Penstemon parryi
An adaptable species from the desert southwest of the United States. Thick bluish-green foliage forms a low rosette around 2 feet wide. Bright pink funnel-shaped flowers are produced in profusion on stems 2-3 ft. tall in spring. Good drainage and full sun with moderate to little water once established. Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Penstemon pseudospectabilis
From the southeast corner of the state comes this surprisingly adaptable penstemon, with prolific displays of magenta-purple, tubular flowers with flared mouths. Large, serrated, gray-green leaves line stems in attractive pairs. Flower stalks rise 2 – 3 ft. in spring, drawing in hummingbirds and bees. Even though this species is from the desert, it does quite well in local gardens with good drainage, full sun and occasional irrigation once established. Several local butterflies use the desert penstemon as a larval food source, including the common buckeye, variable checkerspot and Edith’s checkerspot.
Penstemon rostriflorus
A wonderful addition to the dry garden, bringing late summer color through abundant, bright red, tubular flowers. Growing 2 - 4 feet tall and wide, with attractive, glossy foliage, that takes on red and bronze tones in winter. A late blooming Penstemon, beginning in July, provides copious nectar for hummingbirds as well as bees, butterflies, and moths. Tolerant of wide range of soils and conditions, plant in full sun to light shade with occasional water. Drought tolerant once established.
Penstemon speciosus
Found in higher elevation localities of inland Northern California, royal penstemon is a vibrantly colorful addition to the dry, full sun garden. In summer, the large, saturated blue-purple florets are held in clusters on stems rising almost 2’ tall above a low, evergreen rosette of glossy, strap-like foliage, reaching 1' - 2' wide. Attracts a multitude of pollinators. Does best with decent soil drainage, and inland sites that provide seasonality—colder winters, and hotter summers. Drought-tolerant once established.
Penstemon spectabilis
A spectacular Penstemon native to dry, gravelly slopes of southern California and northern Baja. Demanding good drainage and full sun, this perennial grows 3 ft. or more tall with striking displays of lavender-purple tubular flowers. A challenging species with a sensational floral display, but can be short lived in northern California. Performs best in hot inland gardens. Take care not to over water. Highly attractive to hummingbirds as well as bees and butterflies.
Penstemon strictus
Showy perennial, native to a number of states in the Rocky Mountains, where it grows in sage brush and coniferous forest communities. Forming clumps of neat evergreen foliage 8 - 10 inches tall by 36 inches wide. Mid to late spring brings flowering stems 2 foot or so above the foliage with deep blue-purple tubular flowers. Considered one of the easier to grow, tolerating heavier soil and moisture better than many Penstemon species. Still, good drainage is best with little summer water once established. Plant in full sun to light shade in hot regions. Very cold tolerant. Penstemons are attractive to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.
Penstemon venustus
This jewel of the mountains displays richly toned, trumpet-shaped flowers of blue to lavender held on stalks reaching 1 – 3 ft. tall. Dark green, serrated leaves form a low mound up to 2ft. wide over time. Hummingbirds love the tubular flowers as do bees. Plant in full sun with excellent drainage and water infrequently. While native to much of the West, this penstemon doesn’t quite make it into California.
Perideridia gairdneri
An interesting and rarely cultivated native perennial that grows in grasslands and meadows in central to northern California and the Sierra Nevada foothills. Narrow leaves emerge in the spring giving way to lovely 4 ft. tall flowering stems topped with umbels of delicate white flowers in the summer. Looks particularly nice in mass and livens up a meadow or grassland planting that may be waning in summer. Entice the anise swallowtail butterfly with a NATIVE larval food source. Plant in full sun to light shade with a little water. Allow to go dry after flowering.
Perideridia kelloggii
An interesting and rarely cultivated native perennial that grows in grasslands and meadows in central to northern California and the Sierra Nevada foothills. Narrow leaves emerge in the spring giving way to lovely 4 ft. tall flowering stems topped with umbels of delicate white flowers in the summer. Looks particularly nice in mass and livens up a meadow or grassland planting that may be waning in summer. Entice the anise swallowtail butterfly with a NATIVE larval food source. Plant in full sun to light shade with a little water. Allow to go dry after flowering.
