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Looking for plant ideas

12 years ago

We're in the process of digging out the permanent horseshoe pits the former owner of our property put in. This is going to leave me with a pair of gaping holes to fill in. And I've decided that I want to put some sort of bush into at least one of the holes.

I'd really like a flowering native bush. One that the bees and/or butterflies, and/or hummingbirds (we only get Ruby Throats) will go for.

It needs to either be slow growing, or stay under 10ft.

It needs to be good down to zone 5, and with the winter temps from last winter fresh on my brain I'd really like something that's good down to zone 4.

It must be tolerant of wet soil. I can put in a slight raised bed there for it, but I don't want a huge one, and that area is very wet, like, water less than 10inches down wet.

Preferably *not* one with violent spreading by suckers tendencies. We have a Trumpet Vine elsewhere on the property and keeping the suckers mowed down is a constant chore.

I do not want a Willow relative.

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Comments (13)

Iris GW
12 years ago
Approximately what city/state are you near?
ruthcatrin
Original Author
12 years ago
Bit outside of Syracuse NY.
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Well this is just a suggestion... The tall green things next to the garage are "Sky Pencil Holly" (http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=47020&PrevMainPage=advsearchresults&scChannel=Shrubs%20and%20Trees%20AS&SearchText=p16.v227;p10.v63&OfferCode=TH1) The pink and yellow things are roses - various kinds but choose with fragrance in mind. And pick ones that are hardy rather than fussy if possible. The blue stuff in front of that is salvia of some kind. There are various ones...most likely something that will like your climate. And around the outer edge, mixed daylilies...cause they are so easy and neat and colorful. The tree is a redbud. The one I sketched there would be a regular old native and there's nothing wrong with that. But I have two that I put in recently that are the "Forest Pansy" variety and I am so pleased with them so far. Give that a thought. (http://treegrowersdiary.com/forestpansyredbud.html) I just had a thought...the redbud might cast too much shade for the roses in your climate (it would be fine here because we have to avoid really FULL sun on just about everything). If that is the case you can surely find some fragrant plants that will take part shade to go in that area, possibly locating the roses along the far side of your patio.
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I have seen tall cape honey suckle (orange flowers) bushes against north wall, they look nice, do well in the kind of sun conditions you mentioned. Since your bed is 4 foot wide you can plant smaller flower bushes in front side. You might be better off filling the bed to 2-3 brick height or you can get flower bushes that grow tall and plant them at ground level inside bed.
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A long term solution would be some evergreen trees, ie pine, spruce, etc. The holly would be great, if that variety is hardy in your zone. The fence is certainly the quickest and most reliable solution. If you can afford it, I'd vote for the fence as close to the property line as possible, and plant evergreens staggered throughout the entire line of sight between you and them. The fence wouldn't even need to enclose anything. It could just be a 20 or 30 foot wide structure built as tall as you can afford. Of course, it would need to be strong to withstand winds if it were too tall. If you are really desperate for immediate, inexpensive coverage, you could tie some big tarps between some trees, again as close to the property line as possible. I don't know if there are camouflage tarps, but the brown ones wouldn't be too obvious in all the trees. Good luck. Martha
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junco East Georgia zone 8a
12 years ago
How about one of the viburnums? I believe they will fruit better if you have more than one cultivar of the same species--check into that to make sure you get the flowers and fruit you want. Mike Dirr recommends Viburnum cassinoides, otherwise known as Witherod vib, Swamp vib, Swamp Blackhaw, etc. Hardy in zones 3 to 8.
ruthcatrin
Original Author
12 years ago
Hm, that one hadn't come up in my looking around, I'll have to look at it closer!
lycopus
12 years ago
A good one for moist to wet soil in full sun is buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). Early azalea (Rhododendron prinophyllum) also occurs in your area, is slow growing, and can tolerate wet soil. Might take some searching to find a good specimen for sale though.
dbarron
12 years ago
Clethra alnifolia (Ruby Spires is my preferred)...hummingbirds and powerful fragrance...it's a wetland species.

Though all those above are good suggestions as well.
ruthcatrin
Original Author
12 years ago
I'd thought of azalea's, but you're right, finding a good one local has been difficult. I think buttonbush came up in my search, but I'll have to look at it closer. Ruby Spires doesn't ring a bell though, so I'll have to look! Thanks guys!
ruthcatrin
Original Author
12 years ago
Oh! Thats a Summersweet/spice bush! I keep going back to those but I've NO LUCK finding them local.
dbarron
12 years ago
I would have said see Seneca Hills in Oswego, but they closed :(
I can't believe that it's not locally stocked...most of the towns here are smaller than yours and I can find locally.
You can also mail order it...I can tell you a couple of places if you need.
ruthcatrin
Original Author
12 years ago
I'll admit that I haven't actually ASKED for it, and that may be the key, but I've been wandering the rows at several of the nurserys local to me with no luck. I'm closer to Utica though than Oswego if it makes a difference. But I think I'm going to start calling around and asking, maybe someone has one stashed in a corner.....

But if you know of some good places to order from please suggest!
krnuttle
12 years ago
You said where you live but you did not say if it is a rural area or urban. We live in a rural area in eastern North Carolina. One of the big things we must consider is deer resistance. My daughter has had deer eating the bushes that area under the windows on her house. We have had them between the rose bushes and the porch.

I wish I could say that there is one plant they will not eat but we have not found on that is completely resistant

Because we can not find a plant that is completely resistant we have decided to plant more than they can eat.
ruthcatrin
Original Author
12 years ago
Deer can be an issue here. They ate my habenero plants last summer.....

This is right up by the house though, where they are less of an issue.
Plant4wildlife
12 years ago
What about Cornus sericea, either red or yellow stemmed?

Viburnum trilobum could be an option also. Either of these could handle the wet soil and also provide fruit for the birds in fall/winter.

I liked the suggestion for buttonbush, too.

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