TOW - Fabulous Foliage

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Thu, 03 Jun 2004 21:29:00 PDT
Dear All,

This topic of Mark's from last week is such a good one. I am hoping that he 
will get around to Part 2 one of these days since Part 1 was so 
interesting. The others who responded had some really good suggestions too.

Even though they have been already mentioned I'd like to put my plug in for 
Cyclamen and Veltheimia as those two genera are great regardless of the 
flowers. I also agree that there are a number of Oxalis that I'd grow just 
for the leaves alone. The flowers are a bonus.

How about Veratrum leaves (before the snails get them) and many 
Erythroniums. My Drimiopsis maculata leaves are much more interesting than 
the flowers and many of the Ledbouria leaves are very attractive too. 
Another South Africa genus that has many species with interesting leaves, 
sometimes wonderfully spotted and striped and sometimes lush is Lachenalia.

One of the best for truly wonderfully weird and amazing is Gethyllis. At 
the IBSA meeting last  August with the table full of flowering plants many 
of us lingered over the Gethyllis plants which weren't even blooming 
admiring the leaves.

Another California native besides Erythronium that has nice leaves is 
Asarum caudatum. Someone already mentioned Asarum and I think it qualifies. 
The flowers in this species are probably more strange than attractive, but 
the leaves are nice and shiny.

Mary Sue
Mary Sue Ittner
California's North Coast
Wet mild winters with occasional frost
Dry mild summers


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