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| NATIVE CAMELLIA BLOOMING NOW IN SHADY, MOIST AREAS | |
| Published: August 02, 1997 | |
Gordonia hard to grow out of its natural settingQ:Six years ago I saw a gordonia tree in a local nursery, loved it and bought it. It bloomed the first summer and never again. After several years, I dug it up and gave it to a friend, hoping that she would have more success. In spite of her efforts, and although it appears healthy, it has never bloomed. Now Ive seen a gordonia blooming just off Hwy 182 on the way to Cade, and it makes me want to try again.A:According to Ellis Fletcher with USL, although Gordonia lasianthus, also known as Loblolly Bay and Native Camellia, is tricky to grow out of its natural swampy setting, it can be done. It thrives in constantly moist, to moist and well-drained, sites with light to filtered shade. If you can reproduce that setting, its glossy evergreen leaves and white, sweet-smelling summer blossoms will make it worth the effort.The local blooming tree can be seen near the intersection of Hwy 182 (old Hwy 90) and Duchamp Road, which is marked by the first blinking light after entering St. Martin Parish. Traveling from Lafayette to Cade, turn right at that intersection. Cross the railroad track and stop. The good-sized tree is directly behind the railroad crossing signal on your right, surrounded at the base by elderberry bushes. Gordonias are usually slender trees 20-30 feet tall, but they are sometimes grown as large shrubs. They are rare in their native habitat, and are more often seen as container-grown plants. Poor choice of fertilizer sets off container-plant massacreFrom Ann:If youve never seen a grown gardener cry, nows your chance. Im the grown gardener. Ive just killed a number of loved container plants through a wrong choice of fertilizer.When I went to purchase a new supply of Osmocote, the slow-release plant food, I followed an urge to experiment and to economize, selecting a cheaper slow-release product. As L.C. Cambre explained to me later, the 12-6-6 product that I chose is fine for in-ground plants; however, when recommending fertilizers for container plants, he feels safe in suggesting only liquid fertilizers such as Miracle Gro and Peters, etc., or slow-release Osmocote. With most other products there is a risk of burning. Hot weather, hot fertilizer and careless watering are a deadly combination. Which crepe myrtles have cinnamon-colored bark?Q:I drive on West Bayou Pkwy. every day and have noticed several plantings of crepe myrtles with copper/cinnamon-colored bark like the Japanese crepe myrtle in a recent column. They are simply beautiful. All have white flowers, so Im assuming they are the Natchez cultivar. Which other cultivars have colorful bark?A:Youre right. I counted four plantings of Natchez crepe myrtles, descendants of Lagerstroemia fauriei, on West Bayou Pkwy. Natchez has the most dramatic bark coloration but these other relatives have bark in various shades of dark to mottled brown (flower color in parentheses): Caddo (bright pink), Pecos (medium pink), Apalachee (pale lavender), Osage (light pink), Tuscarora (coral), Choctaw (bright pink), Biloxi (pale pink), Miami (coral), and Wichita (light magenta). Remember that they have been bred to be mildew-resistant as well as beautiful. |