Southwest
Plant This
Gray creeping germander (Teucrium aroanium)
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 10
Size: 3 inches tall and 8 inches wide
Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil
This textural gem of a ground cover from the Mediterranean basin is a welcome addition to our region. Gray creeping germander’s needlelike foliage spreads into a low mound spangled with clusters of honey-scented, lavender-pink flowers in May and June. I have seen this plant blooming into October.
With That:
‘Siskiyou Blue’ fescue (Festuca idahoensis ‘Siskiyou Blue’)
Zones: 4 to 8
Size: 1 foot tall and 15 to 18 inches wide
Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil
‘Siskiyou Blue’ fescue is a long-lived, well-proportioned evergreen offering gentle naturalness. This grass grows into a tufted form with fine-textured, powder blue blades. The flowers radiate a light green that mellows to warm amber by late summer. Its evergreen powder blue is an eye-catching accent to germander.
Kannah Creek® buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum var. aureum ‘Psdowns’)
Zones: 3 to 8
Size: 12 to 18 inches tall and 1 to 2 feet wide
Conditions: Full sun; lean, well-drained soil
Kannah Creek® buckwheat displays rich green foliage with a white underside that spreads to form matting rosettes. Clusters of small, sulphur yellow flowers age to a warm orange. When viewed at close range, germander and buckwheat leaves appear related by the subtle tonal and textural variations of their foliage.
Wasatch beardtongue (Penstemon cyananthus)
Zones: 3 to 8
Size: 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide
Conditions: Full sun; lean, well-drained soil
The lesser-known Wasatch beardtongue has cobalt blue flowers on tall stems with foliage that turns orange-red as the weather cools. It is also a butterfly and hummingbird magnet. The incredible color of Wasatch beardtongue complements germander’s flowers and foliage and adds vertical contrast.
Photos: Reggie Millette/www.millettephotomedia.com; courtesy of Maggie Lee; Jerry Pavia. Illustration: Elara Tanguy
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