Koeleria macrantha
An evergreen perennial bunchgrass forming a rounded tuft of narrow, bluish-green blades 6 - 12 inches long. Spike-like panicles of pale green florets rise another 6 - 12 inches above the blades in summer. This widespread species grows from coastal woodlands and prairies to high mountains. Best in sunny locations with well drained soil and moderate to a little summer water. Tolerates light shade, does NOT like heavy, wet soils or deep shade. Deer resistant.
Lasthenia californica ssp. macrantha
Native along the immediate coast of California and just into Oregon, where it forms low, tight mounds of deep green succulent foliage. Cheerful, bright yellow daisies bloom over a long period. Best in full sun with some summer water and good drainage. Long blooming, open faced flowers are excellent sources of nectar and pollen for butterflies, bees and other pollinators.
Lepechinia hastata
A bold and beautiful sage relative which grows 4’-6’ tall and slowly spreads to form a small thicket. Large, fragrant, grey-green leaves are an excellent foil to the reddish-purple flowers which appear on branch tips in summer and early fall. Great in the flower border or out in the “wild” part of the garden. Easy and tough. Full sun to light shade with moderate to occasional water. Looks best when cut to the ground after blooming is done. Attractive to hummingbirds. Deer don’t seem to eat it.
Lilium pardalinum
An elegant and beautiful native from moist places and along stream banks in many plant communities from southern Oregon to southern California. A reliable species easily growing 4 ft. tall or more, slowly increasing its width over time. The Turk’s cap style flowers bloom in summer and are orange with red tips and maroon spots. Dies back to the ground in winter. Prefers fertile, well drained soils. Where summers are cool you can plant in full sun. Elsewhere plant in filtered sun, light shade or afternoon shade. Requires moderate summer water.
Lilium pardalinum ‘Giganteum’
A towering lily reaching up to 7 feet tall with orange and crimson flowers 3 to 4 inches wide. Who can resist that! Believed to have been discovered along the Van Duzen River in Northern California and thought to be a natural cross between L. humboldtii and L. pardalinum. The large stalks are crowned in summer by layers of flowers up to 30 in number with whorls of large leaves ascending up the base. Forms colonies over time to dramatic effect. Plant in full sun near the coast but protect from the hot afternoon sun, inland. Needs moderate water but is intolerant of soggy soils. Tolerates drier soil than the typical leopard lily.
Lilium pardalinum (Gualala River)
An elegant and beautiful native from moist places and along stream banks in many plant communities from southern Oregon to southern California. A reliable species easily growing 4 ft. tall or more, slowly increasing its width over time. The Turk’s cap style flowers bloom in summer and are orange with red tips and maroon spots. Dies back to the ground in winter. Prefers fertile, well drained soils. Where summers are cool you can plant in full sun. Elsewhere plant in filtered sun, light shade or afternoon shade. Requires moderate summer water.
Lilium pardalinum ssp. pitkinense
This is the local rare subspecies of the leopard lily, threatened by habitat loss, grazing, competition with Himalayan blackberries, and collecting. Ours are responsibly grown by scale division from seed grown parent plants. A beautiful turks cap lily with intense orange-red reflexed petals revealing maroon spots. Needs moisture until it's through flowering and protection from gophers. Bright shade or morning sun with afternoon shade is best. This species attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.
Limnanthes douglasii
California native ANNUAL occurring in grasslands and vernal pools throughout California. Low growing, shiny green foliage is topped with a profusion of sweetly fragrant, cup shaped, bright yellow blossoms with white tips. An excellent choice for low, winter wet areas, drainage swales, retention basins or seasonally dry stream beds. Thrives in heavy soils where it often naturalizes. Plant in full sun to part shade with regular water through the growing season. Fabulous container plant too. Meadowfoam is excellent for encouraging native pollinators, bees and butterflies.
Limnanthes douglasii ssp. nivea
California native ANNUAL occurring in grasslands and vernal pools throughout California. Low growing foliage is topped with a profusion of sweetly fragrant, small white flowers with purple-pink veins on the petals. An excellent choice for low, winter wet areas, drainage swales, retention basins or seasonally dry streambeds. Thrives in heavy soils where it often naturalizes. Plant in full sun to part shade with regular water through the growing season. Good in containers too. Native wildflowers are excellent for encouraging native pollinators.
