Salvia clevelandii x ‘Pozo Blue’
This hybrid of Salvia clevelandii and Salvia leucophylla was selected by Las Pilitas Nursery and is getting very good reviews. It appears to be a good substitute for Cleveland sage tolerating less than perfect soil conditions and colder low temperatures. Growing 3-5 ft tall and wide with gray-green fragrant foliage. Blue-lavender flowers in ball-like clusters top the shrub in late spring through early summer and are highly attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Best in full sun with decent drainage. Drought tolerant once established. Deer resistant.
Salvia clevelandii x ‘Whirly Blue’
Large native sage growing 4.5 - 6 ft. tall and wide with aromatic gray-green foliage and rich violet flowers. Very large flower whorls and deeper color distinguish it from Salvia ‘Aromas’ and Salvia ‘Allen Chickering’. Good for dry sunny areas. Deer resistant. Attractive to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.
Salvia greggii
Highly variable species, this form of Salvia greggii grows to around 4 foot tall. Blooming far longer than just autumn, this sage will flower throughout the summer and fall with bright red flowers on the branch tips. Grows in full sun to light shade (especially in hottest areas) with moderate summer watering. More drought tolerant in coastal areas. Benefits from annual pruning in the spring to shape plants and remove any dead wood. Deer resistant. A hummingbird and bee favorite.
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 leucophylla ‘Amethyst Bluff’
Selected by Carol Bornstein for its vivid rosy-pink flowers, this willing grower starts out as a low mounding shrub, eventually getting very large, reaching 5 ft. or more tall by 8 ft. wide. The fragrant silvery foliage is a lovely foil for the large flower heads on 12 inch stalks. Perfect choice for sunny banks where it can sprawl freely and is excellent for erosion control. Drought tolerant, particularly along the coast, but appreciates an occasional summer watering. A bee and hummingbird favorite. Deer and drought resistant.
Salvia leucophylla ‘Figueroa’
A beautiful selection of the native gray sage. Forms a compact shrub 3 - 4 ft. tall and more than 6 ft. wide. The gorgeous whitish-gray foliage is topped with long stems of lavender-pink flowers in whorls. Good choice for a dry sunny bank where it is heat, drought and deer tolerant. This species attracts bees and hummingbirds.
Salvia leucophylla ‘Point Sal’
A compact, low form of the native purple sage reaching 2 ft. or so tall by more than 6 ft. wide. An evergreen shrub with beautiful, silvery, aromatic foliage and pale lavender-pink flowers in whorls on wand-like stems. Useful in dry sunny areas but will also accept moderate moisture, unlike most native sages. An excellent garden subject which is more sturdy and disease resistant than the popular 'Bee's Bliss'. Great for covering hot banks and retaining walls. Discovered on Point Sal in southern California. Attracts bees and hummingbirds. Deer resistant.
Salvia mellifera
California’s most common sage occurring in coastal scrub and chaparral communities from the San Francisco Bay Area south into Baja. Grows about 3 - 5 ft. tall and wide with textured, highly aromatic foliage. Flowers in late spring with tight whorls of small whitish to pale lavender blossoms. Flowers are not super showy, but renowned as an excellent source of nectar for bees and hummingbirds. Plant in full sun to light shade where it is tough, drought tolerant and deer resistant. No additional water is required once established.
Salvia mellifera ‘Big Rock’
California's most common sage, growing in coastal scrub and chaparral communities from SF Bay Area south to Baja. The selection 'Big Rock' hails from the most northerly population, on Big Rock Ridge in Marin County. This sage is considered one of the best sources of nectar for bees and attracts a wide array of pollinators, including solitary native bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The seeds are relished by quail and other birds. This selection is particularly fast growing and disease resistant, sporting highly fragrant, dark green foliage, growing 5 - 6 ft tall and somewhat wider. Late spring brings spikes of bluish-white flowers arranged in tight whorls. Plant in full sun where it will be extremely drought tolerant once established. Deer resistant.
Salvia mellifera ‘Terra Seca’
Here is an interesting form of the normally upright, native black sage. 'Terra Seca' grows to about 2 1/2 ft. tall and 5 ft. wide. Perfect for a dry sunny bank where it will cover the ground densely and thickly. It will spill over a wall beautifully. The flowers are pale lavender. Deer and drought resistant. This species attracts bees and hummingbirds.
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 ‘Heatwave Glimmer’
Another selection from the Heatwave Series, bred in Australia for compact habit and heat resistance. Growing around 2.5 ft. tall, this floriferous sage offers creamy-white flowers with a hint of pink. The abundant blossoms are set off by handsome black calyces and appeal to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Plant in full sun to light shade. Drought tolerant but best with occasional deep watering during the growing season. 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.
Salvia pachyphylla
Native to southern California deserts, this beautiful silvery shrub of intensely aromatic foliage grows 18 - 30 inches tall and wide. Spikes of densely packed violet whorls support elongated blue flowers, blooming over a long period in summer. This striking sage requires full sun with excellent drainage, where it will be extremely drought tolerant once established. A magnet for pollinators including butterflies and hummingbirds. Deer resistant.
Salvia spathacea
A wonderful native sage, endemic to California where it is found at low elevations of the Coast Ranges from San Bruno Mountain in the north to Orange County in the south. Fragrant, fruity foliage spreads by creeping rhizomes to form handsome mats. Flower stems rise 2 - 3 ft. above the leaves carrying many large ball-like clusters of magenta flowers that the hummingbirds adore. Does best in cool sun or part shade in hot areas. Drought tolerant, but looks best with occasional summer water. This species attracts hummingbirds. Deer resistant.
