Herself’s Houston Garden

I first heard about Fireman’s Cap at a lecture I attended for under used plants in Houston. This plant is a hummingbird and other bird attractor. They can’t resist those bright red flowers.

Blooms appear late spring, mine started late May this year. It should bloom through out the summer now. Flowers appear first followed by leaves.

It will reach about 8′ tall with a 5′ spread. Fireman’s Cap can go as high as 20′ tall with a 10′ spread. It is fast growing. I stuck this sorry looking one foot tall twig in the ground in March and you can see how large it is the first of June.

It prefers full sun, but will accept part sun.

Watering needs are average to low, drought tolerant once established. It wasn’t the least bit bothered by the 6 week spell of hot, dry, windy weather we had a few months back.

Be careful where you plant it, the thorns are impressive. You don’t want to have to be pruning it often.

This is a cross between E. crista-galli which is a member of the pea family, and very much like the Fireman’s cap but is not frost hardy and E. herbacea ( Cherokee bean ) which has bright red tube like flowers and is more woody than e. crista-galli.

Seeds are reportedly sterile. It is very cold tender and will drop its leaves and may die back to the ground in colder winters.

Awarded the Merit award by the Cal. Horticultural Society in 1981.

Poisonous do not eat it.

If possible protect from wind and also from hard freezes. Go easy on the fertilizer in the fall to help it prepare for winter but don’t underwater.

Propagate by seeds or cuttings.

Cutting propagation:
Remove a new growth that is just beginning to get woody that has at least 3 sets of leaves.
Remove the bottom two sets of leaves.
Dip the stem in rooting hormone powder
Plant in moist soil covering the stem where the two bottom sets of leaves were removed. Using lots of peat moss in your soil helps keep fungus down.
Keep in a moist place and keep soil damp.
Be sure to remove air spaces between stem and soil as these tend to get moldy.
Do not let stem touch bottom of pot. It should have an inch of soil below it.

If it ever rained in Houston after June first and before Oct first each year I might find it easier to get interested in rain water harvesting. I’m also pretty sure the HOA would pitch a tizzy fit. But be that as it may I ran across this really cool idea on Rainwater Harvesting Vertically ( photo credit to Az Sustainably as well ) that might not freak out your HOA.

This design is a terrace that collects the rain water from your downspout and delivers it to your garden. I really like the design. I expect you could design it to go in front of your downspout and hide the downspout all together.

More information:
Rocket 2008 Industrial Design Competition
The Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting ( pdf )
Rainwater Harvesting Texas AgriLife
Houston as a Model City: Meeting the challenges of an environmental crisis, The future of water
Texas Water

John Aeschliman turns over a shovelful of topsoil on his 4,000-acre farm in the Palouse region of eastern Washington State. The black earth crumbles easily, revealing a porous structure and an abundance of organic matter that facilitate root growth. Loads of earthworms are visible, too—another healthy sign.

Thirty-four years ago only a few earthworms, if any, could be found in a spadeful of his soil. Back then, Aeschliman would plow the fields before each planting, burying the residues from the previous crop and readying the ground for the next one. . . .[ read more No-Till How farmers are saving the soil by parking their plows]

There is mounting evidence that tilling not only exposes weeds to much needed light but disturbs the soil in deeper and more profound ways. Not till increases organic matter in the soil and conserves soil bacteria.

Do a bit of research before turning the soil over in the vegetable bed next year. Or just consider how much better undisturbed soil you run across is from soil that has been worked.

This alocasia is a plant that has done very well here. I just planted it this spring and it has tripled in size and needs little care. Other gardeners also report it grows with little care. It will reach a height of 6′ and a spread of about half that.

It can handle temperatures down to 10′F so no need to dig it up or cover it if we get a frost. But it will die back when temperatures dip below the mid 40’s to reappear in warmer weather. Water less in the winter to prevent rotting.

Partial shade and damp soil is preferred for this alocasia, though it can handle more sun if necessary. This can also be grown in a pot in a pond.

This is an aroid and part of the Araceae family as are philodendrons. You’ll recognize them by their flowers which have a single petal ( spathe ) and a inflorescence known as a spandix which is a phallic looking flower. Flowers are usually on a short stalk and hidden by the leaves.