As the RHS bans a list of plants from its garden shows
because of the risk of Xylella, Hannah Stephenson looks at safer
alternatives.
Xylella fastidiosa has been branded 'the foot and mouth' of the plant
world, wiping out olive groves in southern Italy, while evidence of it
has also been found in France, Spain and Germany.
The RHS has banned Xylella-risk plants from its shows this year,
including lavender, rosemary, hebe, olive, polygala, oleander and
euphorbia - unless they have been UK-grown, while retailers including
Wyevale Garden Centres have responded by finding alternative plants to
the high-risk ones, and removing from sale some of the risky species or
stocking only UK-grown ones.
The bacteria is known to affect more than 350 different species and
reduces plants' ability to take up water, causing leaf scorch, die back
and, in some cases, plant death. The disease can be transmitted by
insects, while infected plants may show no symptoms until it's too late.
Under EU regulations, all plant importers have to prove plants have been
sourced from Xylella-free areas - but the worry is that it will somehow,
at some point, be brought in on imported plants, or a holidaymaker may
unwittingly bring an infected plant home from abroad.
The answer is to buy British where you can - the RHS website
(rhs.org.uk) lists UK nurseries - and avoid susceptible plants, the
charity advises.
Garden designers have responded to the challenge by getting creative,
using Italian sage instead of lavender at the RHS Malvern Spring
Festiva,l and holm oak and pomegranate instead of olive at Chelsea.
Here, the RHS suggests inspiring planting alternatives to the high-risk
types, to help protect your garden for the future...
Instead of lavender and rosemary - use Afghan sage and rock roses
Most lavender and rosemary are propagated and grown in Britain, but for
early sales, many are imported from southern Europe. Buying larger
plants for summer or, better, autumn planting is an alternative if the
garden centre cannot assure you that their plants are British-grown, the
RHS advises.
Reduce the risk by planting a broader range of Mediterranean-type
drought resistant sun-lovers, such as Afghan sage (Perovskia 'Blue
Spire'), Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa) and rock roses (Cistus, such
as Cistus x purpureus).
Instead of hebe - use Caryopteris clandonensis and Abelia x grandiflora
Hebe are popular evergreen shrubs, with many smaller cultivars ideally
suited to smaller gardens and especially valuable in providing colour in
late summer. Most will be grown in Britain, but it is not always
possible to exclude those from other sources. Other late-summer
alternatives include Caryopteris clandonensis 'Heavenly Baby', Clethra
alnifolia 'Hummingbird' and Abelia x grandiflora.
One reason British gardeners embrace hebe, lavender and rosemary is the
great ease of striking them from cuttings of non-flowering 'semi-ripe'
shoots taken in late summer, and rooted in gritty compost and covered by
a plastic bag. If you have healthy plants, it is easy to raise more with
low risk to the environment.
Instead of olives - use Elaeagnus x ebbingei and Phillyrea angustifolia
Olives have been the hardest hit by Xylella in Italy. They grow so
slowly in Britain and are unreliably hardy in northern regions. Quicker
growing and hardier alternatives include Elaeagnus x ebbingei, Phillyrea
angustifolia, Rhamnus alaternus and (deciduous) Elaeagnus 'Quicksilver'.
Instead of polygala - use glory bush and glory pea
Polygala is a lovely conservatory plant, but again, it's one on the
banned list and Wyevale Garden Centres won't be stocking it next year.
Instead, try glory pea (Clianthus puniceus) with brilliant red flowers,
glory bush (Tibouchina urvilleana) carrying violet purple flowers, and
crimson threadflower (Caesalpinia gilliesii), whose yellow flowers have
long crimson thread.
Instead of oleander - use Abutilon and marguerite (Argyranthemum)
Oleander, a potentially poisonous plant, is mainly a greenhouse or
conservatory specimen, which can be put outside on the patio in summer.
Alternatives include Abutilon 'Kentish Belle' and marguerite
(Argyranthemum).
Instead of cherry and plum trees (Prunus ssp) - use pyracantha
Prunus or cherry family trees and shrubs are a mainstay of British
gardens but for future-proofing, some interesting and reliable
alternatives might be considered in making new plantings. Try Drimys
winteri, Osmanthus x burkwoodii and the ultra-reliable pyracantha.
Instead of Spanish broom - Moroccan broom and Cytisus x praecox
'Allgold'
We all know Spanish broom, with its zingy yellow flowers, is a useful
plant for wilder, dry gardens. You can raise it easily from seed, so
gardeners don't need to buy it as plants. But if you don't want to sow
seed, think about alternatives such as Moroccan broom (Argyrocytisus
battandieri ), Warminster broom (Cytisus x praecox 'Warminster') and
Cytisus x praecox 'Allgold'.
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