Prunella vulgaris v. lanceolata
Native to moist areas usually near coniferous forests and woodlands. Creeping perennial forms a low dense mat of foliage. Upright spikes of purple flowers over a long period summer - fall. Give some thought to placement because if happy it will reseed vigorously. Plant in full sun or light shade with regular water.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’
Selected in the 1970’s and a Plant Select winner in 2005, this dependable selection persists in the trade for its profuse displays of dark-red flowers and cold tolerance. Growing 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 ft. wide with light-green, aromatic foliage. The magenta blossoms can bloom spring through fall and attract hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators. Prefers full sun with decent drainage and is drought tolerant once established. Deer resistant.
Salvia greggii ‘Mirage Rose Bicolor’
Top winner at the Welby Flower Trials in Colorado, this hybrid sage was bred for long blooming and heat tolerance. Compact and tidy, growing 12 -14 inches tall and a bit wider. The fragrant foliage is topped with a profusion of nectar-rich, two toned flowers of deep rose-pink and creamy-white, summer into fall. The appealing, bold display attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. Plant in full sun to light shade with moderate to occasional water. Makes a good container subject. Deer resistant.
Salvia greggii ‘Radio Red’
This new cultivar of autumn sage offers larger, vivid red flowers and a more compact habit. Despite it's common name, autumn sage blooms over a long period, beginning in late spring, into summer and through autumn. Well branched shrubby habit with neat, fragrant foliage growing 2 - 3 foot tall and wide. Can be grown as a single specimen, lightly clipped as a low, informal hedge or in a container. Plant in full sun with moderate to occasional summer watering. The true, bright red flowers are highly attractive to hummingbirds as well as bees and butterflies. Deer resistant.
Salvia greggii ‘Smokin’ Lavender’
Yet another cultivar of autumn sage, a sturdy and floriferous perennial, native to the southwest U.S. and Northern Mexico. A great addition to the pollinator garden where it provides copious nectar to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds throughout the summer and fall. A compact evergreen with aromatic foliage, growing about 2 ft tall and wide. Soft, lavender blossoms emerge from dark purple calyces and bloom freely over a long period. Plant in full sun to very light shade with moderate to occasional watering once established. Good container plant. Deer resistant.
Salvia microphylla ‘Heatwave Blaze’
The Salvia ‘Heatwave Series’ are selections from Salvia greggii / microphylla crosses. ‘Heatwave Blaze’ offers displays of dark crimson flowers over a long period from summer into fall. Compact, rounded habit, growing up to 3 feet tall and wide. Plant in full sun to light shade. Drought tolerant but best with an occasional deep watering during the growing season. Attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Deer resistant.
Salvia microphylla ‘Mesa Azure’
A hybrid of uncertain parentage, offering long blooming flowers on compact plants. Growing 18" - 24" tall and wide with good sized, light purple flowers over a long period, spring through fall. Prefers good drainage in full sun to light shade with moderate to occasional summer water. Attracts a wide array of pollinators and hummingbirds. Deer resistant.
Sidalcea hendersonii
A striking, rare checkerbloom from western Oregon northwards, featuring stalks up to 3 ft high densely clothed in substantial, rich pink flowers. The rounded, scalloped leaves create low mounds on the ground. Will slowly spread to from small drifts, blending beautifully with other showy perennials in the moist garden bed. Enjoys full sun to light shade. If the spent blooms are removed, it can bloom from spring through to autumn! Attractive to bees and butterflies. Works well in a container.
Solidago lepida v. salebrosa
Golden-yellow, pyramid shaped inflorescences sit atop stems flanked with bright green leaves on this unusual native goldenrod. This selection is more compact and refined than the California goldenrod, with flower stalks reaching only about 2 feet tall and a spreading habit which is less aggressive. A superb plant to attract all sorts of bees and butterflies when it blooms in late summer and into autumn. Plant in full sun to light shade and water moderately to occasionally. This variety grows throughout western North America but is rare in California, only occurring in the northeast part of the state.
Solidago velutina ssp. californica
A showy and easy to grow late blooming native perennial. Spreads by creeping rootstocks where it can form a good-sized colony. Has spread slowly in our heavy clay soils with minimal water, but has the potential to spread aggressively in lighter soils especially with regular water. Late summer through fall brings slender wand-like flower stalks of golden yellow daisies 2 - 3 ft. tall which are visited by bees, butterflies and other insects. Plant in a sunny area where it is drought tolerant, but some supplemental summer water keeps it blooming longer.
