Dry soil

• What is dry soil?– Anoka County Sand Plain– Spaces between grains of sand are

large– Water leaches easily, soil dries out

fast– Low ability to hang on to nutrients

• Gardening in dry/shaded areas– Amending with 3-6” organic material– Apply 3” of mulch to keep soil moist– Fertilize more often– Space plants farther apart – Stake tall plants as they will grow

toward the light– Do not put additional soil over tree

roots

• Alkaline Soil• Annuals 3 Feet or More• Annual Vines That Grow Quickly• Boulevard Gardens: Perennials• Boulevard Gardens: Small Trees• Broadleaf Evergreens for Zone 4• Clay Soil• Cold Tolerant Annuals• Compacted Sites: Trees• Crevice Plants• Deer Resistant Plants• Dry Soil: Annual Foliage Plants• Dry Soil: Shade or Under Trees• Dry Soil: Trees• Fragrant Annuals and Perennials• Fragrant Shrubs• Indoor Low Light• Knot Gardens• Lakeshore Native Plants• Long-Blooming Perennials• Rain Garden Plants• River Banks and Canoe Public Access Areas• Self-Seeding Perennials• Septic Mound Plants• Shade: Shrubs• Shade: Small Trees• Shade: Tall Perennials• Steep Slopes• Trees that Produce Minimal Litter• Under a Black Walnut Tree

PresentationWritten by:

Cathy LeVahnAnoka County Master Gardener

Minnesota Tree Care Advisor

Compiled by Terry Engels and Mary ZeugStearns County Master Gardeners

Dry Soil:Annual Foliage Plants

• Foliage plants are invaluable for obtaining an attractive colorful look.

• In a container, foliage can reinforce a color theme or blend the disparate elements of various bloomers.

• In the ground, annual foliage can carry a summer display through the quiet times between perennial flowering periods.

• Plants listed may be perennials in other zones, but are used as annuals in our northern gardens.

• A word about establishment: Initial care must be taken to establish the plantings for the first two weeks, whether from seed or bedding plants.

• They require only light watering however; DO NOT overwater or plants will be floppy and disease-prone.

• Unless indicated these prefer full sun and average soil conditions of fertility, drainage, and pH.

Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus)

• Height: 2-4’• Colorful foliage• Trailing rope or chenille-like flowers• A. tricolor has brightly colored foliage

Seedrack.com

Dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’, ‘Emerald Falls’)

• Height: 1-4’• Trailing with small round grey leaves• Tolerates part sun

Swallowtail Gardens

Variegated pigeonberry (Duranta erecta ‘Golden Edge’)

• Height: 24”• Crisp variegated green and cream foliage• Tolerates part sun and dry shade

Taunton Press

Snow in summer, variegated annual spurge (Euphorbia marginata ‘Kilimanjaro’)

• Green leaves, edged with cream• Native to poor soil• Do not fertilize• Needs good drainage• Self seeds

Mobot.org

Variegated or blue Marguerite (Felicia amelloides ‘Variegata’)

• Height: 12-18”• Small blue daisy-like flowers• Variegated foliage• Bushy shape

Trio Nursery

Variegated lantana ‘Samantha’ (Lantana camara ‘Samantha’)

• Height: 12-18”• Clusters of golden yellow flowers• Chartreuse and yellow foliage• Extremely drought tolerant

www.bustaniplantfarm.com

Fancy-leaved geraniums (Pelargonium ‘Crystal Palace Gem’ ‘Blazonry’ ‘Golden Ears’)

• Height: 12-18”• Showy, colored leaves• Prefer lean, dry soils• Can tolerate part-shade• Grow from cuttings

Taunton Press‘Palace Gem’ ‘Golden Ears’

‘Crystal Palace Gem’

Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’)

• Height: 2-4’• Excellent in containers• Purple foliage and seed heads• Good for xeriscaping• Sets no seed• Dies with frost

Plant Safari

Dusty Miller (Senecio ‘Silver Dust’)• Height: 8-10”• Lacy silver colored mounding cultivar with a spread of

12” or more• Prefers full sun

www.hardyplants.com

Purple heart/Purple Spiderwort (Setcresia purpurea or Tradescantia pallida)

• Height: 8-12”• A rugged plant that has no serious pest or disease

issues• Full sun

www.plantsmanlandscape.net/

Variegated nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus variegata ‘Alaska’ ‘Jewel of Africa’)

• Height: 12”• Grown cascading in containers, up a trellis, or as a

groundcover• Prefers dry, less fertile sites

Plantcare.com

‘Alaska’

‘Jewel of Africa’

