the way back to the ground after the first frost and is slow to emerge in the spring so care should be taken during spring cleanup as not to uproot them. They flourish up to 7,500 feet.

LANDSCAPE USE

Great used in prairies, along roadsides, slopes, and any dry, sunny spot at your place. They are an excellent choice for cutting flowers lasting 5 to 10 days in vase arrangements. Deer generally will prefer other options in the neighborhood before nibbling Mexican hat.

Contributed by Kerry Peetz, Colorado Master Gardener. For answers to your horticultural questions, contact the Master Gardener Help Desk at 636.8921 or CSUmg2@elpasoco.com.

Photo courtesy of Leslie Holzmann