Suggestions for a substitute for the euonymus and nandina?
This is in north metro Atlanta.
An acquaintance who's a landscape architect very kindly drew this for me to give me ideas for plantings to "pretty up" my subdivision's new sign. I don't want to ask him to change anything since he was nice enough to quickly sketch this out for me.
I'd suggested the nandina since I have some volunteers in my yard and also the pampas grass because I wanted something with movement to attract more attention to our sign which is a good bit smaller than the previous one. However, a neighbor who's helping with this is adamant about not using the nandina since they pop up everywhere. I'm OK with it because they can just be mowed.
But what I worry about is the euonymus. I read about the winter creeper and that seems way more of a maintenance problem since they creep and spread and can even become vertical vines. We need nearly maintenance-free plantings. The sign has 3 colors -- darkish blue, white and a very bright green, so the euonymus is perfect to pick up the bright green in the sign. I thought maybe using variegated liriope might work there as a low border instead AND the variegated doesn't spread like the solid green does. Any ideas to replace the nandina and the euonymus?
Hello. I like the elevation and movement at the miscanthus and various fountain grass can offer. They seem to need little care —trimming in the spring before new growth happens. They come in various heights. It might be an attractive option to consider.
A lot of commercial properties will use a holly azalea or knockout rose for their shrub due to the durability. I like spirea for leaf color interest and flowering.
https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/chiwonlee/plsc368/student/papers02/ddevine/spiraea.htmlh
ttps://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/spiraea-japonica-gold-mound/
For the best local professional advice I would highly suggest contacting your cooperative extension. These offices are manned by volunteer master gardeners on site there waiting to answer the communities questions that know your local situation quite well.
Master gardeners are required to volunteer back designated hours ( plus continuing education) each year to maintain MG certification -this community outreach and education is their goal.
If your office is closed....( ours is open) there might be alternative online venues like Ask an Expert as well as emailing your local master gardeners extension office for their suggestions .... in a non contact manner.
Most plants success depend on their hardness to geographic planting zones, presenting weather conditions soil and sunlight exposure. Your local experts should have the ideal suggestions for your need.
Ugh, I hate pampas grass. It grows too large (wide) and is wicked to be around (sharp edges). Look at some of the other ornamental grasses. Indian Hawthorne is not an Euonymus. Indian Hawthorne, or Rhapiolepsis, blooms! Depending on the variety, you have some compact forms which will not require sheering or those other atrocities maintenance companies inflict on plants. Maybe a pittosporum? The nandina was selected to compliment the grasses linear foliage, add seasonal color, and contrast the hawthorne’s leaf shape. Dwarf bamboo would be a design alternative but a worse nightmare than the Nandina. Maybe a dwarf butterfly bush but it is deciduous.
Agree with Eleni pampas grass is a pain. The stuff can cut you and I think it isn't very good looking but that is my opinion. Took it out of my dad's place.
If you want to add some color and a real show stopper try hardy hybicus.
I agree with pampas grass. It is a pain and doesn't look that good. Forget bamboo. It tends to spread growing underground shoots. Here are a lot of photos planting around signs
https://www.google.com/search?source=univ&tbm=isch&q=sign+plantings&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiuopbA_I_wAhWxds0KHXSwC_wQjJkEegQIAxAB&biw=1536&bih=734
I found this article that might give you some good alternatives.
https://www.gardenia.net/guide/native-plant-alternatives-to-nandina-domestica
Pampas grass is messy and needs to be cut back and also it grows so fast and tall if it is not kept up with.
You need something that is easy to maintain - you could use Knockout Roses or go to a local nursery in the area with photos of your entrance sign for best info for the area.
https://savvygardening.com/low-maintenance-shrubs/
Hi Louise, see if you can get winterberry (Ilex verticillata) to replace your nandina. It's non-invasive and beautiful red berries in winter, which the birds love. WRT to replacing the euonymus I think the Liriope Muscari Variegata is a great idea.
If you are looking to replace the euonymus as a ground over, try geranium? It's been a great ground cover for me in a rock garden and stays in it's barrier as long as it's mowed around it.
We're not actually looking for a ground cover, but a short border.
My euonymus have been in front of my house for 25 years. I’ve never had them spread. I guess it depends on the variety. They can grow tall if you don’t trim them every year. My variegated liriope has turned to solid green, again after 25 years, and jumps up everywhere. I just pull it. I like the nandina for its compact form. Pittosporum grows slowly, but it does grow. I don’t know if it can be trimmed.
There are some kinds of non-invasive bamboo, that I had in my LA yard.
Sorry, they were out there by the original owner’s LA in 1959 and I grew up in a very different climate zone.
I think the same can be said for varieties of euonymus.
Switching gears, what colors are the sign and its’ “frame”?