New Zealand wind grass

Plants for destinctively sunny sites need and tolerate a lot of direct sun radiation (eg. roses, even more spurge (euphorbia myrsinites) , sea buckthorn, sedum, most of rock-garden plants, cactuses etc). Mostly, but not necessarily, these plants can also tolerate drought. Roses need more water and noursihments and rich, deep, fetile soil, while white stonecrop survives more weeks in dry soil without rain or watering and can grow normally in poor, sandy soil as well.

Herbaceous plants are not woody. Their stems are soft, usually remaining green. With some herabceous older stems may harden and look like woody stems (e. g. bamboo).

Leaves or needles remain on the plant for several consecutive years, usually 2 to 5 years. Our descriptions contain the word evergreen.

Plant can in otherwise appropriate environment survive cold down to - 23 °C.

Porous or dry soils are normally light and loose, there is no stagnant water but relatively quickly flows in deeper layers; such ground are more airy and warmer, yet drier and usually contain less humus and for such undergrowth it is often to for drought to appear (e. g. rockgardens, walls, by paths and roads, on gravel, also on gravel surface in towns and close to buildings ...), plants of such undergrowth need well-drained soil, they tolerate drought but cannot tolerate constant moisture or even flooding.

Herbaceous, not woody plant. Stems and leaves may be evergreen or deciduous - thus regrowing every spring. Perennials may blossom consecutively for several years. Some perennials develop special underground organs - bulbs, corms or rootstocks and these species are treated separetelly, not with geophyte and tuberous plants.

Variegated leaves show patterns of different colours, mostly white or yellow pattern on green base. Patterns can appear in forms of stripes, dots, patches, trims, uneven shapes, or colour is splashed over leaf surface; different colour patterns may have sharp borderlines or change softly one to another. Colour intensivity and needle/leaves patterns formation on certain plant may vary greatly according to general plant health and condition, age, maintanance (trimming and care); other factors such as weather, microclimate, sun or shade, presence of plant nutrients and water may also affect greatly on leaf colour. Colouring and patterns on leaves may be affected - changed - by the age of certain leaf or twig and through seasons.

Leaves or needles of many deciduos plants change colour in autumn before falling mostly to yellow, orange and red shades. Distinctive autumn red or similar colouration may also appear in some evergreen plants, which leaves/needels do not fall off in autumn. Autumn coloration depends on general condition of a plant, maintanance, weather and site. Usually leaves colour more intensely if dry autumn and if differences between day and night temperatures are greater, as well as on dry, sandy soils with less nitrogen. Among grown ornamental plants there are numerous varieties with especially intense or diverse autumn colour than by the basic species.