Eschscholzia californica – cream colored flowers
Smaller in stature than the typical robust orange forms of California poppy, this perennial fits into plantings nicely without overwhelming. Low foliage is ferny and finely dissected and topped with cup-shaped blossoms that are a lovely shade of cream to pale yellow. Best in full sun with dryish conditions. Given the opportunity may seed about. Flowers provide pollen that is favored by native bees, bumbles and honey bees.
Eschscholzia californica var. maritima
This is the perennial, coastal form of California poppy. Low growing and spreading with beautiful, finely cut, blue-gray foliage. Abundant flowers are golden yellow with orange centers, blooming over a long period, especially in mild climates. Plants retreat to leafy rosettes in winter. Best in full sun where they are drought tolerant, but a little summer water can extend their bloom period. Seeds about if happy.
Eschscholzia lobbii – Sundew
This endemic, ANNUAL poppy is more diminutive than the typical big, orange, well known California poppy. Native to inland sites in the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills, where it grows in full sun with good drainage. This floriferous little gem sports smaller, cup-shaped flowers of the most lovely, soft shade of buttery-yellow, atop gray-green, finely cut foliage to about 6 inches tall. Wonderful addition to dry garden plantings, rock gardens, in openings amongst shrubs, perennials or other annuals, or in containers. May reseed if happy. The pollen attracts all sorts of pollinators and is deer and rabbit resistant.
Festuca californica
California fescue is a beautiful native bunchgrass often seen cascading down oak studded slopes. Blue-green leaf blades 1 1/2 ft. tall with graceful, airy flower stalks rising another 2 ft. above the foliage. A natural for under native oaks where they receive light shade and little summer water. Accepts full sun near the coast. They are drought tolerant once established. Deer resistant.
Festuca californica ‘Long Canyon’
We selected this unusual form of California fescue from the Trinity Mountains in Northern California. Features remarkably broad, stiff leaves colored an appealing silvery-grey reaching up to about 18 inches in height. In late spring, slender, airy grass flowers rise another 2 ft. above the foliage. Grows naturally in partial shade under oaks where it can be very drought tolerant once established. Similar to ‘Scott Mountain’, but with taller, more silvery foliage. Deer resistant.
Festuca californica ‘Phil’s Silver’
A bunch grass selected from seedlings grown from seed collected almost within sight of the ocean (Shell Beach area, Sonoma Coast). Gray-green in spring, it turns more silver-gray as the dry season progresses. Relatively dense (2 ft. X 2 ft.) foliage with unusually stout and heavy grass-flowers, this robust clone holds up well throughout the season. Its cultivar name is a pun for baby boomers that watched the 50’s show The Phil Silver’s Show, starring Phil Silvers. It prefers good drainage and bright shade inland with little to occasional summer water. Deer resistant.
Festuca californica ‘Scott Mountain’
A Native Sons Nursery selection from Siskiyou County. A good choice for gardens with limited space where the typical California fescue may prove too large. Smaller, stiff. blue-green blades to 1 foot tall with airy flower stems rising to 3 ft. tall. Will accept full sun along the coast but best with light shade. Wonderful understory grass among trees and shrubs or other partly shaded areas. Can stand alone or use in drifts for a wonderful textural effect. Drought tolerant but appreciates a little supplemental summer water. Deer resistant.
Festuca californica ‘Willits Giant’
Living up to its name, this selection is extremely robust, growing twice the size of typical California fescue. Wide gray blades grow in mounds about 3 ft. tall and wide. The grass flowers rise 5-6 feet tall with loose inflorescences dangling from the arching stems. Useful as a specimen or in drifts, this grass serves as a sturdy ground cover in deciduous oak woodlands or other lightly shaded areas. Drought tolerant once established but thrives with occasional summer water. We selected this cultivar from a seed crop collected near Willits, Mendocino County. Deer resistant.
Festuca idahoensis
A modest sized native bunchgrass with beautiful green to blue-green, fine-textured foliage. The blades grow eight inches to 1 ft. tall with flower stems 18 inches to 2 ft. tall. Grow in full sun to light shade. Appreciates some protection from hot afternoon sun, especially inland. Drought tolerant, though a little water in hot regions is helpful. Deer resistant.
Fragaria vesca
This native woodland strawberry is a great colonizer and can cover a lot of ground in a hurry. Pretty little white flowers are followed by small, tasty, red berries. Tolerates drought but best with a little summer water. Well suited for under oaks and conifers. Said to be deer resistant.
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 – large, inland form
Handsome native evergreen shrub with small greenish-yellow flowers followed by showy dark-colored berries. The propagation material for this this crop was collected from tall, upright shrubs on a hot inland site. Growing 8 ft. or more tall, coffeeberries thrive in full sun to light shade. They are drought tolerant once established, but would appreciate occasional deep summer waterings. A good choice for hedgerows and habitat gardens, coffeeberry provides food and nectar for a wide array of beneficial insects, birds and wildlife.
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 ‘Gumdrop’
This somewhat diminutive selection of our native coffeeberry was discovered as a seedling from a plant found on Montara Mountain, south of San Francisco. We thought the dense form and evocative, gumdrop shape was deserving of this sweet moniker. Only reaches to about 5 - 6 ft. tall and wide and offers attractive, slightly-concave, dark green, leathery leaves, not unlike its close relation ‘Leatherleaf’. Will accept full sun in somewhat cooler locations but enjoys a little shade in hotter regions. Occasional to infrequent irrigation once established. The small, yellowish flowers which appear in spring and summer are extremely popular with bees, and the juicy, purple fruits which follow are enjoyed by birds.
