Fragaria vesca ‘Montana de Oro’
A vigorous, heavy blooming selection of woodland strawberry from a coastal canyon at Montana de Oro in San Luis Obisbo County. This easy to grow, carpet forming, ground cover is a great colonizer and stabilizer for lightly shaded areas. Deals well with root competition and thin soils. Pretty little white flowers are followed by small, tasty, red fruits. Often deer resistant.
Frangula (Rhamnus) californica ‘Ed Holm’
Prized by gardeners for its low, dense habit and shiny, leathery leaves, this special selection of coffeeberry was discovered along Skyline Dr. in the northern Santa Cruz Mountains. Clusters of small, creamy-yellow flowers are produced from spring through fall and are followed by penny-sized, deep purple fruits. Over time, 'Ed Holm' will reach a height of up to 3 ft. and a width up to 6 ft.. Plant in full sun to light shade. Protect from the hot afternoon sun in hot areas and give moderate to infrequent irrigation. The blossoms are a favorite of bees.
Frangula (Rhamnus) californica ‘Eve Case’
This well-known cultivar of coffeeberry was introduced to the trade in 1975 by the Saratoga Horticultural Foundation. Coffeeberry is a handsome evergreen shrub with broad leathery leaves. This selection grows to 6 ft. tall and wide, though mature specimens can reach 8 ft. or more tall under ideal circumstances. The small yellow-green flowers are not showy but attract an array of pollinators. The berries start out green and age to burgundy-black and are attractive to small mammals and birds. A larval food source for pale swallowtail butterfly. Adaptable, grows in sun to light shade. Drought tolerant but appreciates occasional summer water.
Frangula (Rhamnus) californica ‘Leatherleaf’
Another fine Roger Raiche selection, this coffeeberry cultivar is well worth growing. The evergreen leaves are particularly dark and broad with a mounding habit growing 5 - 6 ft. tall and wide. The tiny flowers attract a wide array of pollinators. Larval food source for pale swallowtail butterfly. The handsome fruits go green to red to black and are enjoyed by small mammals and birds. Plant in sun to light shade. Drought tolerant once established though occasional summer watering is helpful. An adaptable and useful shrub for both formal and naturalistic plantings.
Frangula (Rhamnus) californica ‘Seaview’
This highly sought after selection of our native coffeeberry stays low and compact only reaching 2 – 3 ft tall and up to 6 ft wide. The tidy, deep green leaves form dense rosettes with small cream-colored flowers appearing from spring through summer. Deep purple “berries” form dense clusters in the summer and fall. Enjoys full sun to moderate shade and moderate to occasional water once established. An excellent habitat plant for bees and birds.
Frangula (Rhamnus) purshiana
Native to moist places from Mendocino County northwards and throughout the Sierra Nevadas, this medium sized deciduous tree is distinctive for its shiny, green leaves with strong venation. Ranges in height from 15 to 30 ft. tall. Bees are attracted to the clusters of small, cream-colored flowers and birds enjoy the dark purple berries which follow. Plant in riparian zones or in areas where it can receive regular moisture. Give full sun to part shade. Requires protection from the afternoon sun in the hottest areas.
Fraxinus dipetala
This is our only native ash with showy flowers. A large shrub or multi-trunked tree native to slopes, canyons and stream banks in hot interior regions of the state. Grows 7 to 25 ft. tall with pinnately compound leaves. The creamy white flowers are produced on dangling racemes in mid to late spring, followed by pendulous clusters of samara fruits. Like the California buckeye, it loses its leaves early to evade the long dry summer. Grows in sun to partial shade. Drought tolerant once established.
Gambelia (Galvezia) speciosa
Evergreen shrub native to the Channel Islands off the So. California coast. Forms an arching mound of medium green foliage 3-4 ft. tall x 5 ft. wide, but can climb or lean on other shrubs to grow even taller. Clusters of scarlet, tubular flowers decorate the branch tips in spring and intermittently throughout the year and are adored by hummingbirds. Full sun along the coast, light shade in hot areas. Drought tolerant and amenable to pruning. Hardy to around 20°F.
Gambelia (Galvezia) speciosa ‘Firecracker’
An interesting, evergreen subshrub from the California Channel Islands. Showy, deep-red, tubular flowers decorate the branch tips and are highly attractive to hummingbirds. The cultivar ‘Firecracker’ was selected by Tree of Life Nursery for its compact habit, growing 3 foot tall and 5 foot wide, with fuzzy, pale green leaves and larger, red, snapdragon-like flowers. A natural along the coast where it will grow in full sun to light shade, afternoon shade is best in hotter inland sites. Drought tolerant once established, but enjoys occasional summer water, especially away from the coast. Hardy to 15 -20 degrees F.
