Woody Plant Update: Arbutus, Hydrangea, Rosa, Ugni, Rhododendron

When I first planted the madrone (Arbutus menziesii) in my backyard, I was resigned to the fact that it would most likely die.  Now, I am a worried that it is growing to vigorously.  I didn't water it all summer, and we've been in a drought for most of the winter--but I think it's grown about three feet in the past couple months.  Madrones can grow as tall as 100 feet with an 11 foot circumference, something I didn't plan for when I planted it right next to my fence.

Unlike the madrone, the oak leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen') is not happy with the winter drought conditions.  Even though I've been watering every weekend, the leaves, with their wilted and distressed demeanor, are showing how thirsty they are:

This is an unidentified rose that was in my backyard when I moved in.  In addition to its good looks, it smells great:

Around the same time I planted the Luma apiculata in my front yard, I planted one of its close cousins, an Ugni molinae in the back yard.  The luma has grown much more quickly than the ugni, but this winter I noticed the ugni beginning to fill out, with reddish green new leaves covering the entire shrub.  Unlike the luma, which produced a crop berries this fall, the ugni has yet to show any sign of flower or fruit:

Morgan hates having her picture taken:

The Countess of Haddington Rhododendron is covered with buds this year, unlike last winter, when only one or two buds formed.  A promise for a hopeful spring:

Looking toward Candlestick Park from my backyard--a spectacular sunset just as the 49ers beat the Saints: