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Thymus pseudolanuginosus  woolly thyme
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Thymus pseudolanuginosus

(woolly thyme)

A small scale ground cover forming a dense carpet of tiny, gray, woolly, aromatic leaves. Excellent to spill over a bank, in rock crevices or between stepping stones. This form of thyme rarely blooms or is very shy to bloom. Requires good drainage, full sun to light shade and moderate to occasional watering.  

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Thymus pseudolanuginosus 'Hall's Woolly'

(woolly thyme)

Admired in a friend’s garden where the low profusely blooming carpet would be a “buzz” with pollinators. Vigorous spreading groundcover of woolly gray leaves 2 - 3 inches tall by 3 ft. wide. Flowers heavily with a multitude of tiny lavender-pink flowers. Fabulous small scale groundcover spilling over a bank or raised bed. Sun to very light shade, moderate water. Deer resistant.
Thymus serpyllum 'Coccineus' red creeping thyme
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Thymus serpyllum 'Coccineus'

(red creeping thyme)

Low growing, mat forming perennial with small dark green aromatic leaves. Tiny reddish-pink flowers cover this ground cover in late spring and are bee favorites. Easy to grow in full sun with dryish conditions to moderate watering. Useful as a small scale ground cover, rock garden plant or between stepping stones. Deer resistant.
Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' creeping thyme
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Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin'

(creeping thyme)

A very cute miniature thyme growing really low, tight and dense, hugging the ground with tiny aromatic grayish-green foliage. Soft pink flower clusters barely rise above the flat mat. Grow in full sun to a little shade in well-drained soils with moderate summer water. Great in containers too.
Tiarella trifoliata v. unifoliata  sugarscoop, foamflower
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Tiarella trifoliata v. unifoliata

(sugarscoop, foamflower)

The native sugar-scoop makes an attractive groundcover in a shady spot with some moisture. Blooms in early summer with spikes of little white stars; seed pods are shaped like little scoops. Removing spent flower stalks often prompts reblooming. Native to the dark and damp forest floor of northern California. A sweet addition to the woodland garden where there is summer moisture.
Tolmiea menziesii  piggyback plant
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Tolmiea menziesii

(piggyback plant)

This western native of house plant fame, makes an attractive addition to the woodland garden. Lush looking, deep green leaves produce new plantlets at the junction of the leaf stalk and blade giving it its common name of piggyback plant. Tiny reddish-brown flowers are produced on 1 ft. stems are interesting though not terribly showy. Looks great as a small scale ground cover, in walls or containers. Needs filtered light and regular moisture.
Tolmiea menziesii 'Cool Gold' golden piggy-back plant
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Tolmiea menziesii 'Cool Gold'

(golden piggy-back plant)

Plant description coming soon.
Tolmiea menziesii 'Taff's Gold' golden piggy-back plant
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Tolmiea menziesii 'Taff's Gold'

(golden piggy-back plant)

An excellent foliage plant for shady spaces, this selection of the native piggy-back plant can light up a dark spot with its gold-speckled foliage. Tiny maroon flowers on slender stalks in spring are interesting though not super showy. The foliage doesn't reach more than a foot high with the flower stalks rising up to 2 ft. This plant has an unusual method of reproduction. New plants grow from the center of the scalloped leaves, hence the common names "piggy-back plant" and "youth on age". Needs shade with regular moisture. Tolerates root competition, making it a great plant for under redwoods. Wonderful in containers too.
Torreya californica  California nutmeg
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Torreya californica

(California nutmeg)

Rarely seen in cultivation, this unusual conifer is endemic to California. Found in the coast ranges and foothills of the Sierra Nevada, where it is scattered here and there, usually in cool habitats of canyons and steep ravines. Growing at a leisurely pace 15 to 40 ft. tall with dark- green, stiff, rather broad needles. Male and female flowers occur on separate trees, with cream colored pollen cones on the males and unusual plum-like fruits on the females, which become purplish with age. Does well in part shade with moderate to little watering.  Useful as a specimen tree or pruned into a hedge. An excellent container plant too.  
Toxicoscordion fremontii  Fremont's star lily
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Toxicoscordion fremontii

(Fremont's star lily)

Description coming soon!
Trautvetteria caroliniensis  false bugbane
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Trautvetteria caroliniensis

(false bugbane)

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 up to 1 ft. high. 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 2ft. 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.