Limnanthes douglasii ssp. sulphurea
Pure yellow flowering form of meadowfoam, rare in the wild but easy to grow in the garden. This native ANNUAL favors seasonally moist areas in full sun. Low growing foliage is topped with a profusion of pure yellow, cup-shaped, fragrant flowers. Useful in low areas, drainage swales, retention basins or seasonally dry stream beds. Thrives in heavy, water retentive soils. Wonderful in containers too. Meadowfoam is excellent for encouraging pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Limonium californicum
Native to coastal areas throughout much of the state, this beautiful statice relative produces clusters of small, lavender-purple flowers on slender stalks up to 18 inches tall. Low rosettes of semi-succulent, dark green leaves provide an excellent contrast to the airy inflorescences. Plant this marsh native in full sun with regular to moderate water. Thrives in wet conditions with poor drainage. Excellent for bees and butterflies. Makes a wonderful dried flower.
Linum lewisii
A profusion of sky-blue, five petaled, shallowly cupped blossoms flower in late spring and into summer. Growing 12 to 18 inches tall with slender stems and narrow leaves. Can be short lived but often reseeds. A lovely filler, whose true blue flower color seems to go with everything, and the fine foliage contrasts nicely with a variety of leaf colors and shapes. Plant in full sun with moderate to infrequent summer water. Deer resistant.
Lobelia cardinalis
Cardinal flower is native to wet places throughout much of North America. A hummingbird favorite with show stopping, intense scarlet-red tubular flowers on erect terminal spikes in late summer. Growing 2 - 3 ft. tall by 2 ft. wide, this clump-forming perennial has dark green, serrated leaves. Tends to be rather short lived, but is a strong re-seeder. Prefers areas with constant moisture and cool sun to part shade, affective in moist areas of woodland gardens, meadows, pond edges, and rain gardens. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, but is resistant to deer browse.
Lobelia dunnii var. serrata
Water loving perennial native to creek sides and other wet places in Southern California. Growing one foot tall and spreading vigorously by rhizomes with clusters of soft blue, one inch flowers in summer. Best with regular water and part shade. A perfect addition for a shady water feature, moist meadow or container planting. The flowers are highly attractive to butterflies of all sorts and are visited by hummingbirds. Winter dormant. Deer resistant.
Lonicera ciliosa
Native to north slopes, creeks and river banks from very northern California to British Columbia and Montana. Lovely blue-green, oval-shaped leaves on rapidly growing woody stems will clamber up any support it can find. Terminal flower clusters with narrow, trumpet-shaped, orange flowers are adored by hummingbirds. Red translucent fruits follow that are relished by birds. Plant in cool sun to moderate shade with regular water. Possibly deer resistant.
Lonicera involucrata
An interesting native shrub that grows along streams and other moist places. The tubular, red and yellow flowers are borne in pairs on bright red bracts and are hummingbird favorites. Two black shiny fruits follow the flower and are very showy set against the red bracts, making them attractive to birds. Reaches 6 - 10 ft. tall and wide, this neatly branched shrub loses its leaves in the winter. A great addition to the habitat garden in full sun to light shade with regular to occasional deep summer water. Orioles love the fruits. Needs afternoon shade in hot, inland areas. Deer resistant.
Lotus (Hosackia) formosissimus (gracilis)
A low growing native perennial found in seasonally moist meadows, ditches and seeps along California's coast, north to British Columbia. Small, neat leaves form a pretty, low ground cover spreading up to 2 ft. wide. Pea-like flowers have a bright yellow upper petal and deep pink lower petals which bloom in the spring then sporadically through the summer. Plant in full sun to light shade with regular moisture. Makes a nice container plant, too. Flowers visited by bees and other pollinators. Thought to be the larval food source for the possibly extinct lotus blue butterfly.
Lupinus latifolius var. parishii
A moisture loving lupine that grows along streambanks and throughout woodlands in central and southern California. A lush perennial, growing 3-4 feet tall and wide, with foot long flower spikes of scented, pink to lavender flowers in late spring-early summer. The large, dark green leaves create a bold texture beneath the slender flower stalks. Plant in lightly shaded conditions with some summer water. Dies back to the ground in winter. Attractive to bees and hummingbirds. Deer resistant.
Lupinus littoralis var. variicolor
Often found nestled amid rocks and sand, this low-growing, perennial lupine is native to the beaches and dunes of coastal California. Forms a clump or mat of silver-green foliage under 18 inches tall, with jewel-like flower spikes. Blooms in a subtle range of colors, typically shades of purple-blue with white to pale yellow banners. Makes for an excellent addition to a rock garden. Formerly known as Lupinus variicolor, it is currently considered a variety of bluff lupine that is endemic to the Bay Area from Sonoma County down to the Peninsula. It attracts pollinators, and is one of the few hosts for the rare Mission Blue butterfly. Accepts various watering regimens from regular to occasional so long as it gets excellent drainage. Drought tolerant once established.