• Alkaline Soil• Annuals 3 Feet or More• Annual Vines That Grow Quickly• Boulevard Gardens: Perennials• Boulevard Gardens: Small Trees• Broadleaf Evergreens for Zone 4• Clay Soil• Cold Tolerant Annuals• Compacted Sites: Trees• Crevice Plants• Deer Resistant Plants• Dry Soil: Annual Foliage Plants• Dry Soil: Shade or Under Trees• Dry Soil: Trees• Fragrant Annuals and Perennials• Fragrant Shrubs• Indoor Low Light• Knot Gardens• Lakeshore Native Plants• Long-Blooming Perennials• Rain Garden Plants• River Banks and Canoe Public Access Areas• Self-Seeding Perennials• Septic Mound Plants• Shade: Shrubs• Shade: Small Trees• Shade: Tall Perennials• Steep Slopes• Trees that Produce Minimal Litter• Under a Black Walnut Tree

PresentationWritten by:

Cathy LeVahnAnoka County Master Gardener

Minnesota Tree Care Advisor

Compiled by Theresa RooneyHennepin County Master Gardener

Dry Soil: Shade or Under Trees

• Plants that can survive under trees or

in dry low light conditions• Competition is keen for water, light and

nutrients• All are winter hardy in Zone 3 and 4

Ajuga (Ajuga reptans)• Height: 6-12”• Purple blooms in early spring, various foliage colors• Can be short lived• Dense groundcover that prevents weeds

Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis)• Height: 1’• Yellowish green blooms in summer, early fall• Good cut flower• Division is rarely required

Cathy LeVahn

Lady fern (Athyrium angustum)• Height: 2’• Graceful green fronds, grows easily in wide range of

conditions• Pair with hosta, coral bells or bergenia

Cathy LeVahn

Cathy LeVahn

Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)• Height: 1-3’• Short-lived but self-seeds• Red, yellow, pink, purple, blue and white blooms

spring, summer

Clarence A. Rechenthin @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus)• Height: 4-6’• Cream, white blooms in early summer• Will tolerate full sun if soil is kept evenly moist• Looks natural planted in woodland or native gardens

Wild ginger (Asarum canadense)• Height: 12”• Matte round leaves will hide tiny flowers• Great groundcover

Jennifer Anderson. USA, IL, Rock Island Co., Rock Island, Black Hawk State Park. 2002

Bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia)• Height: 12-18”• Pink flower in spring; red/burgundy fall color• Thick glossy leaves similar to cabbage• Versatile groundcover

Bailey Nurseries

Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla)

• Height: 1-2’• Light blue to pale purple flowers bloom in spring• Very reliable plant that rarely suffers from any

problems

Bailey Nurseries

Vinca, periwinkle (Catharanthus rosea)

• Height: 6-12”• Blue, purple, white flowers that bloom in summer, fall• Quickly forms a dense mat, shallow rooted• Shear back hard in spring to control spread

National Tropical Botanical Garden

Glory-of-the-snow (Chiondoxa luciliae)

• Height: 6”• Small early flowers with open petals and yellow

centers• Easy to grow

University of Chicago

Virgin’s bower (Clematis virginiana)• Height: 5-10’• Great native vine• Tiny white flowers mid- to late summer

Duke University

Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis)

• Height: 12”• Spreading groundcover, can become invasive• Fragrant white bell flowers in early summer

Iowa State University

Fringed bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia)

• Height: 12-18”• Blue/green foliage; white or pink flowers, flowers most

of the summer• Does well near pond or stream

i84.photobucket.com

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)• Height: 2-4’• Pink, purple, yellow, maroon, red or white blooms

spring to mid-summer• Allow self-seeding for a perennial bed• Poisonous

Hort. Printers - Monrovia

Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.)• Height: 1’• Beautiful heart shaped leaves; tiny orchid-like flowers

in spring

University of British Columbia Botanical Garden

Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)• Height: 4-8”• Small, nodding, white bell-shaped flowers often bloom

while snow is on the ground

University of British Columbia Botanical Gardens

Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum)• Height: 4-12”• Pretty groundcover with white fragrant flowers in late

spring, early summer• Fine textured foliage has a new mowed hay fragrance

University of Illinois Extension

Geranium, cranesbill (Geranium spp.)• Height: 12-18”• White, red, pink, purple, blue flowers in the spring,

summer and fall• Shear back spent blooms for a second set of flowers• If foliage looks tatty, shear back by two-thirds

Dead nettle (Lamium spp.)• Height: 8-12”• White, pink, yellow, mauve flowers in spring and

summer• Leaves are streaked with white/silver• Good groundcover

Cathy LeVahn

Summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum)

• Height: 1-2’• Nodding white flowers similar to Galanthus, but much

larger and later blooming• Spring blooming bulb

Iowa State University

Daffodil (Narcissus spp.)• Height: 6-24”• Wide variety of colors and bloom time• Wildlife resistant• Great naturalizer