Garrya elliptica
Garryas are grown primarily for their winter flower catkins. The longer, pendulous male catkins have traditionally been the most sought after with selections like 'James Roof' and 'Evie'. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants and both must be present for the female to produce their lovely grapelike clusters of fruit. These plants are seed grown so males and females are of equal probability. All plants feature larger, evergreen leaves on multitrunked shrubs reaching 10 - 15 ft tall and wide. Very amenable to pruning. Plant in full sun or partial shade. Provide moderate irrigation inland, but established plants will be drought tolerant near the coast where they occur naturally. Somewhat deer resistant.
Garrya elliptica ‘Evie’
This cultivar of the native silktassel bush is more compact than the better known ‘James Roof’. The 8 to 10 inch catkins are shorter but more profuse. Evergreen, grows 10 ft. or taller. Sun to part shade, good drainage. Provide moderate to occasional irrigation inland. Winter is its showiest time when it is covered in silvery catkins. Discovered on the northern Sonoma Coast. Somewhat deer resistant.
Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’
Outstanding cultivar of the native silktassel bush. Evergreen shrub 10 ft. tall or more. Striking 12 inch long silvery catkins in winter. Sun to part shade and drought tolerant. Enjoys moderate summer water inland. Discovered along the coast of Prairie Creek State Park in Humboldt Co.. Somewhat deer resistant.
Grindelia stricta var. platyphylla ‘Mendocino’
This selection features particularly large bright yellow 2 1/2 inch daisies over a long period in the summer. Each fat green flower bud holds a dollop of gummy white resin which protects the blooms from predators, hence the name “gum plant”. 'Mendocino' is a particularly prostrate form under 8 inches tall and spreading to at least 6' wide. Native to dunes, marshes and bluffs in coastal scrub throughout coastal California. Excellent pollinator plant. Useful in a meadow planting or with other low groundcovers and shrubs. Looks nice draping over a wall too. An adaptable plant for sun to light shade, moderate to occasional water. A natural along the coast where it tolerates wind and salt spray. Deer resistant.
Hazardia squarrosa v. squarrosa
For a splash of color in late summer and fall, this goldenbush is a great choice, providing clusters of cheery, golden flowers at the height of the dry season, which supply food for butterflies. Birds enjoy the seeds which follow. Rounded leaves with sawtooth margins line the stems and emit a wonderfully sweet scent. This seed strain comes from a hot area in Big Sur and is remarkably compact and rounded, reaching about 3 ft. tall and wide. We’ve found it to be very adaptable, tolerant of clay soils and zero to occasional irrigation. Likes full sun but will accept a little shade. Plant with buckwheats, Salvias, and California fuchsias. Not usually available in Northern California nurseries.
Helianthus annuus
Native to much of North America, this is a wild California selection from the Central Valley just east of Lake Berryessa. A fast growing annual with coarse heart-shaped leaves and topped with an abundance of 3 inch flowers, with bright yellow petals and brown centers on branched stalks. An excellent habitat plant, providing nectar and pollen for a wide array of bees and butterflies as well as seed relished by birds. A highly variable species with a long history of uses and domestication. Plant in full sun where it is adaptable to soil types and watering regimes. Can manage in dryish conditions but best with moderate water, especially early in its growth.
Hesperocyparis macnabiana
MacNab Cypress is native to dry, open, slopes, usually on serpentine, in chaparral and woodlands of Northern California. Fast growing tree or large shrub, 15 – 40 ft. tall, often with multiple trunks and a spreading crown, growing wider than it is tall. The pleasantly pungent, grey-green, foliage smells like gin and is arranged on flattened branches, giving it a somewhat lacey appearance. The bark is rough and furrowed and the cones are spherical and persistent. Plant in full sun with good drainage and little to no summer water once established. Deer resistant.
Heterotheca sessiliflora ssp. bolanderi ‘San Bruno Mountain’
Versatile and tough native perennial well suited for the rock garden front of the border or container plantings. Evergreen foliage forms low mats topped with bright yellow daisies in summer - fall. For sunny sites and dryish conditions. Flowers are appealing to bees and butterflies.
