Can I pretty please get some quick advice? You can take this as a challenge. In fact, I dare you to find this.
I’m looking for a perennial, evergreen bush, shrub, and/or vine that is drought and freeze tolerant (coldest month’s mean temperature 26.6 °F). I prefer something that flowers (prefer any color except pink or white) and something that I can train to grow ‘up’ instead of ‘out’. Will be in full sun from noon till night.
All I’ve been able to come up with is Texas Sage.
Extra Credit:
I’m also looking for something with most of the above criteria, but that will cascade out of a large planter.
So, any enthusiasts out there want to give this a crack?
Which zone are you talking about? The Texas Mountain Laurel is a beautiful evergreen that can be a shrub or trained as a tree. It’s slow growing, takes full sun and in the spring has beautiful purple clusters that smell like grape kool aid. It should be cold hardy at least to zone 8, but some reports say up to zone 6. It’s drought tolerant too. I’ve got several in my yard and they’re doing fine in an “exceptional drought.”
I’m in Zone 8.
Thank you for the suggestion. That’s a beautiful plant. But in some pictures it’s huge! Is there a dwarf version? I’m looking for something that will be between 3 and 5 feet. Thanks again.
Sweet potato vine will freeze back in the first frost. Nasturtiums are easy as pie to grow from seed and tumble/climb nicely, but will also freeze back. Hmm…
