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 ‘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 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 sonomensis
Sonoma sage is a wonderful native perennial and can be a serviceable groundcover if its needs are met. Good drainage is a must and it performs best with light shade. Water plants to get established-very drought tolerant, will NOT tolerate regular summer water. Mat forming, flowers rise to about 6 inches above the foliage and are lavender-blue. This species attracts bees and hummingbirds. Deer resistant.
Salvia sonomensis ‘Greenberg Gray’
We named this wonderful gray-leaved form of the Sonoma sage for Katherine Greenberg who had it growing in her beautiful Lafayette garden. This striking species forms a ground hugging carpet of leaves with charming, blue-purple flowers in late spring on stems up to 6 inches tall. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds love the blossoms. Needs lightly dappled shade and excellent drainage with little to no water once established. Great under manzanitas. Deer resistant.
Salvia sonomensis ‘Hobbit Toes’
An interesting selection of Sonoma sage from the Cuesta Grade in San Luis Obispo County. A compact grower forming a flat mat of gray leaves covered with soft white hairs. The blue-violet flowers spikes are darker than many of our local forms and make a beautiful display in late spring, a favorite of bees and hummingbirds. This fragrant ground cover tolerates heat and drought and requires good drainage with only occasional to no summer watering once established. Will grow in a variety of exposures but often seems happiest with a bit of light shade. Deer resistant.
Salvia sonomensis ‘John Farmar-Bowers’
Thanks to Kent Calkins for sharing this unique form of sonoma sage he found growing on his property in the hills above Santa Rosa. Instead of the usual lavender-blue flowers, this plant has creamy white flowers on 6 inch stalks above the ground hugging mat of aromatic foliage. A wonderful native groundcover which requires good drainage and performs best with light shade. Water plants to get established - very drought tolerant, will NOT tolerate regular summer water. Deer resistant. Attracts bees and hummingbirds.
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 spathacea ‘Avis Keedy’
An striking yellow-flowered form of the normally magenta-flowered hummingbird sage, introduced by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Discovered in an oak woodland in Santa Barbara County, this cultivar has unusual lemon yellow petals that fade to creamy white and are backed by lime green bracts. Forms the usual fragrant, spreading mat of large leaves topped with 2-3 foot tall flower stalks with distinctive whorls of flowers in the spring. Best with part shade unless directly along the coast and an occasional summer watering to keep it going through the summer. Without summer water will go summer dormant reviving with the rains. A bee and hummingbird favorite. Deer resistant.
Salvia spathacea ‘Las Pilitas’
A very LOW form of the fragrant hummingbird sage, selected and introduced by Las Pilitas Nursery. Ground hugging foliage spreads to form handsome mats 3 - 6 ft. wide. Flower stems rise 18 inches above the foliage with ball-like clusters of magenta flowers which are bee and hummingbird favorites. Best with light shade and occasional summer water. Deer resistant.
Salvia spathacea ‘Powerline Pink’
This selection of the wonderful native hummingbird sage is notable for its size. It stands 2 ft. tall before it flowers, and its flowering stalks can add another 2-3 ft. to the height. Fragrant, fruity foliage spreads by creeping rhizomes to form handsome mats. The flower stems carry many large ball-like clusters of magenta flowers that the bees and hummingbirds love. Does best in cool sun or part shade in hot areas. Drought tolerant but looks best with occasional summer water. 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.
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.
Sedum spathulifolium
A mat forming native succulent often seen on rocky cliffs and shady banks in California’s Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada north to British Columbia. Small, spoon-shaped leaves form flat rosettes where bright yellow star-like flowers appear in late spring and early summer. A natural for the rock garden or container plantings where they are best with part shade. Very drought tolerant.
Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’
A mat forming, western native succulent, often seen on rocky cliffs and shady banks in California’s Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada north to British Columbia. Small, spoon-shaped leaves form flat rosettes where bright yellow star-like flowers appear in late spring and early summer. The cultivar 'Cape Blanco' was selected along the Oregon coast, for its chalky-white foliage. A natural for the rock garden or container plantings where they are best with part shade. Very drought tolerant.
Sedum spathulifolium ‘Purpureum’
This distinctive form of the Pacific stonecrop features purple leaves which turn particularly dark in the winter. Bright yellow flowers are produced in late spring and early summer on short stems up to 4 inches high. This mat forming succulent grows in rocky crevices and shady banks in California’s Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada north to British Columbia. The small, spoon-shaped leaves form flat rosettes. Needs excellent drainage and some shade, especially in the afternoon. A natural for the rock garden or container plantings where its diminutive nature can be appreciated. Very drought tolerant.
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.
Sidalcea malviflora
Beautiful spring blooming native perennial found in moist meadows along the coast and inland from Southern Oregon to the Mexican border. Reliable and easy to grow, and an excellent addition to a grasslands or meadow planting. Grow in full sun to partial shade where it thrives with moisture and tolerates moderate to little water once established. With drought will go summer dormant. Light to dark pink, small to large flowered; they are all beautiful. A nectar and larval food source for the West Coast Lady, Painted Lady, Common Checkered Skipper, and the Gray Hairstreak butterflies.
Sidalcea malviflora ‘Palustre’
This selection of our native checkerbloom has particularly large, saturated pink flowers held on stems which spread across the ground. Leathery, dark-green, scalloped leaves form a carpet on this small-scale groundcover. Plant in full sun to light shade and provide moderate irrigation. Butterflies nectar on the flowers and also use checkerbloom as a larval host plant. West Coast lady, painted lady, checkered skipper and gray hairstreak butterflies all depend on this species to support their caterpillars.
Sidalcea malviflora ssp. patula
Bright, rose-pink flowers line foot long stems on this rare checkermallow from northwest California. Spreading mats of fuzzy, round leaves provide an appealing backdrop for the colorful flowers. Enjoys full sun to part shade. Protect from the hot afternoon sun in inland climates. Provide moderate to occasional irrigation. An excellent plant for bees and butterflies.
Sidalcea malviflora ssp. virgata
This beautiful, perennial mallow can be found in grasslands, meadows, and roadsides of Oregon. Forms a low rosette 1 to 2 ft. wide with trailing branches and rounded, lobed leaves. The showy, hollyhock-like flowers are arranged on upright spikes, ranging from light to deep pink and bloom for a long period beginning in late spring. Plant in full sun to light shade with moderate to occasional water once established. Lovely in meadow plantings with other perennials, bulbs and grasses. An important nectar source for bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects and a host plant for several butterfly species.