Valentine shrub for Valentine's Day
Ever optimistic about trying a cool new plant, even after the drubbing my garden recently received from Old Man Winter, I planted this Valentine shrub (Eremophila maculata ‘Valentine’) in one of my stock tanks this morning. This mounding desert plant is evergreen, hardy to 15 F, and winter-blooming, and I’m pleased to see it flowering on its namesake holiday.
I first heard about Valentine shrub from Noelle, an Arizona gardener and designer who blogs at Ramblings from a Desert Garden; click for her lovely pictures and description of Valentine shrub.
Now I realize that Austin’s climate is not nearly as xeric as Arizona’s, but I planted my Valentine shrub next to an agave and yucca in a sharp-draining container against a heat-baked wall in as close to full sun as I’ve got. Plus I’m willing to kill anything at least once and often the stipulated three times “in order to really know a plant.” Update: It died just a few months after this post. I can’t recommend this desert plant for our wetter, hot and humid climate.
I hope Cupid aims his bow at you today and shows you another plant to fall in love with. It’s all part of the fun of gardening. Happy Valentine’s Day!
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Good luck on that new addition! A zone-pushing designer friend in El Paso said her several Valentine shrub plants (your species and another) made it through 2 nights near 0F, including one day with a “high” temp of 14F. She says it went deciduous, but the stems are alive…
Good to know! —Pam
A winter bloomer and hardy to 15 degrees…sounds like a winner. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Let’s just hope our summer humidity doesn’t do it in. I’ll be sure to report on it from time to time. —Pam
Where did you get the Valentine Shrub?
I found it at Barton Springs Nursery, back before the freezing weather hit. They had at least three others at that time. —Pam
I’ve been eyeballing this plant over at Noelle’s too. Beautiful.
I feel a trip to Austin coming on so I can visit BSN! Maybe they’ll have this and some Clematis armandii, too. Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’ve never heard of this plant – I hope it does well for you! Happy Valentine’s Day!
I love these tough, shrubby types to play against smooth-leaved xerics like agaves. Australia exports some great plants!
Pam, that’s gorgeous! Which nursery did you find it at?
Barton Springs Nursery, before the cold snap. —Pam
Hello Pam,
I do hope you love your Valentine as much as I do mine 🙂
It survived our 20 degree temps and is one of the few things blooming in my garden.
What a beautiful plant, and it seems you have given it just what it needs to thrive. This weather has been a problem all over the country.
I’m with you with the “kill it 3 times” rule, though I’m never sure how much to vary the location / drainage / water regimen. But then, that’s part of the fun. Hope you get to know Valentine without having to kill her.
Most Eremopilas won’t mind low temps, but the humidity of your summer might be its undoing! They’re commonly known here as Emu Bush, apparently because it was thought that the seeds had to pass through (ahem) an emu in order to germinate! Here is a little information on the family’s habits:
http://anpsa.org.au/APOL22/jun01-2.html
Thanks for the info, Chookie. I hope it can take our summer humidity. It’s such a pretty plant. Loving those cool Australian plants! —Pam