Why these drought-tolerant groundcovers are a good match for summer heat ...Middle East

Once the jacarandas are in bloom, as they have been for the last few weeks, it’s a sure sign that summer’s heat is on the way.

Watering is a concern now that 100-degree days are upon us, yet certain ground cover choices at least, once they cover the earth, protect against evaporation from the soil surface and may never need to be watered. I am always on the lookout for these special species, and it seems that they are more in evidence as time goes by, especially in parkway strips — those planters between sidewalk and street.

One of these is Tuttle’s Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa var. Nana Compacta Tuttlei). It grows up to three feet tall and spreads to five feet. In addition to hermetically sealing the ground so that no water is lost through evaporation, it yields an abundance of pinwheel, fragrant white flowers that bloom throughout the year, followed by an impressive red, spherical fruit which, although edible, is not especially sweet. (Note: hybridizers are currently working on sweetening the fruit of Natal plum.)

There is a parkway strip near my home where this ground-hugging Natal plum serves as the principal species, although it is regularly smothered, in places, by a vibrant ground cover known as fantasy Venice or pink Nanouk (Tradescantia Nanouk). Fantasy Venice — supposedly resembling the striped shirts of gondoliers — is remarkable for its pink, green, and white striping and rapid growth. In this planter, it is continually being cut back to keep it from overgrowing the Natal plum. Where variegated plants (those with multi-colored foliage) are concerned, pink Nanouk is an anomaly. In general, increased sun exposure leads to an increasingly pronounced display of foliage colors. With Fantasy Venice, however, the pink that gives this plant its special glow is diminished by too much sun. Partial or morning sun, as opposed to full sun or even afternoon sun, is more to its liking.

Smooth variegated agave (Agave desmettiana var. Variegata) serves as an accent plant in this parkway strip. Unlike most agaves, its foliage is without thorns. Its yellow-margined leaves are irresistible with their unusually wavy aspect. As for a flowering touch in this planter, rock purslane (Calandrinia grandiflora) has been chosen. This succulent from Chile is seen more often due to its plethora of magenta flowers along stems reaching three feet tall; it has a bare minimum water requirement.

If you wish to keep dogs and cats from trespassing on your property, consider planting a malodorous ground cover known as dog gone or scaredy cat. In its native South Africa, it is promoted for its ability not only to deter canine and feline creatures, but insect pests and snakes as well. Due to its leaf texture, it is also sometimes labeled Fuzzy Wuzzy. In any case, this is a ground cover that is nearly always in bloom with flowers that appear as small purple candles. Once established, it never needs to be watered.

Lantana is a well-known champion when it comes to waterless ground covers. To conserve water, it is best to plant the robust types that grow 4-6 feet tall — the one with yellow and orange blooms is most frequently seen — but can be kept at two feet through regular pruning. Although the trailing species (Lantana montevidensis), with purple and white-flowered varieties, is popularly used as a ground cover, it is far less robust than the upright varieties and will begin to decline in a few years, even when given regular water.

You might not think of bougainvillea as a drought-tolerant ground cover candidate, but it is. In Westwood the other day, I saw a mixture of bougainvillea varieties growing in a median strip near UCLA. It will need to be pruned a few times a year to keep it at a manageable height, but there will be no concern about irrigation since bougainvillea is a plant that may as well be a cactus when it comes to its water needs.

Greg Fitze, who gardens in Long Beach, emailed regarding a sidewalk planter of nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) that he seeded 35 years ago. Exposed to morning sun, the nasturtium grows back each year without the benefit of any water other than winter rain. If you ever laid eyes on an expanse of nasturtium, It’s easy to see why this plant never needs watering. It’s on account of its large leaves, which blanket the earth. Although its leaves are thin, flimsy, and far from succulent, their dense growth habit does not allow water to escape through them from the soil surface. Yes, water on any plant is lost though transpiration — the process by which water moves from soil into roots up through stems, into leaves, and out into the atmosphere — but this is of little significance in the case of nasturtium. Over the years, I have become familiar with several patches of nasturtium that reseeded from year to year, and none of them were ever irrigated. It should be noted, however, that all of them were exposed to no more than half a day of sun.

For a final example of a ground-hugging plant that grows without the benefit of irrigation, I will tell you the story of a cherry tomato plant. Last fall, in a crawl space access well at my house, I saw a tomato seedling sprout. Not paying it much attention, I decided to just wait and see what would happen, looking forward to what I thought might be a favorable outcome. Plants have an uncanny instinct in this regard; when a seed sprouts without the benefit of human assistance, it’s generally in a place suited to its cultural requirements. It’s almost like an animal choosing a spot to nest and give birth. It invariably chooses a place that offers it and its offspring safety and the proper conditions for growth. I waited patiently until this spring, not knowing what to expect. My crawl space access well is located in a narrow side yard with the wall of my house to the north and that of my neighbor’s to the south. Thus, the area receives good enough light as the sun moves over it from east to west, but no more than 4-6 hours of direct sun.

This tomato plant is now eight months old. It has grown out of the two-foot deep access well and sprawled to a length of ten feet with a width of three feet. The foliage is not only thick but also hairier than the foliage of most tomato plants. The layers of foliage together with their rough texture impart considerable drought tolerance to this plant which, until today, has never been watered. A couple hundred fruit have been harvested with many more to come.

California native of the week: Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) is one of the most brilliantly flowering native shrubs. Growing up to 10 feet tall and wide, it is dramatically covered each spring with golden yellow flowers. Native to the Mojave, Chiuhuahuan, and Sonoran Deserts, it does not require any water once established but will flower and put on new growth at any time following either rain or supplemental irrigation. This species gets its name from the creosote odor that it exudes, especially when wet. It has a curious growth habit. Although individual plants have a lifespan of 30-90 years, adventitious shoots grow up from roots. These develop into new plants, clones of the original, that form a ring around the spot where the original plant stood. Lucerne Valley is home to the oldest known clone of this kind and has been dubbed King Clone. It is 11,700 years old and measures 72 by 26 feet.

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