Salvia x ‘Dara’s Choice’
Selected by Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, this native hybrid sage forms a dense, dark green, mounding groundcover 1.5-2 ft. tall by 3 – 5 ft. wide. The aromatic foliage is topped with wands of soft lavender-blue flowers on small whorls in the late spring to early summer. In hotter climates, light or part shade is preferred, where it will be quite drought tolerant once established. A more refined native sage which combines well with iris, California fuchsia and grasses. Adored by bees and hummingbirds but not eaten by deer.
Sambucus mexicana (nigra ssp. caerulea)
Our native blue elderberry, often seen on banks above rivers and streams, or even on somewhat drier slopes. A fast growing deciduous shrub or small tree 8 to 30 ft. tall with pinnately divided leaves. Creamy yellow flowers appear in late spring in flat-topped clusters, followed by blue berries. High on the birds’ favorite list! Ripe berries feed many species of birds. Moderate to infrequent summer water.
Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) acutus var. occidentalis
Also called giant bulrush, this large bold plant can form massive colonies on the edges of wet areas. Native to freshwater marshes, lakes and stream banks throughout lower elevations in California and much of North America. Vertical, thick, round, leafless stems grow 10 to 15 ft. tall and spread underground. In large landscapes it can be used as a pond or riparian plant where it will form dense thickets. Can be grown in containers for smaller gardens, set just below water level for a dramatic vertical accent. Plant in full sun with regular water. Provides good habitat for wildlife.
Scrophularia californica
Native to open places of the coastal scrub and woodlands where it can form large colonies in moist areas. Grows 3 to 6 ft. tall and wide in cool full sun to light shade. Pretty purplish-red new growth matures to deep green. The flower spikes carry many small open-mouthed maroon-red flowers followed by attractive seed stalks which are nice in dried flower arrangements. This prolific nectar producer attracts all sorts of pollinators including bees and hummingbirds. Larval food source for the Chalcedon Checkerspot and Common Buckeye butterfly.
Scrophularia californica ‘green-flowered form’
An interesting color form of the normally maroon flowered figwort. Seed was collected from a site in northern Santa Cruz county that has wonderful yellow-green flowers. The open-mouthed flowers are small but profuse. Native to open places of the coastal scrub and woodland where it can form large colonies in moist areas. Grows 3 to 6 ft. tall and wide in cool full sun to light shade. Larval food source for the common checkerspot butterfly.
Scutellaria californica
A charming perennial native to gravelly soils of low and mid elevation mountains of Northern California where it grows on the edge of woodlands and chaparral communities. Leaves are arranged oppositely on erect stems around one foot tall. The very sweet, small, creamy-white snapdragon-like flowers occur in pairs at the leaf axils. Spreads by underground rootstocks to form colonies. In our nutritious, water-retentive soils has spread quite vigorously, in dryer leaner soils less so. Plant in full sun to light shade. Drought tolerant but would appreciate a little summer water.
Scutellaria suffrutescens
Sturdy, compact, long blooming perennial growing less than 6 inches tall by 15 inches wide. Deep green foliage and dense growth habit make a tidy foil for the profusion of small rosy- pink snapdragon-like flowers over a long period spring-summer. Highly attractive to pollinators and hummingbirds. Plant in full sun to light shade with occasional water. Drought and heat tolerant. Deer tolerant too.
Sedum divergens
This is a little beauty. Mat-forming and evergreen, this succulent is native to California north to Alaska. Tolerant of wet winters, the shiny round bead-like leaves turn a dark red in full sun. Stays compact and slowly spreads, 2 - 4 inches tall, reaching about 18 inches in diameter. Blooms starry yellow flowers in summer. Great in rock gardens, planters, useful as an edge plant. Adapts to many soil types. Fully hardy and drought tolerant once established. We have this planted in our trough in front of the greenhouse.
Sequoia sempervirens
A beautiful and fast growing conifer, famous, as it is the world’s tallest tree. Outside its native range or in a garden setting, it provides a symmetrical pyramid of soft fragrant foliage 70 to 150 ft. The columnar trunks are covered with thick fibrous red-brown bark. Small one inch cones form in clusters at the branch tips. Grows easily in areas with coastal influence and fog but will grow in drier interior sites with regular summer water. Performs well in the regular watering regimes of many urban gardens and lawns. Can be planted as a specimen, in groves, or even pruned as a hedge. As long as its watering requirements are met it has very few pest or disease problems.
Sequoiadendron giganteum
This iconic Californian giant hales from the west side of the Sierra Nevada where it forms dramatic cathedrals with its massive, cinnamon-colored trunks. The leaves are gray-green and scale-like, hugging the billowing stems. In nature, this close relative of the coast redwood can be over 3,000 years old and reach over 300 ft. tall with trunks bulging to 56 ft. in diameter. In a garden setting you can expect a more reasonable height of 60 – 90 ft. with a canopy spread of around 40 ft. A stunning specimen tree for a large garden. Needs decent drainage and occasional irrigation when young, though it will become quite drought tolerant once established. Full sun to light shade. More cold hardy and drought tolerant than the coast redwood. Reported to be 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.