It has been alive in our garden for six years. Leptodermis grows in most well-drained soils in full to part sun with moderate watering. It is rarely troubled by diseases, insects or deer. The flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbird. Leptodermis is late to “wake up” in the spring, but be patient it will produce small, very pretty clusters of violet-pink, tubular blooms in late spring, and again in fall. The pointed mid-green leaves are small and simple. Leptodermis oblonga (False Lilac) is a little known, dwarf, dense mounding shrub from the Himalyayas, gradually reaching 12”-24” high and wide. It is quite drought tolerant, hardy to zone 3 and is a beautiful small specimen for part shade. The blossoms are clusters of small, creamy white flowers that are followed by red fruits that mature to black. It is very compact, with thick, velvety gray-green foliage that turns burgundy in fall. Typically, the Manchurian Viburnum grows 7’-8’ tall and wide, but this form only grows 3’ for me in dry shade, but could attain 5’ if watered generously. burejacticum), found by propagator Scott Skogerboe at Ft.Collins Wholesales nursery. ‘Mini Man’ Viburnum is a dwarf Manchurian Viburnam (V. Prune off dead flower spikes and remove any dead wood in spring when the leaves start to show. Dwarf False Indigo is another common name for this very drought tolerant native. The summer-blooming spikes of tiny fragrant purple flowers are both a welcome sight for human eyes and an attraction to many kinds of bees and butterflies. Commonly known as Dwarf Lead Plant, it has been called “Dwarf Dead Plant” in spring, since it is so late to leaf out that it is never caught by late spring frosts. It is distinguished from its better-known cousin, Amorpha canescens, by being green leaved and slightly shorter. It is hardy to zone 4.Īmorpha nana is a Colorado native shrub that grows 2’-3’ high and wide. My wife, Eve, has been growing this clematis for 10 years and says, “It has never had a bad year.” It was collected originally in Mongolia, and was chosen as a Great Plants for the Great Plains selection. The shiny, dark green leaves make a nice effect themselves. It is tough, but does not like either bone-dry or soggy soil. This bush clematis likes sun and shades its own roots. It blooms for two months in summer with pendant, yellow, fragrant bells, followed by attractive smokey seedheads. Genista lydia is elegant and fits in both formal and informal gardens.Ĭlematis fruticosa ‘Mongolian Gold’ is a non-vining shrub 2’ high and 3’ wide. It is tolerant of various soil types and seems more cold-tolerant (zone 4) than many Cytisus brooms. This is a tough plant that does well in full sun and low water conditions. The leaves are small and the bight yellow, pea-like flowers smother the plant in early summer. Evergreen arching branches form a compact mound. Genista lydia, Dyer’s Greenwood, is a small broom 12”-18” high and 2’-3’ wide. Yes, we have potentillas and some dwarf spireas, but what other rugged shrubs under three feet high and wide are successful here? In addition, we garden in Colorado conditions where sweet little things fresh out of east or west coast breeding programs crash in our low humidity, fierce sun, strong wind, shocking temperature changes and alkaline soils. These are great to provide screening and big masses of color along fences or the back of the border.īut many people these days are not gardening on half-acre lots or they have been avid gardeners for 10-20 years and have little space left, or they are looking for low maintenance accents that fit into small spaces or mix with perennials. Most lilacs, viburnums, honeysuckles, forsythias, privets, elderberries, serviceberries, butterfly bushes and hibiscus are 6’-12’ high and often as wide. Most of the old-time favorite shrubs are very large. There has been a lot of interest at our nursery, and in current plant-breeding programs for smaller shrubs.
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