Sphaeralcea ambigua
Native to desert plant communities, apricot mallow is a showy evergreen shrublet growing 2-4 foot tall and wide. Soft-green, woolly, scalloped leaves provide the foil for long wands with an abundance of small hollyhock-like flowers in delicious shades of orange. Plant in full sun with good drainage and occasional summer water. Adaptable, tolerating cold, dry conditions but not heavy wet soils. When happy can bloom for months- trim back flowering stems after bloom for repeat performance. A beautiful addition to the dry sunny garden, ideal for inland gardens. Relatively short lived but grows rapidly and occasionally reseeds. Honeybees, native bees and hummingbirds are attracted to its flowers.
Symphyotrichum (Aster) ‘Little Carlow’
Quickly becoming a favorite, this aster has rich lavender-blue daisies starting in late summer and continuing through fall. Known to be a Symphyotrichum cordifolium hybrid hailing from the East Coast of North America. More constrained than our native Pacific aster, it is prolific bloomer with an upright habit that reaches 2-4 feet tall and wide. Best with regular to moderate water in full sun to part shade. It is highly attractive to all sorts of pollinators, especially butterflies.
Symphyotrichum (Aster) chilense
This native aster is found throughout much of Sonoma County, usually in moist soils. More slender in form than the burly Point St. George selection. Spreads vigorously but with a lighter touch, integrating itself well with native grasses and bulbs. Its summer-to-fall blossoms are white to lavender blue and provide excellent nectar for butterflies and beneficial insects. 1-3 ft. tall and spreading. Thrives in sun to light shade with moderate to little summer irrigation.
Symphyotrichum (Aster) chilense ‘Olema White’
Clear white flowers replace the class purple ones in this unusual selection of California aster that we found near the town of Olema in Marin County. In summer and into fall, a profusion of flowers bursts forth on this VIGOROUSLY spreading native perennial. An extremely adaptable groundcover reaching up to 3 ft. tall. Accepts regular to very little irrigation and full sun to light shade. This prolific bloomer is a bee magnet and also enjoyed by butterflies. Tolerant of clay and periodic flooding. Looks best when sheared to the ground after blooming.
Symphyotrichum (Aster) chilense ‘Plumas Purple’
This form of the California aster is remarkably compact and refined, featuring blue-purple daisies which are darker than any other selection we have seen. Grows to a height of under a foot and so far has been much less likely to spread aggressively, though it should get to at least 3’ wide. In late summer and early autumn, the dense blooms turn plants into bonbons of flowers. Grow in full sun, where they will be drought tolerant once established, but will enjoy an occasional soak. California asters provide an important late nectar and pollen source for bees, while butterflies enjoy the nectar and are reported to utilize them as a larval hosts. Thank you to Pete Veilleux for giving us this stellar selection! It’s thought to have been found in Plumas County, so should be quite heat and cold tolerant.
Symphyotrichum (Aster) chilense ‘Point Saint George’
A low-growing native perennial, reaching up to 1.5 feet in height and spreading widely and vigorously. Covered with soft lavender daisies over a long period, summer through fall and often into winter. Careful thought should be given to its placement as this plant really spreads. Far too vigorous for many settings, perhaps best used in planters, garden boxes or other contained areas or in large, naturalistic plantings. For sunny areas with at least a little summer water. Will tolerate flooding and periodic inundation. An excellent nectar source for bees and butterflies and seeds for birds.
Symphyotrichum (Aster) chilense ‘Purple Haze’
A wonderful selection of our native Pacific aster, chosen by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden for its deep lavender blossoms. Blooms late summer through fall and often into winter with one-inch daisies opening from dark purple buds. This plant SPREADS VIGOROUSLY by underground rhizomes, so works best when constrained by a planter or garden box or in a meadow planting. Excellent for areas needing soil stablization. The dense foliage grows quickly to 2-3 feet tall each spring, and can be annually pruned to the ground in winter. Tolerates many soil types and full sun to part shade. Requires minimal water, but occasional deep soaks keep it blooming longer. This easy to grow habitat plant will delight bees and butterflies.
Symphyotrichum (Aster) ericoides ‘Monte Cassino’
Eye-catching, cheerful, and easy to grow, 'Monte Cassino' is a particularly stunning selection of a species of American aster with a wide native range east of the Rockies. In late summer and early fall, this vigorous aster dazzles with dense sprays of delicate, white, daisy-shaped blooms. The lacy foliage remains low, but the cloud-like flower-stalks can shoot up 3-4 feet tall and wide. Makes for gorgeous cut flowers. Thrives in full sun to part shade with moderate water. Irresistable to bees and butterflies.
