Whatz that? - Barstow vines

This list of vines is taken from the Sunset Western Garden Book.  Included are the vines recommended for Sunset zone 11.  Not included are vegetables such as squash, cucumber and peas or annuals such as sweet peas.  The plants are listed in order by their scientific names as they are in the book.  The first list is those vines I have located in Barstow.  The second list is vines that should grow here but I have not seen.

Asparagus Fern/Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri', regular water, shade
Often used as a house plant in hanging baskets.  Has small red berries.

Asparagus Fern/Asparagus setaceus, evergreen, regular water, spines at base of leaves
This plant is often used in florist's bouquets for its airy leaves.

Trumpet Vine/Campsis radicans, deciduous, moderate water
This vine has been disappointing in that it does not bloom reliably and does not cover a chainlink fence well.  The long flexible branches root if left on the ground, so they have to be woven through the fence.

Coyote Gourd/Curcubita palmata, xeric, native to Mojave Desert, dies back in winter, thin-shelled for a gourd, not edible
It has the large yellow flowers and sprawling habit of squash and melons.

Winter Creeper/Euonymous fortunei, regular water, partial to full shade evergreen in Barstow, leaves turn red in Fall in colder climates
This plant can be used to cover a wall or as a ground cover.  It roots where the branches touch the ground.  Climbing, it does not attach itself to the wall, but has long stiff branches.

Algerian Ivy/Hedera algeriensis evergreen, moderate water
This ivy has larger and softer leaves than English Ivy.

English Ivy/Hedera helix evergeen, moderate water
This ivy has stiff leaves.  It adheres to rough surfaces with many small roots which are almost impossible to dislodge.

Morning Glory/Ipomea purpurea, moderate water
This plant came up a couple of months ago from seed that was given to me and I simply threw in various places.  It has not yet begun to climb, or had flowers.
It is said to be invasive once it is established.  I got it, looking for a fast climber for a trellis that will eventually have climbing roses.

Winter Jasmine/Jasminum nudiflorum, xeric, deciduous, yellow flowers in February
This plant could be considered a small shrub or a groundcover if it does not have any climbing support.




Trumpet Honeysuckle/Lonicera sempervirens, moderate water, evergreen, red flowers
I have had a few flowers, but at the moment it is not pretty enough to photograph.  It is one of the numerous vines I have tried as covers for a chain link fence.

Maypop/Passiflora incarnata, xeric to regular water, dies back in Winter, edible  fruit, native to Eastern USA.
This is my newest attempt to find a plant to cover a chain link fence.  So far it has not grown enough to have fruit, but I am hopeful.






Rosa banksia/Lady Bank's Rose, evergreen, many small white or yellow blossoms in the Spring, needs support
Evidently my picture of this isn't on my computer, so I will have to wait until next Spring to provide a picture.

Grape/Vitus vinifera, moderate to regular water, deciduous, common table grape, can be trained on a trellis or as a cover for an arbor, needs support

Wisteria/Wisteria ssp., moderate to regular water,  purple flowers in Spring
I do not know whether this particular Wisteria is a Chinese or a Japanese one, or something else.  I started it from a root cutting from a Wisteria at my parents' house, only to learn that most Wisterias are grafted.  However, it blooms true to the mother plant -- sprays of purple pompoms rather than the usual pea-shaped flowers.  I have not seen another Wisteria with the same flowers.

Whatz that? - Barstow groundcovers

What exactly are groundcovers?  In this posting, I am taking them to be plants that are small enough to walk on or to step across, plants that in general are wider than they are tall, or that expand and form low mounds that are less than 18" high.  I am excluding from this category those grasses that are commonly used for lawns.  I am also excluding low growing annuals and perennials that do not have time to expand and cover much ground, and such plants as low growing cacti.  This list includes those groundcovers that the New Sunset Western Garden Book identifies as appropriate for Sunset zone 11.  The pictures are of those growing in my yard.

Common Yarrow/Achillea millefolium, xeric, white flowers, green all year, bears light foot traffic

Aloe/Aloe sp., xeric, needs shelter in Barstow
I do not know which particular aloe this is, however I like it as it spreads rapidly into a groundcover.

Alyssum/Lobularia maritima formerly Alyssum maritima, xeric, white flowers most of the year
This is an annual, but it reseeds freely enough to cover the ground.
The purple variety quickly reverts to white.

Roman Camomile/Chamaemilium nobilis formerly Anthemis nobilis, moderate water, used for herbal tea
This plant is too scraggly and too short lived to make a good groundcover.  However it has the advantage of reseeding freely.

Ice Plant/Carpobrotus chilensis, xeric, marginal for Barstow

Dwarf Plumbago/Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, moderate water, small blue flowers in summer, partial shade

Rock Spray Cotoneaster/Cotoneaster horizontalis, xeric, not deciduous. small white flowers, red berries in winter
Can be trimmed to be nearly flat.
Unlike its cousin Pyracantha, Cotoneaster does not have thorns.

Ice Plant/Delospermum cooperi, purple flowers, xeric
Spreads to form a mat.

Dichondra/Dichondra micrantha, regular water, marginal in Barstow, looks better in partial shade, can take foot traffic

Winter Creeper/Euonyous fortunei, regular water, partial to full shade, white heart-shaped flowers with red berries
This plant is a vine which can be grown as a groundcover by trimming it back when it starts to climb a wall.
The branches take root and spread.  In a colder climate, the leaves turn red in the Fall, but not in my yard where it is in a sheltered location.

Rosemary/Rosmarinus officionalis is very xeric and reseeds.  Trailing varieties form mounding plants that can be trimmed to be nearly flat.

Yellow Creeping Jasmine/Jasminum nudiflorum, xeric, deciduous, flowers appear before leaves,
more a low sprawling shrub than a groundcover

Carpet Juniper/Juniperus horizontalis, evergreen, xeric
This particular plant has not been in the ground very long.  It would be larger than it is if I gave it more fertilizer.

Lantana/Lantana montevidensis, moderate water, bright colored clusters of flowers all summer, dies back in winter, berries are poisonous
Be sure to get the groundcover variety.

Blackfoot Daisy/Melampodium leucanthum, moderate water
I have this plant on a xeric drip system.  Maybe that is why it is more a straggly flowering plant than it is a groundcover.

Mexican Evening Primrose/Oenothera speciosa formerly Oenothera berlanderii, xeric, sun or partial shade, blooms all summer










Shamrock/Oxalis acetosella, regular water, partial to full shade, pink flowers,
Dies back after blooming, therefore I do not have a picture right now.  Shamrocks are related to the invasive week, Oxalis, but they are not invasive.

Purple Shamrock/Oxalis regnelli, regular water, partial to full shade, white flowers
Dies back after blooming.

Purslane/Portulaca oleracea, regular water, very small yellow flowers
I bought a large-leafed variety for my herb garden, but it didn't like it there.  It reseeded freely in the lawn and I have allowed it to grow because the stems and leaves are edible.  They add a lemony flavor to salads and cooked dishes.  It is considered invasive.

Rose/Rosa, groundcover varieties
These are more nearly sprawling shrubs than they are groundcovers.








 

Biting Sedum/Sedum sediforme, xeric

Reseeds freely, also spreads through rooting of stems.  The flowers are not attractive and when the flowers die, the dried flower stems have sharp edges.

Angelita Daisy/Tetraneuris acaulis formerly Hmenoxys acaulis, xeric, yellow flowers
Forms a slow growing grass-like mat

Verbena/Verbena, xeric, small purple flowers most of the year, reseeds freely