Arboretum: a place where trees and plants are grown in order to be studied or seen by the public.
I’ve decided to start an occasional series on trees and plants on our property. Figuring out where to start has been a thoughtful experience. I had thought to start it on October 16 as that was the day in 2010 that Lucia and I started planting in earnest on the back one-third of our acre that we commonly refer to as “the back 40”, but as yesterday was also a special day, today became as good a day as any to write the first of my series.
Between the trees that were originally on Lucia’s property, the trees that she planted, and the trees that we’ve added over the last six or seven years there are (I think) 52 different (not total) trees and a hundred and something different types of shrubs and ground cover. More about that later, but I’m hoping that everyone will give me a pass on calling what we have an arboretum. You will all be welcome to see it when most of the trees are over 24” tall. As far as the studying part goes, Lucia has to make me come inside most evenings or else I’d probably spend the night outside.
Yesterday was the annual Plantfest Teaser put on by the LSU Hilltop Arboretum (my home away from home). Last year, Dan Gill was the featured speaker. This year the topic was Marion Drummond remembered. She passed away a little over a year ago. After the teaser discussion is over, participants are allowed to walk around the grounds of Hilltop and see what plants will be on sale the following weekend. My list is pretty extensive as usual and Lucia says that we are going to be there before the gates open next Saturday morning.
I met Marion Drummond at the Fall plant sale two years ago. She asked me if I needed help and when I told her that I had room for a lot of plants she was very obliging. Of the 28 or so trees and shrubs that I bought that day the one that I remember her heaping the most praise on was the Almond Verbena (Aloysia virgata... Dan Gill suggests that you always know that you always know the latin name as it tells you a lot about a plant). “The smell is unbelievable, you have to put it in a very prominent spot,” she said. So we did, right behind Meagan’s old room in the back yard.
It didn’t really do much for some time and Lucia, who is one for immediate gratification, wanted it gone. Oftentimes I pay her no mind when she says she wants a plant gone (and I will have other stories about that), but after a while I gave up on this fight and dug it up. I moved it to the back 40 and gave it little chance for survival. It proved me wrong in a big way. It really came alive and was truly amazing last year, the smell being quite incredible. I’ll go ahead and give Lucia credit for making me move it as it may never have been good where it was.
As most of you in Louisiana and really most of the country, last winter was exceptionally brutal. I went to great lengths to protect many of my plants with little success. I covered this plant with an oven box filled with leaves and yet by the end of the winter there was only a bit of green still on it close to the ground. It has not come back as big as it was, but we planted three more of them in close proximity to it. Standing 20 feet from them last evening and 40 feet from them this evening the delicious smell was very evident. I told Marion’s daughter today that we had named that original almond verbena in honor of her mom.
It is attractive to birds, bees, butterflies, and human being olfactory senses so if you live in zones 8a through 11 you should definitely get one. To you folks up north...too bad. Mine stands only 18” tall or so, but was 36” tall last year. They can get up to 8’ tall. It is drought tolerant and should be planted in the full sun.
