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California Gardening

Is there a drought tolerant alternative to knockout roses?

9 years ago

I know this is a weird question, but I have a long bed along my front walkway which goes along my garage wall. It's only 3.5' wide and 15' long, and we want to go with drought resistant mediterranean style plants. I love knockout roses (the flowers, the height, the width), but I think they might be too thirsty. So are there any other plants that are similar but a lot less thirsty? Thanks!!!

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Comments (11)

emmarene9
9 years ago
Cistus/Rockrose

Do some google image searches. It is very different to roses but a nice plant on its own. I had one I loved yet killed from over pruning it. :(
vp_78
Original Author
9 years ago
Yes! Rockrose! Emma you say you killed it from overpruning; can you somewhat limit the width? The space is only 42" from the garage wall to the concrete walkway and anything too intrusive would be, well, intrusive...
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KnockOut roses are a thought - colors are single red, blush (pink), rainbow (pinkish with a yellow eye), double red (with a slightly lighter eye), and a double pink should be out later this spring. They get to 2-3' with the same or a bit more width. I know you said not rugosas, but..., these are more shrub roses. If they don't appeal, there are other "ground cover" roses and small shrub roses that might work. If caryopteris is hardy for you, any of the various cultivars would be attractive - summer flowers in blue. One of the smaller, color variants of juniper might also be a thought. Hinoki falsecypres is hardy to z5, as are the japanes cedars. Junipers also have variations in shape that might work. They ARE slow growing, but one of the lower-growing (not the upright ones) yews might also work. What about one of the hardy azaleas - they may continue to need supplemental watering? The hardier spireas, and also, New Jersey tea, one of the lower-growing blueberries, or possibly clethra (it does like wet, but can survive in dry), are other possibilties.
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When new neighbors up the street moved into their new house a couple of years ago, a landscape designer installed a huge number of pink Knockouts. I estimate that our average temps are higher than yours by about 10 degrees. My neighbors' roses have been almost bloomless and virtually defoliated since early June. These new neighbors watered frequently during the first year, but don't seem to be watering at all this year. All their other plantings seem to be okay, but the pink Knockouts are really deplorable. OTOH, mass plantings of the original Knockouts at a local strip mall are doing fine -- in fact, thriving. If those roses are watered at all, the watering schedule must be really early or really late. . . . At any rate, I've never seen them being watered (or otherwise tended to).
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Comments (41)
I am positive that KnockOut Roses are genetically modified roses. William Radler is the man responsible for breeding, these Franken Roses. He must have taken genes from the noxious weed Rosa multiflora to create roses bushes, that people can just plant anywhere, ignore, and not spray so the mites can run wild. This is what pushed Rosette Virus from an obscure condition that has been around since 1941, to a dangerous plague threatening everyone’s roses. According to the link below, mass planting of KnockOut Roses which were planted close together to control uglier weeds. Moreover Knock Out Roses are super susceptible due to the Rosa Multiflora or other unknown genes that were added. I have a pet peeve against neighbors who try to save money on landscaping and fence building by planting ivy or bamboo. Ivy and Bamboo spill over into my yard. How do I know my neighbors have not planted KnockOut Roses. If I now fail to not spray twice a week, which is completely too much (maybe the sprays cause cancer,) I can worry that mites are wafting in the air towards my roses, all summer long. And this is if any of my roses survive to be planted outside or if I have to destroy and burn them all now before I can even get started to appreciate the hot weather in Ukiah’s summers. Clemson University Article on KnockOut Roses excerpt from the article list above The Knockout rose has become a staple in the landscape. When introduced to the market in 2000 it was named the All-American Rose Selection Winner. They were marketed as low-maintenance, drought tolerant, self-cleaning roses that were resistant to powdery mildew and black spot. It is no surprise that this new rose took the market by storm, with record-breaking sales for a new rose and becoming the most widely sold rose in North America. Since then, Knockout roses have been used in mass plantings in multiple landscapes. Having many plants of one variety planted close together makes it easy for insects and diseases to spread, and that is particularly true for this disease.”
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Comments (14)
on the buddleia-- i planted one a few weeks ago. it was very scraggly and in a 1-gallon container. i had plkanted it in one spot and then moved it within 2 weeks, uncertain whether it would take 2 transplants. but it looks better than it has all month. the spot it's in gets direct sun from about 8am-2pm right now, and soem dappled shade for another couple of hours. i didn't amend soil, but it is next to a fence, on the west side of the yard, and it's got leaves where it didn't have any before on the lower ends of the branches. the only other care i've given it is watr from the drip lines that are on that edge of the yard, and some deadheading to get those leaves going and filling out. good luck-- i love these bushes-- had a 12ft one in virginia that was covered with tiget swallowtails all of july! different climate, but a good memory :) shelbey
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emmarene9
9 years ago
Mine got to about three feet tall. Look for the short kind. I hope someone else will offer info about keeping it trimmed. Mine had never been trimmed prior to the assault I gave it. It was around fifteen years old.
There is a related plant, Helianthemum/Rockrose. It is a perennial instead of a shrub. I cannot recommend it because I have never grown it but it sounds good. Are you right on the coast or more inland?
vp_78
Original Author
9 years ago
We're about 7 miles inland, and are right on the edge of coastal/inland climate. Usually a little warmer and sunnier than the coast, but not true inland heat.
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
9 years ago
Some Aloes bloom almost all year round and require very little water and even less care. Aloe sinkatana, Aloe 'Cynthia Gitty', Aloe 'Crosby's Prolific' are some. And they attract and feed hummingbirds, so you have the added entertainment of hummingbirds in your yard. They also get colorful foliage at certain times of the year, so you have color in the foliage as well as in the flowers.
MrClint
9 years ago
I like Catharanthus roseus, sold locally as vinca. It's a showy plant that has a wide range of colors and is fairly drought tolerant. It grows as a perennial here and reseeds nicely. It does well in full sun or various degrees of shade. I like it in borders or in multi-plantings, such as with day-lilies:
gobluedjm 9/18 CA
9 years ago
That variety of Vinca is invasive and is on the "do not plant" list in socal.
MrClint
9 years ago
gobluedjm, I'm neither proud nor ashamed to say that I grow a number of plants that have been identified as invasive. This includes but is not limited to my lawn, grapevine, lantana, nasturtiums, star jasmine, lettuce, and the mango seed that I sprouted on a lark.

Here is a link that might be useful: WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
gobluedjm 9/18 CA
9 years ago
clint, you completely misinterpreted me. I was only making nika aware of something he/she may not know.

But I do prefer to use a CA site for identifying invasive plants since it is updated twice yearly not 2009 on your link.

Here is a link that might be useful: ca ipc
MrClint
9 years ago
gobluedjm, "do not plant" is pretty strong wording that I've never seen attributed to this plant, it deserved some follow up, clarification and context. cal-ipc.org doesn't list Catharanthus roseus as invasive, while other lists do.

It's reasonable to assume that easy, drought tolerant plants would make such a list. Things like fennel, radish, olive and sweet alyssum are also considered invasive. Invasive isn't the same as "do not plant".
calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
9 years ago
I am happy growing Cistus salviifolius or 'sageleaf rockrose' as a long blooming, drought tolerant, evergreen ground cover, to about 2 feet high. Al

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