Do not plant this! (New Zealand, mulch, new, remove)

[kiwimac]

I'm kind of partial to the New Zealand Flax but then I am a little biased. One of the Maori terms for this plant is pā harakeke which can also mean 'generations' as in generations of a family.

[si33]

Thought id share some other great accent-type plants worth looking into


Orange sedge

'Goldfinger' Libertia This one is still on the small side.

'Siskiyou' Blue fescue..one of the toughest and finest "blue" grasses ive worked with next to Blue Lyme grass..except that it has much softer textured foliage..and stays alot shorter..lol

[macmeal]

Originally Posted by kiwimac

I'm kind of partial to the New Zealand Flax but then I am a little biased. One of the Maori terms for this plant is pā harakeke which can also mean 'generations' as in generations of a family.

One of my VERY favorite plants in the world is from your neighborhood, the Cordyline Australis. Not sure what you call it there in NZ (Here, we usually call it the 'Dracaena Palm'). It's VERY popular on the mild West Coast of the US. There were many in my childhood neighborhood in coastal Oregon, AND in my 'ancestral homeland' around San Francisco.

Kids just LOVE them for their 'silly' look, and we kids always called them the "Dr. Seuss Tree" for their resemblance to the fanciful cartoon-world of Suess's children's books. They LOOK like the plants in the books, and even like some of the "characters".

I have a nice one by my front porch, about a 15-footer w/ 5 or 6 'heads' (looking at it as I write). Would LOVE to see these things in the wild in their native New Zealand.

[macmeal]

Originally Posted by si33

As for the Agaves..interesting,..i wasn't aware that the sap or pulp had any sort of irritating quality to it either..have to look into this one..But, i agree that the big ones can get too big to deal with without a back hoe..I like the smaller ones..which can also seek revenge on the unsuspecting pair of hands or jeans,.. but are alot easier to manage..unlike the ones near my grandparents house which still block a the view of a really busy street known for some really bad wrecks even though they were trimmed this past fall..i wish i could tear them out..for everyones sake..

Those "big" Agaves are interesting. The plain "blue" one is the 'standard' around here....and I SUPPOSE you could call it 'invasive'..it can eventually choke a whole creek bed if allowed to

There's a SECOND kind I like, as well...I have a few; they don't get quite as big...maximum seems to be about 4' diameter. These are very neat looking 'two tone' Agaves...each 'spear' is the standard blue-green, but the two edges of each spear have a very neat, very distinct yellow border...maybe 10% of the width. So it's a blue-green agave with yellow 'racing stripes'.

The THIRD kind I do not have (so naturally, that's the one I 'covet') It's an exact 'mirror image' of the above one. THIS Agave has YELLOW spears with a neat, blue-green 'edge stripe'...the two when seen together provide a striking contrast..one blue-yellow, the other yellow-blue.

These LAST ones are rare around here. I've sen them in parks; Knott's Berry Farm has many...they're around. Someday I may get one..(EVEN if I have to go to the extreme of 'buying' it !!).

ALL these big agaves make a "grand departure" at the end of their life (at about age 18-25) In those last few months, they put up a HUGE center stalk...grows practically so fast you can SEE it....gets up to 12 or 14 feet high..puts out top branches with BLINDING white flowers..then the plant rapidly dies. Time to hire a backhoe. (I have a few dead ones on my hill I'm simply leaving alone...cut off what I can, but there's no way I could ever remove them).

[pitt_transplant]

Are these good for if you have a crazy dogs that attacks bushes? I am making my little dream house garden book and I like the explosion look of plants...We are getting a dog and well...dogs and gardens...lol...I just wondered if it would be ok to let the dog attack it and play with it. I don't want to not let the dog in on some backyard fun with an overly fussy garden.

[macmeal]

Originally Posted by pitt_transplant

Are these good for if you have a crazy dogs that attacks bushes? I am making my little dream house garden book and I like the explosion look of plants...We are getting a dog and well...dogs and gardens...lol...I just wondered if it would be ok to let the dog attack it and play with it. I don't want to not let the dog in on some backyard fun with an overly fussy garden.

NONE of the large plants we've been discussing (NZ flax, agaves, etc) would be able to be damaged by any "reasonable dog" once they're established in the ground. If you LIKE, you can plant the young ones in chicken wire cages. Once they outgrow these, no dog is going to be tempted to 'attack' them...these aren't 'inviting' plants.

[pitt_transplant]

Are these the ones that feel like "cutweed" That really sharp grass that felt like it was giving you papercuts.

[kiwimac]

Originally Posted by macmeal

One of my VERY favorite plants in the world is from your neighborhood, the Cordyline Australis. Not sure what you call it there in NZ (Here, we usually call it the 'Dracaena Palm'). It's VERY popular on the mild West Coast of the US. There were many in my childhood neighborhood in coastal Oregon, AND in my 'ancestral homeland' around San Francisco.

Kids just LOVE them for their 'silly' look, and we kids always called them the "Dr. Seuss Tree" for their resemblance to the fanciful cartoon-world of Suess's children's books. They LOOK like the plants in the books, and even like some of the "characters".

I have a nice one by my front porch, about a 15-footer w/ 5 or 6 'heads' (looking at it as I write). Would LOVE to see these things in the wild in their native New Zealand.

This is what you are talking about

In NZ it is called the 'Cabbage Tree' or in Māori as 'tī kōuka'. The tree was used as a source of food, particularly in the South Island, where it was cultivated in areas where other crops would not grow. It provided durable fibre for textiles, anchor ropes, fishing lines, baskets, waterproof rain capes and cloaks, and sandals. Hardy and fast growing, C. australis is widely planted in New Zealand gardens, parks and streets, and numerous cultivars are available. The tree can also be found in large numbers in island restoration projects such as Tiritiri Matangi Island, where it was among the first seedling trees to be planted.

[kinkytoes]

I wouldn't plant it, but I think it looks nice. *runs*

[Randolf Kendall]

New Zealand flax mutating and growing in its native habitat of bizarre "Shaving Brush"◩ palms, even as its hive-mind prepares for world domination...⇩



◩ rhopalostylis sapida