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 ‘Mound San Bruno’
Selected by Roger Raiche on San Bruno Mountain in San Mateo County, this is one of the most reliable coffeeberries. Grows 6 ft tall and wide, with narrow, evergreen leaves and a compact habit. For full sun on the coast to part shade inland. Will tolerate irrigation, but needs only occasional summer water once established. Flowers are loved by pollinators, especially bees. A larval food source for the pale swallowtail butterfly. Provides black juicy fruit in the fall for thrushes, jays, mockingbirds, and robins. May grow to as much as 8 ft. tall with moderate water and good drainage in cooler areas.
Frangula (Rhamnus) californica ‘Olema’
We discovered this large, dense form of our native coffeeberry near the town of Olema in coastal Marin County. While it reached up to around 15 ft. tall and wide in nature, it has been a little slow to do so in the ground here at the nursery. After about 4 years, it’s reached a height of about 9 ft. This selection of coffeeberry is ideal for a tall hedge or screen where an evergreen shrub is needed to create privacy. Grows well in full sun somewhat near the coast but will need a little shade in hot, inland sites. Occasional to infrequent irrigation once established. Coffeeberries are some of the best habitat plants. The small, yellowish flowers are adored by bees in spring and summer, while the plump, purple fruits that follow are relished by birds.
Frangula (Rhamnus) californica ‘Salt Point’
A beautiful selection of our native coffeeberry from the northern Sonoma Coast featuring a very dense and mounding habit. Here at the nursery this cultivar has slowly grown to 6 ft. tall and wide. Provide full sun to partial shade and moderate to occasional water when established. Produces black, juicy fruits in the fall for thrushes, jays, mockingbirds, robins, bandtailed pigeon and purple finch. Flowers attractive to pollinators, especially bees. Used as a larval food source by the pale swallowtail butterfly.
Frangula (Rhamnus) californica ssp. occidentalis
Description coming soon!
Frangula (Rhamnus) californica ssp. tomentella
This distinctive species of coffeeberry features blue-grey leaves with velvety, silver undersides and grey, fuzzy stems. The somewhat open form grows 6 to 10 ft tall and wide. Clusters of small cream-colored flowers appear from winter through spring and are a favorite of bees. The deep purple fruits which follow are highly prized by birds. While native to serpentine soils, this coffeeberry should thrive anywhere with decent drainage. Provide full sun to light shade and give occasional irrigation once established. The grey stems contrast beautifully with the shiny, dark green leaves of Ceanothus ‘Yankee Point’.
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.
Fremontodendron ‘California Glory’
Beautiful, evergreen hybrid flannel bush to 20 ft. tall. Rich yellow, cup-shaped flowers cover the shrub May - June. Plant in full sun with plenty of room and no summer water once established. Fast growing and drought tolerant. The large flowers are attractive to bees and other pollinators. An excellent nectar plant for orioles. Needs decent drainage.
Fremontodendron ‘Ken Taylor’
Showy native shrub for sunny, dry areas. This form of flannel bush only grows 4 - 6 ft. tall and 10 ft. (or more) wide but can be pruned to be kept narrower. Beautiful cup-shaped golden yellow flowers with orange backs bloom in late spring and into summer. Highly attractive to bees and other pollinators. An excellent nectar plant for orioles. Once established, this selection of flannel bush is completely drought tolerant and will accept infrequent summer water only where drainage is excellent.
Fremontodendron ‘Pacific Sunset’
This showy hybrid flannel bush grows in a broad “V” shape to 20 ft. tall. Covered with large orange-yellow cup-shaped flowers for a long period in spring. The large flowers attract bees and other pollinators. An excellent nectar plant for orioles. Requires full sun and plenty of room. Best if not watered once established. Needs decent drainage
Fremontodendron ‘San Gabriel’
Large, showy, hybrid flannel bush quickly growing to 20 ft. tall. Covered with buttercup yellow blossoms in the spring. Because of the nature of their branching, ‘San Gabriel’ and ‘Pacific Sunset’ both espalier well. An excellent nectar plant for orioles. Requires full sun. No summer water once established. Needs decent drainage.
Fritillaria affinis
Charming, spring blooming, bulbous plant in the lily family, with beautiful, pendulous, bell-shaped flowers. This is California's most common fritillary and the most variable, in both size and flower color. Flowers vary greatly and can be yellow-green to purple-brown and may be beautifully checkered with brown and green, sometimes red-purple patterns. Can grow 12 inches - 3 ft tall depending on the habitat and substrate. Native to grasslands, woodlands and chaparral plant communities including serpentine soils. The easiest of the fritillaries to grow, preferring light, well drained soils, sun along the coast to light shade in hotter areas. Plants accept water in their growing season, but should be allowed to go dry once dormant. Protect from gophers, slugs and deer.
Garrya fremontii
Evergreen shrub with leathery leaves and handsome dangling catkins in late winter and early spring. The male and female flowers occur on separate plants. Native to the west coast where it grows in mixed evergreen forest and chaparral plant communities. This species is a good choice for summer-hot interior sites with well drained soils. Grows 8 - 10 ft. tall and wide in full sun to light shade and is drought tolerant once established. A good specimen shrub or candidate for hedgerow or screen where it provides cover and food for birds and small mammals. Somewhat deer resistant.
Garrya issaquahensis ‘Pat Ballard’
An elegant winter flowering shrub, uncommon in the trade. A hybrid between Garrya elliptica and Garrya fremontii, 'Pat Ballard' is a tough evergreen growing 6-10 foot tall and wide. Pendulous pinkish gray catkins dangle from the branch tips in winter providing a spectacular display. Plant in full sun to part shade with occasional to infrequent water once established. More cold & drought tolerant than Garrya elliptica. An excellent screen, hedge or foundation shrub, amenable to pruning. Somewhat deer resistant.