University of Illinois Extension

gardenerspath.com

Giant Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum)

• Height: 1-3’• Arching branches; small white flowers in spring; blue

berries in summer

University of Wisconsin Stevens Point – Janice Stiefel

Striped squill (Puschkinia scilloides)• Height: 2-6”• Pale flowers with a wonderful fragrance• Increase rapidly by offsets

NC State University

Siberian squill (Scilla sibirica)• Height: 6”• Blue flowers that naturalize wonderfully, especially in

wooded areas• Not bothered by voles, rabbits, chipmunks or deer

UW Madison

Periwinkle, myrtle (Vinca minor)• Height: 6-12”• Blue flowers in spring• Evergreen, may need winter protection• Groundcover

Oregon State University

• Alkaline Soil• Annuals 3 Feet or More• Annual Vines That Grow Quickly• Boulevard Gardens: Perennials• Boulevard Gardens: Small Trees• Broadleaf Evergreens for Zone 4• Clay Soil• Cold Tolerant Annuals• Compacted Sites: Trees• Crevice Plants• Deer Resistant Plants• Dry Soil: Annual Foliage Plants• Dry Soil: Shade or Under Trees• Dry Soil: Trees• Fragrant Annuals and Perennials• Fragrant Shrubs• Indoor Low Light• Knot Gardens• Lakeshore Native Plants• Long-Blooming Perennials• Rain Garden Plants• River Banks and Canoe Public Access Areas• Self-Seeding Perennials• Septic Mound Plants• Shade: Shrubs• Shade: Small Trees• Shade: Tall Perennials• Steep Slopes• Trees that Produce Minimal Litter• Under a Black Walnut Tree

PresentationWritten by:

Cathy LeVahnAnoka County Master Gardener

Minnesota Tree Care Advisor

Compiled by Kim SullivanAnoka County Master Gardener

Dry Soil: Trees

• Trees that can grow in dry or sandy conditions

• Once established, require minimal water

• All are winter hardy in Zone 3 and 4

Balsam fir (Abies balsamea)• Height: 40-60’• Popular at Christmas time for shape and scent• Pyramidal when young, narrows as it ages• Slow growing• Adelgid can be a pest problem

River Birch (Betula nigra)• Height: 40-70’• Peeling cinnamon-brown bark• Often multi-stemmed• Can become chlorotic (yellow)

Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)• Height: 40-60’• Vase-like habit• Easily transplanted• Slow to establish• Tree produces dark purple berry-like fruit in fall

Cockspur hawthorne (Crataegus crusgalli)• Height: 20-30’• Variety inermis recommended• Effective in groups• Wide-spreading low-branches

Black ash (Fraxinus nigra)• Height: 40-70’• Large black buds• ‘Fallgold’ recommended for

fall color• Performs best in wet or boggy

conditions• Susceptible to Emerald Ash Borer

Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)• Height: 40-60’• Fast growth• Deep shade• Broad rounded form• Susceptible to Emerald Ash Borer• ‘Patmore’ is disease

resistant, seedless selection

Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos inermis)

• Height: 30-60’• Delicate silhouette; readily transplanted• ‘Skyline’ recommended• Do not use as a street tree – vigorous roots can break up pavement and sidewalks

Crabapple (Malus hybrids)• Height: 15-25’• Excellent variety in flower, fruit, foliage and habit• Make excellent specimen plants• Most flower in mid- to late spring• Select a disease resistant cultivar

University of WisconsinPurdue University

White spruce (Picea glauca)• Height: 40-60’• Dense pyramidal to conical shape• Blue-green needles• Transplants easily

Black spruce (Picea mariana)• Height: 30-70’• Spire-like conical habit with flaky brown scales• Blue-green to blue-gray foliage with small purplish cones that mature to brown

Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides)• Height: 80-100’• Open, irregular mature habit• Fast growth• Seedless ‘Siouxland’ recommended• Prefers wet soils, along rivers, lakes and streams

Bicolor oak (Quercus bicolor)• Height: 60-70’• Resistant to oak wilt• Yellow fall color• Requires acidic soil

Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)• Height: 40-60’• Long-lived• Pest resistant• Yellow fall color

Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata)• Height: 15-25’• Rounded large shrub or small tree• Bears fragrant cream-colored flowers in early summer• Excellent specimen tree; good in groups• ‘Ivory Silk’ recommended

University of Southern Maine

American linden (Tilia americana)• Height: 60-80’• Fragrant flowers mid-June• Transplants readily• Large silver-grey leaf• Flowers exude a dripping honeydew

Missouri State University

Jackie Jasperson

Thank You!

Questions?