Jazzing up a Wall
For steep banks and other areas too difficult to navigate or maintain, winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) is a good solution. This deciduous plant (semi-evergreen to evergreen in warmer climates) splays its long branches in all directions, rooting as they go and forming new plants. It produces small, bright yellow flowers sporadically during the winter months, reaching a crescendo of flowering in February. Three to four feet high and twice or more as wide, it's relatively fast at colonizing an area. In fact, you might have trouble getting rid of it if you ever have second thoughts about how to landscape that spot, but its green stems in winter and its graceful appearance make it a great plant above retaining walls. USDA Zones 6 to 10.
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