What evergreen plant can I grow in a weird way
June 29, 2018 11:03 AM Subscribe
I have a weird space that is only 3 inches wide that I want to fill with live greenery in a zone 6.
So I have a weird tiny balcony in NY. It is about 5 feet wide. The farmost left of the balcony (the first 13 inches) has plenty of space for any shrub or plant, or singular person to stand on. The rest of the balcony from that point all the way to the left is not really a balcony at all as it only has 3-4 inches of space and basically just fences in the window. I'd like to cover the fence with plants, but with only 3 inches of space I can't grow anything there.
I want to be able to put a vertical growing plant in the farthest left area since there's room there for it and then train the leaves to start growing to the right for the full 5 feet of the fence. That way the leaves can cover the fence even though it's only 3 inches deep. I'd prefer something fast growing that will last through the winters if possible.
So I have a weird tiny balcony in NY. It is about 5 feet wide. The farmost left of the balcony (the first 13 inches) has plenty of space for any shrub or plant, or singular person to stand on. The rest of the balcony from that point all the way to the left is not really a balcony at all as it only has 3-4 inches of space and basically just fences in the window. I'd like to cover the fence with plants, but with only 3 inches of space I can't grow anything there.
I want to be able to put a vertical growing plant in the farthest left area since there's room there for it and then train the leaves to start growing to the right for the full 5 feet of the fence. That way the leaves can cover the fence even though it's only 3 inches deep. I'd prefer something fast growing that will last through the winters if possible.
Bougainvillea is only rated to zone 9. Carolina jessamine and creeping fig are rated to zone 8. English ivy (Hedera helix) is the only one I can think of that will be evergreen but it is invasive and illegal in some places. Partway down this page are some native substitutes that are quite nice but deciduous. You would need to check their zone habitats. Also consider the amount of sun and how much soil you can provide.
posted by Botanizer at 11:48 AM on June 29, 2018
posted by Botanizer at 11:48 AM on June 29, 2018
Can you contact, for instance, the NYC-based Cornell University Cooperative Extension, or a similar program? University extension services exist in part to answer questions exactly like yours.
posted by Dr. Wu at 11:52 AM on June 29, 2018
posted by Dr. Wu at 11:52 AM on June 29, 2018
What about Bignonia (Crossvine)? It's at least semi-everygreen, hardy, and has pretty spring flowers?
posted by papergirl at 11:55 AM on June 29, 2018
posted by papergirl at 11:55 AM on June 29, 2018
Carolina Jasmine isn’t entirely cold hardy in the NYC area. Theres a cultivar that does ok but it might die on you if we get a good winter or you have it in a small pot that will freeze.
Bignonia is pretty but in my experience doesn’t handle wind all that well. Trumpet vine (Campsis) is enthusiastic but might take over the world and sheds its leaves for the winter. Schizophragma hydrangeoides could be fun, but isn’t a lightning fast grower and loses foliage in the winter. There are lots of Clematis you could try but there’s no foliage in the winter. The linked page is to Brushwood Nursery which has nice Clematis and other vines.
For fast growing if you don’t care about winters all that much I’d honestly go with a morning glory. It may not be the most creative answer but it grows fast, it has nice flowers and you won’t have to worry about winter because it will die entirely. Other fun annual type vines include Cardinal Climber, Spanish flag, moonflower.
A note: you’re starting this project a bit late in the season. You may want to just go with what’s easily available this year in the category of fun annual vine. Next year with a bit of planning you can plug in a fun perennial vine or grow a more interesting annual vine from seed.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:54 PM on June 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Bignonia is pretty but in my experience doesn’t handle wind all that well. Trumpet vine (Campsis) is enthusiastic but might take over the world and sheds its leaves for the winter. Schizophragma hydrangeoides could be fun, but isn’t a lightning fast grower and loses foliage in the winter. There are lots of Clematis you could try but there’s no foliage in the winter. The linked page is to Brushwood Nursery which has nice Clematis and other vines.
For fast growing if you don’t care about winters all that much I’d honestly go with a morning glory. It may not be the most creative answer but it grows fast, it has nice flowers and you won’t have to worry about winter because it will die entirely. Other fun annual type vines include Cardinal Climber, Spanish flag, moonflower.
A note: you’re starting this project a bit late in the season. You may want to just go with what’s easily available this year in the category of fun annual vine. Next year with a bit of planning you can plug in a fun perennial vine or grow a more interesting annual vine from seed.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:54 PM on June 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Sky Pencil Holly (Ilex Crenata)
posted by matildaben at 6:16 PM on June 29, 2018
posted by matildaben at 6:16 PM on June 29, 2018
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I do not know if you can keep something like bougainvillea alive in NY but it is certainly THE balcony rail plant. If it lives, it might actually be a little too much plant.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:37 AM on June 29, 2018