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Walnut Creek’s Ruth Bancroft is a national authority on drought-resistant gardening. Twice a month she and her staff share their knowledge with readers.
Q Do any of the most beautiful Drosanthemum varieties bloom more than for about two weeks? I am looking for a beautiful ground cover that will bloom for most of the spring/summer season.
A Though some ice plants, including Drosanthemum speciosum and many kinds of Lampranthus, put on a short-lived spectacle, there are others that bloom over a longer period of time.
At the Ruth Bancroft Garden, our Malephora crocea keep on producing flowers all year long, although there is a more intense concentration in spring. This species has orange or coppery-salmon flowers about 2 inches across, and blue-green fingerlike leaves up to 2½ inches long, although usually less.
As mentioned previously about Drosanthemum, D. micans is reported by Annie’s Annuals to repeat bloom through much of the year — although not with the intensity of its spring display — especially in coastal locations.
We have not had it planted out for long enough to know if this will be the case in Walnut Creek.
Q Are there any taller-growing ice plants?
A Yes, we have a bush-forming species named Lampranthus roseus that gets to 3 to 4 feet tall. It makes a spectacular show in spring, completely covering itself in lavender-pink flowers,
but does not flower at other times of year.
Q I read the column about the Drosanthemum ice plants, and am wondering if these would thrive in the Los Altos climate. We have creeping thyme in our boulevard strip, but it has developed lots of dead patches. What would you suggest?
A Drosanthemums would be well-suited to Los Altos, as well as other parts of the Bay Area, and they could be used among the thyme for bursts of color.
Like many kinds of ice plant with intense concentrations of flowering, they can over time develop dead patches where branches seem to bloom themselves out, so some occasional pruning might be necessary.
One winter-flowering species that forms tight clumps and does not need any pruning is Cephalophyllum ‘Red Spike,’ with bright magenta blossoms.
Q If you deadhead ice plants, will that encourage them to re-bloom, or is it just one time?
A Many plants can be encouraged to extend their flowering period by deadheading, so that they do not cease blooming and put their energy into seed production. However, this does not seem to have much effect with Drosanthemums.
Still, cutting out the spent flowers may be desirable to keep the plants looking neat, especially in situations such as a planter on a deck, where they are seen close-up.
If you have a question for the Ruth Bancroft Garden, email info@ruthbancroftgarden.org. For tour and event information, visit www.ruthbancroftgarden.org.
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