Raising awareness of these plants is a statewide effort
No flowers on it at the moment, but the matting tendency of Vinca major is obvious. Kathy Morrison
California gardeners with any experience likely have planted something that they've lived to regret. The tree that throws up suckers, the flowers that reseed too fully, the shrub that grows into a sticky, smelly mess. But at least these are confined disasters, which could be (probably should be) "shovel pruned."
The really dangerous plants are ones so vigorous that they can spread from gardens into open landscapes, pushing out native plants and causing ecological damage.
The worst of these infamous species are on a Do Not Plant List. They include such disasters as pampas grass, water hyacinth and highway iceplant. These botanical thugs are receiving some extra attention during California Invasive Species Week, which runs through Sunday.
PlantRight.Org, the California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) and the California Native Plant Society have pushed hard to persuade nurseries to stop selling these plants to landscapers and home gardeners. Officially, 15 of them are "retired," each one a victory for the state's ecosystem, but that doesn't mean these plants aren't still out there: Scotch broom and blue gum eucalyptus, for example, are still evident around California -- and add to fire fuel loads, meaning they're dangerous near homes.
Check out the PlantRight current list as well as the retirees. The list includes alternatives to plant that resemble the thugs but are either native or much better behaved.
Meanwhile, I'm going to work harder to get rid of that periwinkle (Vinca major, not the cultivars), which some previous resident planted in my back garden. Such a pretty little plant, but really nasty when it gets near streams, apparently. Here's what PlantRight says:
"Because periwinkle grows rampant in many California backyards, new populations of this plant also commonly spread from locations where yard waste is dumped."
And this: eek! "Periwinkle is a fast-growing, competitive plant that forms dense mats of growth. These mats crowd out other plants and degrade animal habitat in infested areas. Riparian areas are especially susceptible to periwinkle, where the far-flung vines crowd out native vegetation. It is also a known host to the bacterium that causes Pierce's disease, which is a deadly disease to grapevines."
Oh, yeah, it's gotta go.
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Garden Checklist for week of April 21
This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.
* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.
* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.
* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.
* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.
* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.
* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.
* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.
* Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.
* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.
* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.
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