Heuchera ‘Canyon Duet’
A Santa Barbara Botanic Garden selection, part of their Quartet Series of hybrids. This charming, diminutive coral bells forms low, sturdy clumps of small rounded leaves slowly spreading to about 10-12 inches wide. Bi-colored flowers of dark pink and white rise 12 to 18 inches above the dense foliage in spring and early summer. Heuchera's require good light to bloom well but resent full sun, especially inland. Moderate to occasional water. Excellent small scale perennial for mixed border, edging or rock garden. Good container subject too.
Heuchera ‘Old La Rochette’
Here is a wonderful, often hard to find Heuchera hybrid. Grows into robust clumps of rounded leaves to around 1 ft. tall and 1 - 2 ft. wide. 2 ft. tall flower stalks carry hundreds of soft pink blossoms in the spring, and often intermittently through the summer. Sturdy perennial for part shade and a little summer water. This species attracts hummingbirds.
Heuchera ‘Rosada’
Listed as one of U.C. Davis Arboretum’s “All Stars”, this heuchera hybrid is tough and dependable. Forms an attractive mound of evergreen foliage 10 - 12 inches tall. A long display of tall flower stems covered with creamy-pink dainty bells begin in the spring and often continue into the summer. Best with part shade and moderate to occasional summer water. Attracts hummingbirds.
Heuchera ‘Santa Ana Cardinal’
An outstanding hybrid that is vigorous and free flowering. Compact clumps of foliage topped with 2 ft. tall flowering stems with vibrant rose-red blossoms over a long period. Plant in cool full sun to light shade with moderate to occassional summer water once established. This species attracts hummingbirds.
Heuchera micrantha ‘Martha Roderick’
Here’s a pink flowered form of the normally white flowered native alum root. Foliage forms handsome clumps topped with slender stalks 1 - 1 1/2 ft. tall of tiny pink flowers. Excellent in woodland setting for border, slope or rock garden. Drought tolerant but best with a little water. This species attracts hummingbirds.
Iris douglasiana
Native to the California coast from Santa Barbara to Oregon. Grows both on the edge of coastal forests and on bluffs and prairies along the ocean. Clumps of evergreen, sword-shaped leaves increase readily and are topped with violet-purple blossoms early to mid spring. Important nectar producer for native bees. An adaptable garden subject for cool full sun to light shade. Drought tolerant once established, but occasional summer water will help keep foliage fresher. Deer resistant.
Iris douglasiana – Robust Form
We discovered this incredibly striking form of the popular Douglas iris near Tannery Gulch, outside of Occidental. The dark, evergreen leaves reach up to an astounding three feet in height, and are exceptionally broad. Even though these are grown by seed, the flowers are a dependable lavender-blue, with sprays of white and yellow, held on tall stalks reaching up to a foot above the foliage! Grows well in dappled shade in hotter areas, but can take full sun where there is coastal influence. While drought tolerant, occasional deep soaks keep them looking verdant and vigorous. Deer and gopher resistant.
Iris douglasiana ‘Canyon Snow’
A dependable and floriferous selection of the native Douglas iris, with springtime flowers that are pure white with yellow markings on the falls. Broad shiny blades are mostly evergreen and grow a foot or more tall and form compact clumps. Plant in sun to part shade, particularly in hot inland areas, with moderate to little summer water. Prefers good drainage but will grow well on clay soils provided they are mounded up. Too much summer water on heavy soils will prove fatal. Deer resistant.
Iris douglasiana v. major
This rare form of the Douglas iris occurs throughout Marin County, offering a rainbow of possible flower colors, including blue-purple, mauve, creamy yellow and white, with all sorts of gradations in between. Since these are seed grown, the color will be a surprise when they bloom. The spring blossoms often have striking venation, and are held on stalks 1’ – 2’ high. Foliage clumps generally reach about a foot tall and spread to form extensive colonies of evergreen, strap like leaves. Plant in full sun in cooler areas, but provide some shade in hotter zones. Plants require little water once established, and are perhaps a little more drought and heat tolerant than the straight species. Deer and gopher resistant.
Iris longipetala
Restricted to swales and moist areas in coastal grasslands from San Francisco to Monterey, this uncommon native is well worth growing. Bluish-green evergreen blades form erect clumps one foot to 20 inches tall. Early spring brings beautiful lavender-blue flowers with dark purple venation. Full sun in coastal areas, a little shade inland with regular water through the bloom period. Can go dryer once flowering is finished. Deer resistant.