Phacelia bolanderi
Easy to grow perennial for part shade and a little summer water. Native to slopes and canyons of coastal forests in northern California. Forms low mounds of soft foliage 6 - 8 inches tall by 2 ft. or so wide. Pretty powder blue-purple one inch flowers late spring into summer offer nectar to hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. The seeds are enjoyed by songbirds. Though somewhat short-lived, it often reseeds. Appears to be deer resistant.
Phacelia californica
A low elevation species inhabiting bluffs, open slopes, road cuts and canyons of our inner and outer Coast Ranges down through the central coast. Forms perennial clumps of crinkled gray leaves. Stout stems rise above the rosette one foot to 18 inches tall with large coils of lavender flowers. Excellent rock garden subject. Plant in sunny areas with good drainage where it will be drought tolerant, and will do fine with a little summer water. Phacelias are great for attracting bees and butterflies.
Phacelia campanularia
This ANNUAL is endemic to washes in Southern California deserts. Amazing, royal blue flowers make a show stopping display atop foliage 6-10 inches tall. Surprisingly adaptable, requiring well drained soils, full sun and dryish conditions. Excellent in containers too. Bee favorite.
Phacelia grandiflora
Native to southern California coastal sage scrub and chaparral communities, this native ANNUAL is often a fire follower. Fast growing to 3 ft. tall and topped with clusters of large fragrant blossoms of lavender- blue. Abundant nectar and pollen is highly attractive to bees and a great addition to the habitat garden. Plant in full sun with a little water to encourage long blooming. Often self sows.
Phacelia imbricata
Native to dry slopes and open woodland throughout much of California, this rarely-offered perennial phacelia thrives in heat. Creamy-white flowers form curly clusters atop stalks ranging from 1 to 3 feet. Bees and butterflies find them irresistible. The soft, dense foliage hugs the ground in an up-to-2-ft-wide mound. Plant in full sun to light shade in areas with good drainage and minimal irrigation once established. Drought tolerant.
Philadelphus lewisii ‘Covelo’
Sweetly fragrant, pure white blossoms with yellow stamens cover this desirable, deciduous native shrub in late spring, attracting bees and butterflies. Reaches to 8 ft. tall and wide with a vaguely umbrella shape. This selection is somewhat denser than 'Marjorie Schmidt', in both foliage and flower, with leaves that are less serrated. Enjoys full sun to light shade and moderate to occasional summer water. Tolerant of clay soil. Works well in a conatainer.
Philadelphus lewisii ‘Goose Creek’
This unusual selection of our native mock orange offers fully double flowers! We aren't usually fans of extra petals on our flowers, but this selection is quite appealing, with blossoms looking like fluffy snowballs held along the stems in late spring. This form was discovered near the Smith River in Del Norte County. Mock orange is a large deciduous shrub up to 8 ft tall and wide with sweetly fragrant, white flowers in late spring and early summer. Useful as a specimen or in mixed plantings. Sun to light shade, moderate to little water when established. A good container plant and clay tolerant.
Philadelphus lewisii ‘Marjorie Schmidt’
This native mock orange was selected by Roger Raiche and Ron Lutsko in Shasta County. It caught their eye while driving along Route 36 west of Red Bluff, as being larger-flowered and more floriferous than surrounding shrubs. Large deciduous shrub up to 8 ft tall and wide with fragrant white flowers in early summer. Sun to light shade, most soils, moderate to little water once established. Flowers attractive to bees and butterflies.
Phyla nodiflora
Vigorous, spreading ground cover native to California, North America and other parts of the world. It's a tough one, able to survive a wide range of conditions and soil types. Tolerates both drought and flooding, but best with occasional deep watering in full sun to very light shade. Flowers heavily over a long period with charming little heads of mauve-pink, lavender and white blossoms, delighting an assortment of bees and butterflies. This dense, carpeting plant makes a serviceable ground cover or lawn-like replacement, tolerating moderate foot traffic and occasional mowing. May look rough in the winter, but quickly recovers in spring. Free flowering and pollinator friendly.
