Athyrium filix-femina ‘Minutissimum’
A miniature form of the lovely lady fern, growing up to one foot tall and two feet wide. Forms compact mounds of finely divided light green fronds. Perfect for the small spaces, rock gardens or containers. A vigorous and hardy fern needing only shade and moisture to thrive. Dies back to the ground in the winter. The new unfurling fiddleheads adds charm in the spring. Deer resistant.
Blechnum (Struthiopteris) spicant
A beautiful and charming fern native to moist coastal forests of northern California. Deep green glossy, narrow fronds are of two strikingly different forms. The outer skirt of fronds is evergreen. The central "fertile" fronds are stiffly erect and airy. It makes for a striking effect. Grows 18" to 2 ft. tall and wide. Best with partial shade to shade and regular moisture.
Bouteloua gracilis
Here’s a wonderful grass - an important species of the original North American shortgrass prairie. In California it occurs in desert regions. Fine textured light green-gray foliage topped with interesting flowers 8 - 36” tall. The flowers are attached to the stem at right angles and resemble tiny combs. The whole plant turns purple with frost then fades to blonde. Use in mass or as a specimen in rock garden or containers. Often suggested for a mowed or unmowed lawn where it tolerates extreme cold, heat, drought and foot traffic. Deer resistant.
Bouteloua gracilis ‘Pestanas de Angeles’
Long lived, warm season, perennial grass, native to North America. The selection ‘Pestanas de Angeles’ is from San Bernardino County in Southern California. Fine textured, grey-green blades about 6 inches tall. Intriguing flower heads look like little flags or eye lashes on wiry stems under a foot tall. Tolerant of heat, drought and poor soils, this grass is at home in the arid west. Plant in full sun where it will be drought tolerant once established. Blades go dormant in the winter. Excellent in rock gardens, with succulents or as a meadow subject. Good cut flower. Deer resistant.
Boykinia occidentalis
Clusters of dainty white flowers and glossy dark green leaves make the brook saxifrage a wonderful addition to the moist shade garden. Flowers open in the spring on arching stems up to a foot tall. May continue to bloom into autumn. The round, serrated leaves form low mounds up to 2 feet wide. Tolerates heavy soil and may seed around. Will grow in part to heavy shade. Needs regular moisture.
Brodiaea californica ‘Babylon’
A beautiful selection of a robust species, native to the North Coast Ranges and northern Sierra Nevada. Instead of the more typical lavender-purple colored blossoms, 'Babylon' offers particularly large flowers of pink-lavender. The star shaped flowers are in dense clusters on stout stems up to 24 inches tall. Best in full sun and tolerant of different soil types. Allow to go dry once foliage begins to go dormant. This beauty flowers in late spring/early summer and is favored by butterflies. A good container subject.
Brodiaea elegans
From grassy meadows and open woodlands comes this drought tolerant and colorful wildflower. Open clusters of dainty violet flowers sit atop stems reaching 8 to 20 inches in height. Plant in full sun to bright shade and provide decent drainage. As the name suggests, the harvest Brodiaea is the latest blooming of the Brodiaeas, sometimes not flowering until the end of summer after the grass-like leaves have gone dormant. It spreads rapidly but not invasively to form broad drifts. After blooming, this bulb will sleep until the return of winter rains. Do not irrigate. An excellent candidate for the rock garden where its graceful form will contrast wonderfully with the rigid stone.
Calamagrostis foliosa
A beautiful native grass offering a very useful size and form for the landscape. Growing one foot tall by two feet wide with beautiful arching mounds of blue-grey blades often highlighted with purple tones. Spring brings flower spikes on arching stems with tight silvery- purple heads that turn tawny with age. A natural for coastal climates with good drainage and moderate to occasional watering, where it will tolerate wind and salt spray. In warmer interior sites it requires some shade and additional water. Excellent as a specimen or in mass, in a rock garden, perennial border, meadow, woodland margin or slope. Deer resistant.
Calamagrostis ophitidis
This handsome native bunchgrass deserves special attention for its tidy, upright form and sturdy character. A rare and threatened species from serpentine areas along our central coast, serpentine reed grass performs well in full sun but may need afternoon shade in hot, inland locations. The leaves reach a height of between one and two feet with flower spikes rising up to three feet tall. Does best with decent drainage and moderate summer water. Deer resistant.
Calamagrostis rubescens
Native to wooded areas throughout the West, this slowly spreading grass forms dense drifts excellent for naturalizing in bright shade. The foliage reaches a height of about 12 inches with narrow inflorescences rising another 12 inches or so. While drought tolerant, it enjoys an occasional watering. Works well under oaks. Deer resistant.
