Chameleon plant an invasive species
Q: I got cuttings of it from a friend years ago who has passed away, and I can’t remember the name of it. It’s quite invasive.
A: Don’t pass it along to anyone else. It is chameleon plant, Houttuynia cordata. As you have discovered, it is quite invasive, especially in moist shade.
Yellow leaves could be a sign of age in wellkept plants
Q: This is a photo of one of two hibiscus plants living on my deck in pots. Any idea why the leaves are yellowing? I have made sure the plants are kept wet but not soggy. Both plants are in the direct sunlight all day. Only one plant is displaying yellow leaves. I have fertilized with BR-61 (the original with 9-588). No good, still continuing with the yellowing. Any ideas what might be the problem? Thanks for your prospective input.
A: It looks like most of the yellowing leaves are older leaves. There will be some leaf shed of older leaves as new leaves come on. I do not see any spots that could indicate disease. Try to keep the pots evenly watered, which is hard to do as hot as it is. You still seem to have buds and blooms. I fertilize my container plants about every two weeks. I water well, then fertilize and water again. Your fertilizer is really high in phosphorous but low in nitrogen. Some gardeners use a small amount of Epsom salts and say it helps with greening, but for sure try a more evenly balanced fertilizer.
Native beautyberry produces purple berries in fall
Q: Is this a weed?
A: No, it is actually a native small shrub called beautyberry or French mulberry. Mine is blooming now. The blooms will be followed by rows of bright purple berries in the fall. These shrubs can grow 5 or 6 feet tall over time, so you might want to move it this fall to a place where it has room to grow.
Queen of the Prairie attracts insects but not deer
Q: Please ID this perennial. This plant is about 5 feet tall, and as you can see has a very distinct five-fingered leaf. Some folks have called it a “Puff” plant/ flower.
A: The plant is Filipendula rubra, commonly called Queen of the Prairie. The leaves and flowers are fragrant. It likes moist locations in full sun and can grow up to 8 feet tall. Butterflies and bees like it, but the deer don’t.
Peach trees hard to handle at home
Q: Longtime reader of yours and never miss your column. I have two peach trees and they are 6-7 years old. One is a dwarf early “Elberta” and the other is a dwarf “Belle of Georgia.” Two years ago, I had fruit on the trees but all had brown rot. I went to my nursery and they gave me a complete fruit tree spray, which I sprayed on my trees the next spring. I still ended up with brown rot, so this spring I sprayed before they leafed or bloomed. I sprayed again when they bloomed, and I sprayed again when the fruit popped out. Much to my dismay, I still had brown rot on the early Elberta, and some on the Belle but not all. At least not yet. Who knew it was so hard to raise peach trees? What are my options?
A: Unfortunately, brown rot is a difficult disease to control and is the main reason I don’t recommend peach trees for home gardeners. Brown rot is more prevalent in wet seasons than dry ones, so I am not surprised you have trouble this year. The disease begins at bloom and continues throughout the growing season. Prolonged periods of wetness make it worse. Remove any diseased fruits as you see them. Make sure you clear the tree in the winter of any mummified fruits, as that is where the disease overwinters. A rigid spray program should start during full bloom and then two more times at 10-14 day intervals. When you see fruit beginning to ripen, sprays are needed again. Clemson University has also tested specialty bags called Clemson Fruit Bags that they place over the fruits about three weeks after bloom. The bag protects the fruit from insects and diseases, and you don’t have to spray. That might be more work than you want to put into this.
Retired after 38 years with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Janet Carson ranks among Arkansas’ best known horticulture experts. Her blog is at arkansasonline. com/planitjanet. Write to her at P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72203 or email jcarson@arkansasonline.com.