Pinus attenuata
This closed-cone pine is found primarily along the Oregon-California border and in hotter coastal mountains down to Baja. Knobcone pines can reach anywhere from 25 to 80 ft tall, depending on the soil conditions. The conical-shaped, evergreen crown has an open habit with clusters of 4-5” needles on upward-curving branches. Distinctive, asymetrical cones persist on the tree for years, even decades, and add to the tree’s visual appeal. This chaparral and dry-woodland native needs very little water and does best in rocky, well-draining soils with full sun. More tolerant of nutrient-poor soils than most other pines. In very lean soils, trees can develop a stunted and contorted appearance which is quite striking. Deer resistant.
Pinus contorta ssp. bolanderi
A close relative of the shore pine, the pygmy pine occurs in the coastal pygmy forests of Mendocino Co. This rare and threatened pine only reaches a height of about 6 ft in the acidic soils of its native habitat but acts more like the shore pine in a garden setting, reaching up to about 30 ft in time. The upward reaching stems are clad in short needles with small cones produced on the ends. Provide full sun near the coast and a little afternoon shade inland. Needs moderate to occasional irrigation and decent drainage. Good container plant. Deer resistant.
Pinus contorta ssp. contorta
On windswept coastal bluffs from Mendocino Co. northwards resides this dense, picturesque shore pine. While small in stature on the weathered cliffs of our shoreline often reaching only 6-10 ft. in height, in a garden setting the shore pine is a small to medium sized tree, growing to about 30 ft. Short, dark green needles cover the stems with small cones. An excellent compact conifer for the medium sized garden or in a container where it stays more diminutive. Provide full sun and occasional deep irrigation once established. Needs decent drainage. Deer resistant.
Pinus jeffreyi
This stately pine hales from many of California’s mountain regions and is the dominant pine of the Tahoe basin. Features long needles and a broad trunk with deeply furrowed bark of orangy-red. Similar to the ponderosa pine but occurs at higher elevations and the bark has a distinctive vanilla scent. The cones are also larger than those of the ponderosa and don’t have sharp, outwardly protruding scales, hence the affectionate name “gentle Jeffrey.” Often reaches heights of over 100 feet with an open canopy. Provide good drainage and full sun to light shade. Drought tolerant and deer resistant.
Pinus muricata
The Bishop pine is native to the northern California coast from Marin to Mendocino. A medium to large sized tree with a beautifully rounded crown and long, gray-green needles. Distinguished from the more southerly Monterey pine by its smaller cones which prick the hand when held. The Bishop pine often cohabitates with redwoods and other coastal conifers. Drought tolerant once established except in interior locations where an occasional deep watering may be required. Generally reaches 40 to 70 feet in height. Deer resistant.
Pinus ponderosa
Often associated with the Sierra Nevada mountains, this majestic pine can be found in Sonoma County as well. Long, gray-green needles form bushy clusters at the ends of branches with cantaloupe-sized cones that emerge at the very tips. The bark at maturity is a colorful patchwork of orange-tan plates separated by deep grooves of dark brown. It can grow a couple of feet a year, and averages from 60 to more than 100 feet in height in a garden setting. Provide full sun to light shade with occasional deep waterings when young. Needs decent drainage. Deer resistant.
Pinus sabiniana
A distinctive pine native to chaparral areas of California’s foothills. Sometimes called ghost pine due to its long gray needles set against dark, furrowed bark. While fairly slow growing, the gray pine can reach a height of 80 ft or more in well-draining sites with ample sunlight. Native Americans prized the big, prickly cones for their large, edible seeds. Prefers full sun and requires minimal water once established
Plantago maritima
From coastal bluffs up and down the California coast comes this charming little plantain. Starting in late spring and continuing through summer, small, greenish-yellow flowers flank the top of slender stems up to 6 inches tall. The dense rosettes of narrow, succulent leaves provide a striking accent in a rock garden or nestled in crevices between pavers or stones. A good container specimen. Recognized for its edible and medicinal uses. Plant in full sun to light shade. Tolerates low to regular moisture. May spread vigorously by seed.
Polypodium californicum ‘Sarah Lyman’
An interesting cultivar of the California polypody fern with finely divided leaves. A wonderful addition to the shade garden where it is perfectly adapted to our dry summers. With the first coolness of autumn the fiddleheads emerge and unfurl. Energetic bright green frilly foliage thrives all winter and into spring. Goes dormant late spring or early summer where it waits out the dry season returning dependably again in the autumn. Grows 12 to 15 inches tall and slowly spreads.