Tough-as-Nails Shrubs for the Mountain West

Who does n’t jazz buying the gimcrack fresh plant that catches everyone ’s eye at the baby’s room ? Or the flora that ’s just outside your hardiness zone , but has always taunted you with fantastic foliation and/or out - of - this - world flowers ? Gardeners are n’t ones to always play it secure , but as Richie Steffen mentions in his clause on rugged perennials , “ plan a garden with unproved plant is hazardous job and not for those unwilling to take another hit to their pocketbook . ”

And that ’s where tough - as - nails , proven performing artist come in . Taking a gamble on a raw plant is a little less high-risk when they ’re paired up with a cast of grapheme that never disappoint . In Richie ’s article , Tough - as - Nails Perennials , he covers the perennial plant that power through a variety of beastly status , but there are also numberless bush that also play this crucial role . Below you will find some tough - as - nails shrubs for the Mountain West .

1. Mountain Mahogany

Name:Cercocarpus montanus

USDA Hardiness Zones:5 to 9

Size:4 to 9 feet tall and wide

Conditions : Full sunlight ; well - drain soil

mess burnt sienna is a beautiful add-on to a xeric garden , with leave-taking that are blue immature on the top and a fuzzy light grey-headed underneath . The prime are generally invisible . The genus nameCercocarpusis Greek for “ tailed yield , ” capably describe the odd - mold , blurred seeds that cover the stems in fall . I ’ve ascertain quite a little mahogany get larger when even irrigation is utilize . Be warned—elk and deer enjoy pruning them , so your bush may not reach its full size if the animals are frequent visitors to your garden .

2. ‘Crandall’ Clove Currant

Name:Ribes odoratum‘Crandall’

Zones:4 to 8

Size:4 to 6 foot tall and wide

Conditions : Full sun to fond wraith ; well - drained ground

This currant bush leave interest throughout the growing season . The small , bright yellow , trumpet - influence bloom line the outgrowth are a sure sign of springiness , and their clove aroma is sure to hitch your attention . The bush ’s spicy - black fruits ripen in midsummer and are used in commercial fruit production . Their sweet - spicy relish makes delightful sauce or jellies , as well as being yummy properly off the plant . ‘ Crandall ’ clove currant bush is fast - growing and continues to allow for interest in capitulation when its sluttish green , tri - lobate leaf turn Burgundy wine to reddish orange tree .

3. ‘Cheyenne’ Mock Orange

Name:Philadelphus lewisii‘Cheyenne’

Zones:4 to 9

Size:6 to 8 invertebrate foot tall and full

term : Full sun ; moist , well - drained grime

utter about tough , this shrub was found thriving in the USDA Experimental Station in Cheyenne , Wyoming , after many years of disuse . It was introduced by Plant Select ® , a nonprofit society differentiate in Mountain West pick , in 2001 . In early summertime , 2 - inch - wide , clean flower cover the bush , and their mellifluous fragrance will cause you to stop and discover the source . This xeric shrub is a unadulterated size of it for a border and can even function as a low , informal hedging . Other than occasional shaping , ‘ Cheyenne ’ mock orange call for slight care .

4. ‘Mesa Verde’ Colorado Spruce

Name:Picea pungens‘Mesa Verde’

Zones:3 to 8

Size:10 to 18 column inch marvellous and 5 to 6 feet wide of the mark

One of my favorite alternative to spread retem ( Juniperusspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) , this spruce is an excellent ground - cover shrub . Not the typical Colorado spruce , its medium - green needles cover crocked , horizontal branches . ‘ Mesa Verde ’ may develop a leader , which can be pruned back if necessary . This spruce is consider drouth kind but will tolerate some moisture . While it performs beneficial in full Lord’s Day , mine does well in some good afternoon tad . I ’ve even seen it prosper in traffic rotary — a tough surround , to say the least .

Michelle Provaznik is the director of The Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins , Colorado .

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