Calamintha nepetoides
A pretty, little, non-spreading mint relative, forming a rounded shrublet of shiny, bright green foliage to around 1’ tall and about 2 ft wide. Covered with hundreds of tiny, pale blue, nearly white blossoms over a long period in summer. Good for full sun to light shade with moderate watering. Tolerant of clay soil. One of our bee magnets. Deer resistant.
Calochortus luteus
This showy mariposa lily offers vibrant, golden-yellow flowers, often with reddish brown markings at the base of each of the three petals. The upward facing, bowl-shaped flowers seem to hover over grasslands on stems reaching one to two feet tall. In early winter, grass like leaves emerge from the soil, followed by the butterfly-favored blossoms in late spring and early summer. Once the flowers are done, this native bulb will go dormant. Plant in full sun to light shade with well-draining soil. Allow to go completely dry in the summer. Said to be one of the easiest of the mariposa lilies to grow in gardens.
Calochortus uniflorus ‘Cupido’
While many Calochortus are known to be challenging in the garden, this selection is quite easy and blooms in abundance! Blue-grey, iris-like leaves emerge in the winter, followed by soft lavender-pink, tulip-like flowers in late spring. After flowering they will go dormant. Plant in full sun to light shade. Very drought tolerant but will tolerate occasional irrigation. This rare species has a surprisingly wide-ranging distribution, from the coast to the mountains of Northern California. Attracts native pollinators.
Camassia quamash
Camas lily is a beautiful native bulb, producing stunning displays of sky blue to violet-purple, star-shaped flowers. Found throughout much of the western United States, growing in moist meadows and grasslands that dry out in the summer. Important species to native peoples, who encouraged the bulb through fire management. Historical accounts describe fields of blue from the massive floral displays. Easy to grow in full sun to very light shade and tolerant of a wide variety of soils, including heavy clay. Long, slender leaves give way to erect racemes of blossoms, to 2 ft. tall in late spring. Allow to go dry once seed set commences. Dormant in the winter. An excellent container plant and cut flower. A favorite of bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Deer resistant.
Campanula rotundifolia
This charming little perennial is found growing around the world in the Northern Hemisphere, including Northern California. Forms a basal mound of small, heart-shaped, green leaves with slender flowering stems rising to about a foot tall. Sweet, little, pendant, lavender-blue, bell-shaped flowers, bloom sporadically in the summer and into the fall. Grow in lightly shaded woodland settings with gravelly soils and regular moisture. Perfect rock garden, crevice or container plant. Bee pollinated.
Cardamine californica
One of California's most widespread and earliest spring wildflowers, often beginning to bloom in the winter. Found in somewhat shady locations in a number of plant communities, this slender perennial has rounded basal leaves. Flower stems 10 inches to 20 inches tall are topped with four petaled flowers of pure white to soft pink. This sweet harbinger of spring is easy to grow given a little shade and winter rain. After flowering and setting seed it dies back to its roots where it goes dormant until next year's rains awaken it. Good under oaks.
Carex globosa
Here is a sturdy and useful woodland sedge native to well-drained soils in wooded areas. Grows 6 - 12 inches tall and spreads slowly to form bright green tussocks. Useful as a filler among shrubs or trees in filtered shade where it tolerates drought; but some summer water will keep it looking fresh for longer. Great under oaks. Deer resistant.
Ceanothus divergens ssp. confusus
A species of special concern due to its limited distribution in the wild and continued habitat loss. The Rincon Ridge ceanothus is worth considering for those hot inland gardens where some of the more commonly available coastal ceanothus may not be as long lived. Forms a low growing mound of decumbent stems with small holly-like leaves usually under a foot tall. Flowers in dense clusters in early spring are lavender-purple. Plant in sunny areas with good drainage and little to no water once established. Ceanothus are wonderful additions to the habitat garden attracting a wide array of wildlife. This species is likely to be deer resistant.
Ceanothus gloriosus var. gloriosus ‘Heart’s Desire’
One of the lowest growing ceanothus, under one foot tall and spreading three or more feet wide. The small, holly-like leaves line stems which tightly hug the ground. Performs better than most ground cover ceanothus on relatively hot inland sites. Flowers of lavender-blue appear in early spring. Sun, decent drainage, moderate to little summer water once established. Ceanothus are excellent additions to the habitat garden offering flowers for pollinators and seeds for birds. Deer resistant.
