Where
winters are cold and snowy it is expected that most plants will lose their
leaves during the winter. However in coastal California we expect plants
to be green and showy all year long. Indeed, in our mind Mediterranean
climate many plants are in active growth during the winter months. For
many people the idea of using deciduous plants seems to go against the
notion of year round good looks. This does not have to be the case. Deciduous
plants have a place in many types of landscapes and using them enriches
the palette from which we create our gardens. (Pictured above:
Cornus stolonifera 'Midwinter Fire'.)
Deciduous plants are those which lose their
leaves or die back to the ground during a season of the year. That season
is not always winter. Many desert plants lose their leaves during the
hot, dry months only to come to life during the rainy, cool months. However
most of the deciduous plants we encounter go dormant during the winter.
Why
then do gardeners include deciduous plants in their gardens when so much
year round greenery is available? One of the first reasons that comes
to mind is fall color. Many deciduous shrubs and trees turn shades of
yellow, orange and red before dropping their leaves, giving a final splash
of color as the days shorten and the gray of winter sets in. threes are
especially noticeable. The maples (Acer spp.) of which there
are many types, provide shade in the summer, fall color and allow the
sun to brighten areas during winter. Similar in leaf shape is American
Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) which is available by named
varieties, each having different fall color. Pistache (Pistacia chinensis)
and ash (Fraxinus spp.) are other trees which provide fall color.
California buckeye is a native tree or large shrub which may go dormant
during the summer months in response to dryness; if given deep watering
it will hold its leaves longer. The large fruits remain on the tree after
the leaves have dropped making a curious decorative feature. Even without
the fruits, the twisty structure of the buckeye makes it an interesting
focal point in a garden. (Pictured above: Betula 'Crimson
Frost'.)
Shrubs
with colored bark can create a beautiful show in the winter garden, especially
on cold dreary days where their color really shows off. At the top of
the list are the different shrubby creek dogwoods (Cornus species
and cultivars), with bark colors in shades of pink, orange, red and yellow.
White Birch bark is especially beautiful during the colder winter months,
as are the curly, twisted branches of the corkscrew willow (Salix
tortuosa 'Matsudana', pictured at left).
Many deciduous shrubs also turn color before
dropping their leaves. The snowball bush (Viburnum opulus 'Sterile')
turns red. Rosa rugosa turns yellow and red as does the Japanese
Berry (Berberis thunbergii). Several selections of the latter
have bronzy red leaves during the summer which tunr redder with fall.
Smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria) is another shrub that comes in
green or bronze leaved forms which both turn red in the fall. Other deciduous
shrubs are not spectacular in the fall but put on a good show in the spring
or summer when they flower. Weigela always attracts attention
with its clusters of pinkish white tubular flowers in spring. The native
wild currant (Ribes spp.) is very showy with long clusters of
pink or white flowers. This is to mention only a few of many shrubs worthy
of a spot in the garden in spite of their loss of leaves in the winter.
Indeed many of the shrubs and trees have striking bark and branch patterns.
Their winter silhouettes add an element of interest and variety to the
landscape and the bare branches allow light to penetrate dark spots.
Many
grasses and perennials are deciduous as well. Grasses such as Pennisetum
spp. and Miscanthus sinensis may be left standing through the
winter as dried arrangements and cut cleanly to the ground in early spring
for fresh growth. This once a year cut back makes for low maintenance
plantings. Some shrubby perennials can be cut back completely as well.
Mexican sage (Salvia leucantha) and summer lilac or butterfly
bush (Buddleja davidii) both look better if cut back each year.
While Caryopteris with its intense blue flowers in late summer,
can be cut to the ground or left standing. (Pictured at right:
Cornus stolonifera 'Flavimera'.)
Deciduous perennials often die back completely
and over winter with their root crown safely protected in the soil. Planted
in and around other perennials their disappearance is often not missed
and they are a pleasant surprise when they reappear in spring or summer.
Care should be taken to mark the sites of such perennials so they are
not accidentally dug up during their dormant season. It also is good to
exercise snail and slug control as these plants emerge so they are not
eaten as they come up.
While there are countless wonderful evergreen
plants, our gardens would be the poorer without the many deciduous plants
as well. Don't overlook them in your garden scheme.
Jeff Rosendale
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