Earlier I posted about plants that can stand up to the wind and don’t mind getting only partial sun. In the comments section of that post, Yeye asked about full sun plants that are also wind tolerant. Ask, and ye shall receive! Check out the plants below that are tough enough to stand up to the wind and the sun.
Boltonia (False Aster)
A left coast native. Is actually benefitted by wind, as it helps prevent powdery mildew. Forms airy mounds that are covered in white, pink, or purple daisy-like flowers. Boltonia can get pretty large (3-4 feet tall and wide) so either plant it by istself, or with something that is pretty assertive in its own right.
Threadleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata)
Beautiful summer flowers and finely cut foliage make the threadleaf coreopsis are just two of Threadleaf Coreopsis’s best features. It’s also drought tolerant, so you won’t have to water it constantly during heat waves (althoh don’t neglect it entirely!). Plants will only get to be about 12-18 inches tall, so they’d make a great “filler” in a multi-plant pot.
Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Beautiful spires of purple flowers sit atop gray-green leaves. It gets pretty big, so it’s probably best to give this 3-5 footer it’s own pot (Or check out dwarf varieties, like ‘Little Spire’). They look very pretty near roses. If you want to grow herbs, you could use large pots of russian sage as a wind barrier. As a bonus, most herbs look great against russian sage.
Coneflower (Echinacea)
There are tons of different varieties of echinacea, and it comes of pink, white, orange, and yellow. The flowers look a little like daisies with much more prominent centers. The plants are pretty drought tolerant, which is great for hot windy areas where pots tend to dry out quickly.
Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima)
A Texas native, the leaves are bright green and flowers in the summer. The flowers are somewhat taller than the foliage and are very fine in texture, looking very reminiscent to feathers. As the plant goes dormant in the summer the foliage becomes straw colored. Mexican Feather Grass can get up to 36 inches tall and grows in clumps. It’s also drought tolerant.
Great Combo to Try
Choose three large pots in successive sizes (for example, a 16 inch, 20 inch and 24 inch pot). Plant the largest with white boltonia, the medium sized pot with russian sage, and smallest with mexican feather grass. Easy peasy!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks so much. I keep seeing pics of nice decorative grasses. I’m going to have to check what is available in my area.
Right now I have empty window boxes on three sides of my balcony…. grasses on the sides would be kind of romantic I think.
Yeye — I think so too! Be sure to send me photos of whatever you do, I’d really like to see the final results!
Just wanted to say the Echinacea that are growing in my neighborhood are beautiful – tall and stately! Would be great for a privacy screen planted a long the length of a railing.
Yeye–That’s so good to hear! I just bought some echinacea seeds that I plan on planting in an empty bed at my work.