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Trichostema 'Midnight Magic'

(hybrid blue curls)

An interesting hybrid introduced by Suncrest Nursery. A cross between the California native woolly blue curls (T. lanatum) and a Mexican species (T. purpusii), a pink flowering shrub thought to be extinct in the wild. The resulting hybrid forms a compact, rounded shrub 3-5 ft. tall with dark green, lightly aromatic leaves. Showy spikes of purple flowers with long curved stamens, bloom over a long period, late spring through fall, a delight to bees and hummingbirds. Plant in full sun with good drainage and moderate to occasional summer water. Hardy to around 25-30 degrees. 
Trichostema lanatum  woolly blue curls
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Trichostema lanatum

(woolly blue curls)

Woolly blue curls is a much sought after evergreen shrub with pungent, dark green, narrow leaves and spectacular flower spikes. Grows 3-4 foot tall and wide and blooms over a long period.  Blue-purple to pink flowers, covered in purple hairs with protruding, long, curving stamens are a sight to behold. Native to coastal scrub and chaparral communities from Monterey county to northern Baja. Requires full sun, good drainage and is drought tolerant once established. Avoid regular irrigation, fertilizer and organic mulches. Pollinated by hummingbirds and visited by bumblebees and butterflies. Deer resistant.
Trientalis latifolia  star flower
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Trientalis latifolia

(star flower)

Shade loving native perennial, inhabiting open woods from San Luis Obispo County to British Columbia. Forming small colonies from underground tuberous rootstock. Slender stems rise 6 inches tall with a whorl of neat leaves at the top of the erect stems. Dainty pink star-shaped flowers are suspended above the leaves on thread-like pedicels. Flourishes in loose, woodsy, acidic soils in lightly shaded areas. Thrives with the spring rains, then goes dormant in the summer dry period. A charming addition to the shade garden.
Trillium  chloropetalum  giant Trillium
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Trillium chloropetalum

(giant Trillium)

The beautiful and distinctive giant Trillium is an elegant addition to the woodland garden.Native to coastal and interior open forests and woodlands of the San Francisco Bay Area and North Coast Ranges.Emerges in February with three broad leaves surrounding a leafless stem 10-18 inches tall. A single large flower arises directly from the whorl of leaves and can vary from white, pink, to maroon red. The leaves often have green or maroon mottling. After flowering it dies back to the ground. Prefers the dappled light of a woodland setting with humusy well drained soil and some summer moisture.
Triteleia hyacinthina  white brodiaea
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Triteleia hyacinthina

(white brodiaea)

One of the easier to grow native bulbs that adapts well to garden conditions. Native to vernally moist areas that become summer dry in the Coast Ranges, Central Valley and Sierra Nevada into southwestern Oregon. Slender flowering stems rise one to two feet above the narrow leaves, with umbels of white, star-shaped flowers with green centers. If happy, the corms will multiply, forming drifts among grasses and shrubs and in open woodland settings. Easy to grow in containers, where they can be stashed in the shade once they go dormant. Bee and butterfly favorite.
Triteleia laxa 'Aquarius' double-flowered Ithuriel's spear
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Triteleia laxa 'Aquarius'

(double-flowered Ithuriel's spear)

Description coming soon!
Triteleia laxa 'Corrina' Ithuriel's spear
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Triteleia laxa 'Corrina'

(Ithuriel's spear)

