I haven't grown e.glaucus, but in looking both up to compare, it is mentioned that e. glaucus would take a little more water when grown outside of its coastal zone habitat and e. karvinskianus is said to "thrive in dry climates", so I'm assuming that which is more drought tolerant would depend on where you are growing it. Perhaps being equally drought tolerant at the coast, but karvinskianus perhaps more drought tolerant inland.

Another vote for GOPHERS! Constant vigilance. Have to watch like a hawk for the first mound and trap immediately. They ate all the roots of my poor tomatoes in one day when we were away. Squirrels during fruit season. Citrus leaf miners. Our monthly mow, blow and go guys who sometimes take it upon themselves to prune. Redwood trees that drink way too much water and don't let anything grow within 20 feet of them (but look too majestic to be cut down) Hard clay soil mixed with construction debris from generations of remodeling projects. Neighbors who let their pittosporum hedge get so tall that my yard is all in shade. And then cut it down to 3 feet with no notice on the hottest day of the year so half my yard fries by evening.

2) I will try to get a clearer picture of the leaf arrangement. 3) I'm still at work, so I didn't get a chance to get out there yet and check for spines on #3. It came from a pinch that James the curator let me take from the UT Trial Gardens... I'm sure that whatever it was, it was lovely at the time I got it, or it wouldn't have caught my eye. I hope it's not this invasive weed! 6) I will try to get a clearer picture of the leaf arrangement tonight. 8) I have Daisy Fleabane in other spots and it doesn't look like this so I guess I'll just grow it out and see what it is. 9) I have several of this one that I collected from the vacant lot. I will bring one to the swap so you can see it live and in person. I will feel the leaves of this one when I get home! It came from the vacant lot, too. This one sprung up on its own in one of my unamended beds... it might just be a weed but I wanted to find out. Can you tell the difference between Myosotis and Cynoglossum? I don't think either of my two specimens has seeds at this time. There's no basal leaves and I think it had a root. The stem is tough. I can get a better pic of this one now that it has recovered from being transplanted. I'm going to look at my Coreopsis tinctoria tonight to see if the basal leaves look like this. I think they do. I have several of these hairy things with the red petioles, so I will bring one with to the swap.

Oh my ... santa's garden elves have been very busy !! My mailbox was overflowing today when I got home from work ! Many thanks go to : GraanieB - sent confederate rose double pink hibiscus , coral nymph salvia, night blooming jasmine, triple yellow datura , burgundy giant celosia Naturegirl236 sent blue bedder sage salvia farinacea , summerlong basil , downy aster and pineapple sage Karendee sent a Seeds n Greetings (cute) card with french marigold seeds Pumkingal sent a really cute homemade card with sweet yellow and red pepper seeds, cherokee sunset rudbeckia ,columbine mix , purple coneflower , crazy daisy , blue moon lilliput aster , hollyhocks and joe pye weed and an ornament craft ! Daffodillady sent giant zinnia , candy cane zinnia, lilliput zinnia,snapdragons, gloriosa daisy, sweet williams, forget me nots, 2 packs of NOID tomato seeds, red gomphrena, sams club peppers, 4 o'clocks, ornamental cabbage , JL's yellow rose, formosa lily, sweet banana peppers, mixed ornamental peppers, sweet dumpling squash and mixed hardy hibiscus and I think it was Daffodillady who sent ( all these wonderful envies got a little mixed up with this last " packet " - " peppermintious delectus cuttings " YUM ... can y'all guess what it is ?? hee hee !! Thank you all so very much for your generosity , I love all the seeds and can hardly wait for spring to grow them, my garden is going to be so beautiful thanks to you ! I feel very blessed to be a part of GW , I wish I could give everyone good health and happiness this holiday season and in the New Year ! ~Iris