Symphyotrichum (Aster) foliaceum
Native to the western United States where it grows in open woods, mountain meadows and along streams at mid to high elevations. The erect flower stems hold daisies of light blue to violet blue with yellow centers, surrounded by leafy bracts. An important pollinator plant, offering pollen and nectar late in the season to bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Grows 1 - 2 ft. tall from a leafy base that slowly increases. Prefers full sun with regular to moderate moisture. Winter deciduous.
Symphyotrichum (Aster) oblongifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’
This late-blooming American aster offers dazzling bright blue-purple daisies in late summer through fall. Forms a dense mound 2-3 feet tall, with flowers nearly covering the foliage when in full bloom. A fine, reliable selection of aromatic aster, a species native to the eastern half of the United States. A good choice for borders and other areas needing a compact splash of color. Plant in full sun and provide with moderate summer water to keep it looking its best. Highly attractive to bees and butterflies. Deer resistant.
Tanacetum bipinnatum (camphoratum)
Native to sand dunes from the Bay Area north, this shrubby evergreen groundcover spreads quickly to create drifts of soft fern-like foliage. Yellow, button-shaped flowers form small clusters atop stalks up to 2 ft. tall. Enjoys full sun to light shade. Tolerant of clay soils and excessive moisture but will thrive with only occasional water once established. Reducing irrigation can temper this tansy's somewhat aggressive nature. Dune tansy has a strong scent of camphor and is valued for its medicinal uses. Beautiful when combined with ceanothus, Douglas iris and other plants from our coastal areas. Good for erosion control.
Teucrium cossonii (majoricum)
A beautiful little shrublet that hugs the ground to 2 ft. or more wide. Narrow gray-green foiage is topped with dense clusters of rosy-lavender flowers, nearly the entire growing season. Requires decent drainage with moderate to occasional summer water once established. Great rock garden plant. Pollinator friendly and deer resistant.
Trautvetteria caroliniensis
From moist woodlands in mountainous areas of northern California comes this lush and verdant buttercup relative. Large, serrated, palmate leaves up to 8 inches wide spread densely across the ground on slender stems. In summer through early fall, icy white flowers made up of thin filaments form flat topped clusters up to 5 inches wide. These delicate flowers sit atop stems reaching up to 3 ft. high. Plant in moist areas with part to full shade. The leaves will die down in winter only to re-emerge in spring. While very rare in California, false bugbane is more common in other parts of the country. Our form comes from the Siskiyou Mountains of northern California.
Vaccinium ovatum (Inverness)
This Marin County selection of the evergreen huckleberry was chosen by landscape architect Ron Lutsko for its dense and compact habit. The leaves appear to us to be smaller than usual for this species and spaced more closely together. It has the classic, tasty huckleberries and blooms and fruits readily. Plant in part shade and provide regular to moderate irrigation. Will grow in full sun near the coast. While tolerant of somewhat shadier locations, evergreen huckleberries fruit best with adequate light. Fire resistant. Deer resistant.
Veratrum fimbriatum
From moist, coastal areas of Sonoma and Mendocino County comes this very rare lily relative. A cousin of the high mountain cornlily, this threatened species features large, pleated leaves which emerge in late winter and are followed in the autumn by icy-white flowers with fringed edges. After its long bloom period is over, the plant will go dormant through the winter. Surprisingly tolerant of shade, but will accept full sun along the coast with ample moisture. A choice plant for woodland gardens and will also thrive in a container. This plant is POISONOUS when consumed. Deer and gopher resistant.
Verbena lilacina ‘De La Mina’
Verbena lilacina ‘De La Mina’ delights with dense clusters of rich lavender blossoms that are highly attractive to butterflies. Can bloom nearly year round along the coast, spring through fall elsewhere. Native to Cedros Island off of Baja, Mexico, ‘De La Mina’ was selected by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden for its darker shade of lavender flowers. Generally cold-hardy to 25°F, the deliciously aromatic, evergreen foliage may need light trimming when subject to winter frost or extreme heat. Forms a lacy mound 1-2 ft. tall and 2-4 ft. wide. Plant in full sun with moderate to occasional summer water. Makes for an excellent border or container plant, and is reportedly deer resistant.