Ceanothus hearstiorum
A rare species with limited distribution in San Luis Obispo County. One of the lowest of the ceanothus, up to 12 inches tall and about 6 ft. wide. Often completely flat with a star-like pattern of growth. Medium-blue flowers sit atop the narrow, wrinkled leaves in spring. Sun to light shade. More shade tolerant than most Ceanothus, making it a suitable option for under the dappled shade of oaks. Drought tolerant but will accept occasional irrigation. Excessive irrigation will shorten the life of this species. Provide good drainage.
Ceanothus maritimus ‘Point Sierra’
An excellent choice for a small scale ground cover, this rare Ceanothus is found on coastal bluffs and low hills in northern San Luis Obsipo County. Even though it is native to the coast it does surprisingly well inland. Smaller and slower growing than most Ceanothus, it blooms very early often beginning in late January or early February. 'Point Sierra' was selected from Arroyo de la Cruz by Native Son's Nursery. Grows 2-3 ft. tall with small, thick, leathery leaves and a dense mounding habit looking almost like Cotoneaster. Rounded clusters of blue-violet flowers from dusty white buds in late winter provide an early nectar source for pollinators of all sorts. A natural for coastal areas in full sun but has proven durable inland when it is provided a little shade. Tolerates heavy soils. Drought tolerant once established. Somewhat deer resistant.
Ceanothus maritimus ‘Valley Violet’
Valley Violet ceanothus is a tough and reliable shrub introduced by the UC Davis Arboretum as an "Arboretum All-Star", one of their 100 top recommended plants. This relatively small Ceanothus grows 2 ft. tall by 4 ft. wide with small leathery leaves and gorgeous dark-violet flowers in early spring. Though native to coastal bluffs of San Luis Obispo County, it performs well in both coastal and inland situations. In hot inland sites it may be best with a little afternoon shade. Drought tolerant once established. For a Ceanothus it is slower growing and has proven to be long lived and tolerant of many soil types. A wide array of pollinators are attracted to its flowers. Deer resistant.
Chlorogalum angustifolium
You may be familiar with the common soap plant and its tall stalks of delicate white flowers. But this unusual, diminutive species of soap root is much smaller, only reaching 1 – 2 ft. high. Rarely offered in nurseries, this species has short, narrow leaves which are not wavy like the common soap plant. Grows in dry grassland and open woodlands in the northern Sierra foothills and coast range. Enjoys full sun to light shade and no additional irrigation once established. Tolerates clay. The seed for these plants came from Windsor and was generously given to us by Vicki Wilson.
Cirsium occidentale
A beautiful NATIVE and NON-WEEDY thistle. Forms a rosette of gray woolly and spiny leaves the first year. A BIENNIAL, flowering occurs the second year with tall, narrow spikes of showy maroon-red to dark pink flowers with cobweb hairs on the bracts. A striking plant, usually reaching 3 - 6 ft tall when blooming, for sunny areas with good drainage and low to no irrigation. An excellent addition to the habitat garden where it attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Butterflies such as the painted lady and the mylitta crescent depend on cobweb thistle as a larval food source. Deer resistant.
Claytonia sibirica
This native perennial with white to pink candy-striped flowers seeks shady, moist conditions. Our form is from Sonoma Coast and has particularly pink flowers. Related to miners lettuce, candy stripe produces dark green, succulent, edible leaves in low rosettes. Blooms over a long period beginning in spring and will frequently reseed. A sweet, spreading, low ground cover for a shady area with regular moisture. A charming and colorful addition to the forest garden, combining beautifully with ferns, wild ginger and false Solomon’s seal.
Delphinium nudicaule
In late winter and spring, scarlet flowers with elongated tails perch on upright stalks, usually not more than 3 ft tall. The green, lobed leaves which form a low mound above the ground have a distinctive pale patch in their centers. This native makes its home on summer-dry slopes throughout much of Northern California and parts of Central Ca., inhabiting bright, open woodlands and rocky road cuts. Needs good drainage and little to no irrigation in the summer. While it can grow in a fair amount of shade, it blooms best under a bright, dappled canopy. A favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies. All parts are poisonous if ingested.
Deschampsia cespitosa ssp. holciformis
This native bunchgrass makes its home on windswept coastal bluffs from Central CA north to British Columbia. The tidy, evergreen clumps of foliage reach 6 – 12 inches tall and get at least as wide. Stiff, green leaf blades can give plants a spiky appearance, but also make this variety look more symmetrical than many native grasses. The narrow Inflorescences can reach up to 2 ft tall. Does best with full sun near the coast, but enjoys some afternoon shade in hotter areas, where moderate irrigation is recommended. Grows well with iris, seaside daisies and other coastal species. Deer resistant.