Silver Leaf Nursery

Plant Of The Week: Cestrum elegans

Cestrum elegans is an ornamental species in the same genus as the Night Blooming Jasmine. The flowers are beautiful tresses of pink tubular blossoms closely followed by rich red berries. Cestrum elegans is hardy into the mid 20's. The shrubs are more compact than the Night Blooming Jasmine and only grow to 6-8 feet. Plant Cestrum elegans smithii to attract hummingbirds to your garden.  It seems like Cestrum elegans smithii is almost always in bloom in a frost free garden. But the biggest blooming time is in the spring. We have three varieties: 'Dark Red'-darker pink, 'Smithii'-lighter pink, and the hybrid 'Newelii'-darkest pink flowers with darker green leaves.

Plant Of The Week: Arbutus 'Marina'

Arbutus 'Marina' is a large tree, growing to 50 ft. tall with a broad dense crown. The upright branches are covered with a smooth mahogony colored bark which exfoliates in late summer to expose the next years bark, which at this stage.is a cinnamon color. The dark green leathery leaves of Arbutus 'Marina' are 4-5 inches long with the flushes of bronze colored new growth from spring through summer which adds interest and lightens the look of the tree. The pendulous clusters of urn-shaped white blushed pink flowers are produced year-round along the coast with peaks in spring and fall. The fruit that follows also appears heaviest in spring and fall in such a manner that the younger yellow fruit are visible while mature red fruit is still on the tree. This adds further to the decorative qualities of this tree as it almost appears as though the tree has Christmas decorations upon it. The fruit is also edible with a flavor likened to a mixture of kiwi fruit and strawberry but as with the fruit of the common strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo, the texture is gritty.

Plant Of The Week: Cordyline australis ‘Pink Stripe’

If you are looking for that tropical feel and either live near the ocean or in a location that gets down well below freezing this is the plant for your garden! This Cordyline has dense clusters of sword-like leaves with grey/green leaves and pinkish midrib that arch up then downward. If planted in the ground will become a small tree reaching 10-20 feet tall. It is also drought tolerant so it also can be used in dry gardens! If you live in hotter areas, plant it where it will get a little bit of shade during the hottest part of the day.

 

Plant Of The Week: Muhlenbergia dumosa

An interesting grass from southern Arizona and northern Mexico that looks like a dainty bamboo with its 4-6 feet tall light airy bright green foliage.This grass has fern-like leaves and a lacy texture giving it the Bamboo look. In late fall and into winter the foliage tips are decorated with masses of small flowers that give the plant a pale pinkish-green cast. The growth habit is upward to slightly arching. Although rhizomatous, it spreads slowly, is easily controlled and does not seed well. Plant in full sun and water occasionally. Drought resistant.

Plant Of The Week: Agonis flexousa 'After Dark'

Agonis flexuosa 'After Dark' has color and grace. 'After Dark' is a large shrub or small tree from Australia, 18 feet tall by 10-15 feet wide with a weeping habit and gorgeous dark burgundy leaves. It is evergreen (or ever dark red) with a willowy appearance, soft and graceful, reaching to about 15 feet tall. Frost hardiness, although not well documented, seems to be similar to the species with some tip damage possible below 28° F and stem damage at temperatures between 20-25° F. Plant as a billowy screen or small, shapely, focal point. 'After Dark' is an ideal alternative to a Japanese Maple for a warm sunny area.

Plant Of The Week: Ceratostigma griffithii

Ceratostigma is known for its intense blue phlox-like flowers in late summer to fall. To add an extra splash, the leaves turn a crimson red in the fall that contrast beautifully with the blue flowers. The species C. griffithii (Burmese Plumbago) gets 2 ½ - 3 ft. high and wide and is similar to C. willmottianum (of which we also carry at Silver Leaf Nursery) in general appearance but is evergreen and has rounder leaves and slightly more compact growth. Looks great planted with Coleonema pulchrum ‘Sunset Gold’, Westringea fruticosa ‘Smokey’ or Westringea fruticosa ‘Morning Light’, and Berberis thunbergii 'Rose Glow'.

Plant Sale A Success!!

Our plant sale was a great success! Thank you to all of you who came and supported us. We will continue to strive to provide plants that fit your needs and cause your neighbors to say Oooohhh! and Ahhhhh!

We really appreciate your business! I will be posting any future open hours soon so stay in touch!

Plant Of The Week: Melianthus major

Melianthus major (also called Honey Bush) is another unique looking shrub largely due to its large light bluish-green, smooth leaves that carry a deeply divided and ruffled edge. It can reach 6-12 feet tall and wide. Leaf growth begins in winter and by spring long rusty red/maroon spikes of flowers appear from the top of the stems. Many birds are attracted to the dripping flower nectar, hence the name Honey Bush! Can be cut hard to the ground and covered with mulch if temperatures reach below the 30’s and will rejuvenate in spring. Can take occasional to regular water and is hardy to about 15 degrees.

Nursery Plant Descriptions

This is a list of descriptions of plants we have currently at the nursery or have carried in the past and may carry again in the future. It is in Excel format.  Download plant_descriptions.xls

We will be posting plant pictures as soon as we are able. Meanwhile we suggest reading these descriptions and searching the pictures of the plants on Google Image. We also have the Plant Of The Week Catagory that you can check out on this blog.

Here is a picture of the work we put into starting our nursery in March of 2007....

Plant Of The Week: Xylosma congestum

This is a useful and versatile plant that can be sheared as a hedge, trained as a single or multi-trunked tree or espaliered on a wall or fence. Its leaves are an attractive glossy yellowish green color with an ovate shape with pointed tips (flowers are insignificant). New growth is a bronze or reddish color.  If left to sprawl can grow 8-10ft. high and wide. Trained as a tree it can grow to 20 feet. Frost hardy to 10 degrees and drought tolerant.