Sunday, February 9, 2014

My Favorite Plant This Week...

It's been quiet in the garden the last few weeks - between work travel and an impromptu vacation, I've barely seen the garden in the light. But this weekend, with the nice weather, I was able to look around and find my favorite plant right now: Senna nemophila, desert cassia, in full spring bloom:
it has small yellow flowers in late winter/early spring
 Described in Sunset Gardening as: "To 3-5 feet tall and wide, with attractive, light, airy structure. Zones 12-24" . I can definitely attest to the fact that our Zone 11 winters are just a touch too cold - every year there has been some significant frost damage. But cassia loves the heat, and grows back over the summer. The only bad part is that because it blooms in late winter/early spring, sometimes the frost damage takes out the flowers. Not this year though! And we got "cold" (for Zone 11!) too - 17 to 19 deg F has been the low so far.
I like the contrast between cassia nemophilia and the Optunia next to it:
 
fine leaves and large leaves
Some of the frost damage is visible in the above picture. I keep having to remind myself that it's too early to cut it back yet - we can get frosts until March/April. But I'm glad the cassia is there to brighten the winter!

See Loree's favorite plant, and everyone else's also, at Danger Garden

2 comments:

  1. I love that last photo, a great reminder to mix textures, leaf sizes and colors in the garden. Do the flowers have a fragrance?

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    1. I haven't ever noticed a fragrance, to be honest, so I don't think they do. But then again, I sometimes can't smell my roses either, so maybe I'm the wrong person to ask! Thank you for your comment!

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