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Question:
What is xylosma and is it a recommended plant for South central Texas?
Answer:
After looking on the recommended plants for Southcentral Texas, I find that xylosma IS listed. This is from Sunset New Western Garden Book. Hardiness zones listed are not USDA but their own west coast zones."XYLOSMA congestum (X. senticosum). Evergreen or deciduous shrub or small tree. Zones 8-24. Usually loose, graceful, spreading shrub 8-10 feet tall and as wide or wider. Height is easily controlled. Leaves are shiny, yellowish green, long-pointed oval in shape, clean and
attractive. New growth bronzy. Flowers insignificant, rarely seen. Some plants are spiny. Left alone, plants develop angular main stem that takes its time zigzagging upward. Meanwhile side branches grow long and graceful, arching or drooping, sometimes lying on the ground.Easily trained as espalier. If shrub is staked and side growth pruned, can be made into 15-30 feet spreading tree. Variety 'Compacta' grows more slowly, reaches half the size of species. Adaptable to most soils; heat tolerant; Xylosma congestum established plants survive with little water but look better with adequate water, moderate feeding. Best growth in full sun or filtered shade. Spray as necessary to control occasional scale or red spider mites. Apply iron chelates or iron sulfate for chlorosis. One of the handsomest, easiest, and mostversatile of theall-foliage, landscape structure plants. Unattractive appearance in nursery cans (especially in winter, when plants may be nearly bare of leaves) and slow start in ground may discourage the gardener. Plants actually are hardy to 10 degrees F., but may lose many (or all) leaves in sharpfrosts. Plant normally sheds many old leaves in April when new growth begins. Frost at that time will kill new growth. Well-established plants usually evergreen except in coldest seasons, and new leaves come fast. Use as single or multitrunked tree, arching shrub, ground or bank cover(prune out erect growth), espalier on wall or fence, clipped or uncapped hedge (twine long branches together to fill in gaps faster), container shrub in large (18 in. or more) container."
Image at:
www.csdl.tamu.edu...
See these archive sites:
extension-horticulture.tamu.edu...
A plant that you might consider to provide your sight and soundbarrier is xylosma. University of Arizona web site discusses xylosma.
ag.arizona.edu Xylosma congestum
Evergreen -- hardy; sun, part shade; dry, drought resistant once established; fast to medium growing; Can be trained into a tree, grows to 8 feet in 5 years; grows to 20 feet high x 20 feet wide; good by patios and pools; trim to hedge, plant anytime (best in spring) from containers. Inconspicuous spring flower (green); diseases include: iron chlorosis in heavy or alkaline soils, Texas root rot, spider mites, and scale. Foliage is glossy bright green; bark is gray; the plant must have well drained soil. It is a large foundation or patio plant used for wide screening outdoors. It requires medium maintenance; clip any time;takes pruning; spray for mites and scale; treat for iron chlorosis with iron; water deeply; and infrequently feed. Medium to large patio shrub used for all screening plants. Espalier, woodsy.
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