A beautifully dark flowered form of our Ithuriel’s spear, with flowers a darker blue-purple than the more common ‘Queen Fabiola’. The trumpet-shaped flowers form circular clusters at the top of slender stalks 12 to 18 inches high. This easy to grow bulb sends up slender, grass-like leaves in late winter followed by the striking flowers in late spring. Multiplies readily forming colorful drifts which mix well with grasses and smaller perennials. Tolerant of pretty much all soil types and can be allowed to dry out completely in summer when it goes dormant. Unlike most grassland bulbs, this species will also tolerate moderate irrigation. Plant in full sun to light shade. Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Triteleia laxa 'Queen Fabiola' Ithuriel's spear
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Triteleia laxa 'Queen Fabiola'

(Ithuriel's spear)

Trumpets of bluish-purple blossoms make a dazzling display at the height of spring on this easily grown lily relative. The showy flowers rise up to 18 inches tall in dense whorls on slender stalks above grasslike leaves. The small bulbs increase rapidly to form small, colorful drifts. Give full sun to light shade. Tolerant of dry conditions but accepts occasional irrigation. Will go dormant by mid-summer but reemerges in early winter. Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Plant in openings between low, evergreen plants or in meadows with yarrow, California fuchsia and grasses. 
Triteleia laxa 'Rudy' Ithuriel's spear
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Triteleia laxa 'Rudy'

(Ithuriel's spear)

An interesting flower color variation of this easy to grow native bulb. Grasslike blades 12 - 18 inches tall produce flower stems with large clusters of showy, funnel-shaped, pale blue-lavender blossoms with a vivid violet stripe down the center of each petal. An eye catching addition to a naturalistic planting, in sun to light shade. A willing grower which will multiply if happy. Enjoys dry conditions once done flowering, but will accept some moisture. Good container subject. Attracts bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.
Triteleia laxa 'Silver Queen' Ithuriel's spear
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Triteleia laxa 'Silver Queen'

(Ithuriel's spear)

A white form of Ithuriel’s spear?! We kid you not. You may be familiar with this species and its traditionally blue-purple, trumpet-shaped flowers perched in whorls atop stalks up to a foot tall. We now have a selection featuring soft white flowers. This native bulb sends up grass-like foliage in the winter followed by the charming flowers in spring and early summer. The bulbs multiply readily, forming small colonies over time. While it tolerates dry conditions in summer, it will also accept occasional irrigation, making it very useful in the garden. Enjoys full sun to light shade and will tolerate clay soil. 
Vaccinium ovatum  evergreen huckleberry
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Vaccinium ovatum

(evergreen huckleberry)

A handsome evergreen shrub native to moist forests of the Pacific Coast. Leathery dark green leaves with new growth flushed bronzy-red. Small pinkish flowers in the spring are followed by delectable black berries prized in pies and jams. A slow growing shrub for shady situations or cool sun along the coast with moderate to regular water. Can grow 4 - 5 ft. tall and wide or as much as 8 ft. tall in especially prime locations given time. Flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds and bees, fruit for many species including humans. Fire resistant. Deer resistant.

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Vaccinium ovatum 'Scarlet Ovation'

(evergreen huckleberry)

A round of applause for this cultivar of the evergreen huckleberry, featuring an especially compact habit and stand out bronzy-red new growth. Forms a small, dense shrub, to only around 3 ft. tall and wide. The new growth in the spring is dependably fiery-red, contrasting beautifully with the neat, dark-green older foliage. Small, urn-shaped, pinkish-white flowers are rich in nectar and attract an array of pollinators, including hummingbirds. The small, dark-blue berries are tasty and enjoyed by wildlife and humans. Huckleberries can grow in full sun along the coast, but require some shade in hot areas. Moderate to regular summer water. Fire and deer resistant. 

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Vaccinium ovatum (Inverness)

(evergreen huckleberry)

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.
Vancouveria hexandra  northern inside-out flower
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Vancouveria hexandra

(northern inside-out flower)

A useful ground cover for shady areas with delicate apple green, fern-like foliage and creeping rootstocks. Grows 6 to 12 inches tall and spreads slowly by underground rhizomes. Dainty, nodding, white flowers with reflexed petals give the impression of being turned inside out and can appear over a long period from April through June. This western native grows profusely in moist woodland conditions but tolerates dryish conditions once established. Competes well with tree roots too.

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