The Single Plant Challenge

If you were to choose one plant for your entire garden, what would you choose? How about four? The first comes from the Sunset magazine commentary on mass planting a single plant. The second comes from an on-going Horticulture series “If I could have four plants for...” So no fair choosing a genus which has many species, or a plant with many cultivars. What if you could choose only one plant cultivar for a garden? What if you could only choose four?

How could I possibly choose one plant? I’m a plant collector. I throw in plants everywhere. I choose plants not to fill a design concept, but simply because I’m curious how a plant grows, I want to see how it changes with the season. I have several hundred species in my front yard alone. The choice would have to recognize the garden setting, the scale in relation to the space and the intentions of the designer, the season (if any) for bloom, and the form of the plant (what looks good in mass or as a single plant).

And yet, I’m surprised at how easily I could choose one plant. Without a doubt the genus would be lavender. The cultivar would be more difficult. Probably ‘Grosso’. Surprised? After all, it’s such an obvious choice, common really. Why would I choose something so banal? Because there is a reason it’s so common. Many reasons, in fact. First of all, it is easy to grow. This in itself may make you think that I wouldn’t choose it, but although I do enjoy the more challenging plants, I also appreciate something that performs. I also chose it because it is a multi-use plant. It is attractive throughout the year. The plant is evergreen, and has nice form. It is tough, requires little water. It is fragrant, and can be used in cooking. ‘Grosso’ has a rich color and blooms for several months at least. It is a plant I can get my shears into and enjoy pruning. ‘Grosso’ has lax flower stems which I like.



I almost chose Lavendula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ like my friend Anne did, but I like the long wands of the intermedias to play with, and the floppy nature, even if it doesn’t have as lovely a shade of color, or as sweet a scent.



The only downside to lavender that it doesn’t grow well in the shade, and the shady areas of the garden, in this theoretical one-plant garden, would be barren. Shade and form for the garden would be hardscape, such as a ramada and levels. But as a single plant garden, I think that Lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso' could hold its own.

I considered choosing Calamogrostis x acutifolia ‘Karl Foerster.’ Again, this plant is very common, and I’ve seen plenty of plantings where its appearance is forgettable. But in my garden, it is visual music. It moves in any breeze like a dance of joy, and even the sharp gusts don’t beat it down. It is the kind of plant that looks better in mass, although it can hold it’s own solo if in the right setting. It’s of a stature that I can relate to, for even though it is a tall 4-5 feet (irrigated), it is very narrow. Its downsides are that it isn’t edible or fragrant or drought tolerant (it needs some, but not a lot of irrigation). I suppose I could have chosen Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) which in my limited trial is nearly identical to Karl, but is native to this area, and would use less water. Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens) also came to mind, of different form, but similar benefits and detriments. I almost also chose Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), imagining a courtyard filled with a number of them. I’d bet children would love to play among them.

What if I were to choose four? With four, I could chose plants that contribute to an overall design. I could choose a combination of tree, shrub, and herbaceous plant. Working on this, I find this a much more difficult exercise than the single plant choice and spend way too much time agonizing over my choices.

I considered a garden of native or near-native plants. I’d start out with a bunch of Yucca rostrata, with dramatic non-branching trunks. In fact, this would be good for a single-plant garden. The rest, I suspect would change depending on my mood. Chocolate flower for fragrance, Purple opuntia, and Penstemon clutei for spring flowers and winter color. It would be a glorious riot of brash color in the spring.

Being the mediterraneophile that I am, though, I’d likely choose something like olive, cypress, rosemary and lavender. Or lemon instead of the olive, which although is associated with the mediterranean, actually comes from Asia. I may also substitute star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) for the rosemary. It’s one of those fragrances that I associate with bliss.

My tiny lemon tree.


My tiny olive tree.


Flowers and friend on star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Madison').


I realize that these are probably not the most appropriate choices for the region (as opposed to my previous choices), but in my tiny courtyard, why not? Isn't that what a sequestered garden space is for? And of course, I’d have to adjust this to plants that will grow here in Albuquerque. Yes, the lavender will. So will the cypress and rosemary (I’d choose Rosemary ‘Blue Spires’ for its sculptural form) But not olive, or lemon, or star jasmine. How about Cypress, the Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus), rosemary and lavender? Yeah, I could live with that.

Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) in my garden.



I’d proposed the same question to some friends of mine. The rules of the game went like this:
1. You have to choose a single cultivar, no fair choosing an enormous genus. 
2. You can choose a single species if cultivars aren't available. I.e. you can't choose "rose", but would have to specify, like Rosa 'Iceberg'. But you could choose a species such as Berlandiera lyrata since there are no cultivars. 
3. All the plants in the garden have to be identical.  Imagine that there is no limit on the number of plants of that cultivar that can be planted. Or as few as you like. 
It would be your own garden, not for someone else. As such the climate is where you live.

An optional extension was to choose a four-plant garden.

Craig responded first, to say that he refrained from submission “...no one would want just one plant in their garden...”

Anne chose Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote” which as I’ve mentioned, is right up my alley.

Since David lives in three locations, he chose Dasylirion wheeleri for El Paso, Nolina texana for the Albuquerque foothills, and Yucca elata for central Albuquerque.  Now that’s some serious desert drama in a single plant garden.
He chose to do the four-plant extension, combining plants with complementary form and color, adding to the single plant choices. I’m imagining each garden, and each would be a delight.
For El Paso: Viguiera stenoloba, Tiquilia greggii, Muhlenbergia porteri
For the Albuquerque foothills: Muhlenbergia porteri, Melampodium leucanthum, Arctosyaphylos pungens
For Albuquerque central: Stanleya pinnata, Larrea tridentata, Penstemon eatoni

I expected Ted to bow out, but he came through famously. He chose the Claret cup cactus, Echinocereus triglochidiatus, siting qualities of evergreen, sculptural, attractive in masses, and attractive to hummingbirds as reasons for his choice. “Massed, surrounded by gravel, it is my Zen garden plant for the day.”

Rick’s response was so poetic, that I had to include it whole.

“I am within this garden, not looking at it from outside.  It's a garden that offers protection - dappled shade and a sense of enclosure.  It offers sustenance; a fruit.  It expresses the passage of time and cyclic nature of life in fragrant blossom, changing leaves and the stark and spare beauty of a structure laid bare in winter and open to a warming sun.  Fallen leaves give a soft place to lie, protect and regenerate the soil.  A company of birds and critters share its gifts.  I'd be happy to lie under a tree in this apple orchard, watching a changing summer sky.  "Ah, perchance to dream..."”

Sigh, I’m almost ready to change my choice.





Addendum: Craig caved in to peer pressure, and chose Pinyon Pine for a single plant garden. Thanks, Craig!