Lupinus polyphyllus
The bog lupine is known for its tall flower spikes of blue to purple or sometimes pink, reaching up to almost 5' tall from a bed of large, dark green leaves about 18" in height. Clumps can grow about 3' wide. This species is the dominant parent used in many popular hybrid lupines. Native to moist places from the San Francisco Bay area northward along the coast and in mountainous places in the interior. Prefers full sun along the coast and dappled shade inland. This lupine tends to go winter dormant. Snails and slugs find lupines especially tasty when young. Needs regular water. One can create a wonderful meadow by planting the bog lupine with other moisture loving species such as lady ferns, umbrella plant and seep monkeyflower. Deer resistant.
Luzula parviflora
This tidy native woodrush forms grass-like clumps 8 - 10 inches tall and a little wider with broad, bright green leaf blades. The small yellowish flowers occur on the tips of arching flowering stems in late spring. Occurs over a wide range of the Western U.S. and up into Canada, across and down into the northeastern states. Perfect for the woodland garden with moderate moisture. Will seed around if the conditions are right, but we have not found it to be weedy. Deer resistant.
Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. aspleniifolius
A rare and beautiful evergreen tree from Santa Cruz Island off of the Southern California coast. Fernlike, pinnately divided, shiny, dark-green leaves adorn this fast growing tree which can reach 20 to 50 ft. tall and 15 to 20 ft. wide. Late spring brings large flat-topped clusters of creamy-white flowers on this unusual rose family member. Peeling, reddish-brown bark adds to the interest of this single or multi-trunked tree, which can be used in small groves or as a striking specimen. Plant in full sun to partial shade with moderate to infrequent water. Cold hardy to about 15 degrees. Pollinating insects and birds are attracted to the flowers.
Maianthemum (Smilacina) racemosum
Choice herbaceous perennial native to moist woodlands in California and throughout North America. Forms robust clumps of arching branches 2-3 ft. tall. The branch tips carry dense panicles of sweetly fragrant, white, star-shaped flowers in late spring. Clusters of red berries follow in summer and fall. A lovely addition to the shade garden where it thrives in well drained, woodsy soil with some summer moisture. In cooler coastal environments can go summer dry once established. This lily family member slowly spreads to form striking clumps which die back to the ground in the winter. An elegant and long lived beauty.
Maianthemum (Smilacina) stellatum
Native to California and much of North America, this woodlander makes a worthy and useful addition to the shade garden. Spreading by stout rhizomes forming colonies of lush, green foliage one foot to 18 inches tall. Small, white, star-shaped flowers top the slender stems in the spring and early summer. Berries follow that are often striped with purple or black, eventually turning red. Thrives in shade with moisture but tolerates dryish conditions once established. Can grow in quite a bit of light as long as there is moisture. A variety of insects seek nectar or pollen from the flowers and woodland song birds love the berries.
Maianthemum dilatatum
This lush, lily relative is native to coastal forests of Northern California to Alaska. When happy, spreads by underground root stocks to form broad mats of heart-shaped, glossy, green leaves with parallel veins. Bears clusters of tiny white flowers followed by red, translucent berries. Dies back to the ground in winter. Loves shade and moisture. Competes well with tree roots.
Malacothamnus palmeri var. lucianus
From the hot valleys of the Santa Lucia mountains in central California comes this rare form of the native bush-mallow. Deep pink, cup-shaped flowers appear in late spring and early summer above the fuzzy, light green leaves. Reaches a height of about 6 ft and slowly spreads to form colonies. Give full sun to light shade and provide little to no water once established. A good choice for hot, dry banks with Toyon, Ceanothus and Manzanita. An excellent nectar source for orioles. Deer seem to leave it alone.
Malacothamnus palmeri var. lucianus ‘Hanging Valley’
Description coming soon!
Marah oregana
A native perennial vine found in coastal counties from Santa Clara, California to British Columbia. Growing from a massive, enlarged tuber in forest edges and riparian habitats. The lush-green, palmate leaves with spiraling tendrils clamber along the ground and climb and sprawl over shrubs and trees. White, star-like flowers bloom in the spring and are favored by native bees as well as honeybees. The flowers lead to showy, inflated, bright-green, fruits with soft spines. The generic name Marah comes from the Hebrew word for bitter, in reference to all parts of the plants being extremely bitter to taste. Completely herbaceous, dying back to the woody root in late summer or fall, returning in the spring. Best with part shade. Quite drought tolerant but will accept moderate irrigation. Probably deer resistant.
Monardella macrantha ‘Marian Sampson’
A choice native perennial forming low mats of fragrant dark green shiny leaves. Mid to late spring brings spectacular heads of scarlet tubular flowers which are hummingbird magnets. Well suited for rock garden or container use where good drainage can be provided along with occasional summer water. Appreciates light shade in hot regions. The cultivar ‘Marian Sampson’ is a vigorous and disease resistant selection, but still likely to be short lived, lasting 2 to 4 years. Fantastic accent plant which is deer resistant and attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds.