Spring 2014
Larger Shrubs and Vines
THESE ARE 4 -10 FEET TALL OR TALLER, MANY ARE
GREAT FOR SCREENING. MANY STYLES
AND COLORS.
Abutilon palmerii: (Indian Mallow)
Plant Type: Shrub
Light: Sun
Soil: Adaptable
Water: Drought tolerant
Bloom Season: Spring/Summer
Natural Habitat: Southwestern United States & Northern
Mexico
Garden Usage: Desert landscapes, beautiful shrub in almost
any garden.
Palmer’s Indian mallow has beautiful velvety heart-shaped light green leaves and produces long stalks of bright orange flowers during the spring and summer. This plant grows quickly, can take full hot sun, and dry conditions. It grows approximately 3’ to 5’ in diameter and height.
Arctostaphylos densiflora
‘Howard McMinn’ (Howard McMinn manzanita)
Plant type: Evergreen shrub
Light: Sun to partial shade
Soil: Adaptable
Water: Drought tolerant to occasional
Bloom season: Spring
Natural habitat: Chaparral, coastal bluffs, garden hybrid
Garden Usage: Large shrub, screen
Howard McMinn Manzanita is a large shrub which can
grow to 8’ but can easily be kept pruned to 5’. Also 5’ to 8’ in width. The
clean, fine textured foliage of Howard McMinn Manzanita combines or contrasts
with nearly any plant; an excellent pairing places it near Saint Catherine’s
lace. It will tolerate summer
watering and can take heavy clay soils.
This is an especially handsome shrub. Plants naturally open up as they age and reveal the
striking, twisted branching habit associated with manzanitas. It blooms in the spring and is one of
the last manzanitas to bloom with white to pale pink blossoms.
Arctostaphylos stanfordiana
bakeri 'Louis
Edmonds' - Louis Edmunds Manzanita
Plant
Type: Evergreen shrub
Light: Sun to partial shade
Soil: Adaptable, well-drained preferred
Water: Drought tolerant to occasional
Bloom Period: Late spring
Natural Habitat: Garden hybrid
Garden Usage: Focal point or informal screen
This manzanita is favored by many native plant gardeners and features a unique, dark purple-mahogany bark on its elegant trunk and branches. The sage gray leaves are highlighted with the numerous clusters of clear pink flowers. Louis Edmonds manzanita has a distinctively upright growth habit 8 - 10 feet tall. Use it as a focal point in the garden, or as an informal screen with toyon and sugar bush. Prune this manzanita to highlight the beautiful bark.
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus ‘Skylark’ (Blue blossom wild
lilac)
Plant
Type: Evergreen shrub
Light: Sun to partial shade
Soil: Adaptable, well-drained preferred
Water: Drought tolerant to occasional
Bloom Period: Late spring
Natural Habitat: Garden hybrid
Garden Usage: Compact shrub
Ceanothus ‘Skylark’ is a good choice for gardens lacking space. It has a compact, dome-like form and reaches about 4’ high to 6’ wide. Blooms from late spring to early summer, which is later than most ceanothus. You can prune spent flowers to improve this shrub’s appearance. As with most ceanothus varieties, go easy on the summer water once it is established.
Eriogonum giganteum (St. Catherine’s Lace):
Plant
Type: Evergreen subshrub
Light: Full to part sun
Soil: Adaptable
Water: Drought tolerant to occasional
Bloom Season: May to December
Natural Habitat: Channel Islands
Garden Usage:
Background shrub
Saint Catherine's Lace is our largest species of
Buckwheat growing to 4 feet. In summer and fall this buckwheat provides a show
of large, spreading clusters of creamy-white flowers which form a canopy over
the pale gray foliage. The flowers take on a rusty hue as they age, and remain
on the plant until the first hard rains, or can be removed earlier and used in
arrangements.
Phlomis fruiticosa (Jerusalem Sage):
Plant
Type: Evergreen subshrub
Light: Full Sun
Soil: Normal, sandy, clay
Water: Drought tolerant to occasional
Bloom Season: Late spring, early summer
Natural Habitat: Mediterranean
Garden Usage: Accent, border, containers, cut flower
Phlomis fruticosa (Jerusalem Sage) is native to the Mediterranean region. This is a large, multi-stemmed, broad shrub growing to about 4'x 4' with large (2-3 inch long) lance-shaped, soft woolly gray leaves that are white beneath, and 1 inch long, bright lemon yellow woolly flower whorls that appear on erect stems spring through summer. Plant in full sun to light shade. Drought tolerant and cold tolerant to at least 23 degrees F. This plant is attractive to butterflies and birds.
Rhamnus californica ‘Mount San Bruno’ (Coffeeberry)
Plant
Type: Evergreen shrub
Light: Sun to shade
Soil: Adaptable; well-drained preferred
Water: Drought tolerant to occasional
Bloom Season: Spring
Natural Habitat: Widespread in many plant communities below
7000 ft, garden hybrid
Garden Usage: Informal hedge or screen, formal foundation
shrub, woodland theme
Coffeeberry is one of the most common
evergreen shrubs encountered in coastal California and is quite adaptable in
many garden conditions. ‘Mound San
Bruno’ features narrow light green leaves and a tightly branched, mounding
habit to 5 feet tall and equal spread. The berries develop through a series of
interesting colors-lime green, rose, and red – before turning
burgundy-black in autumn. The ripe
berries are attractive to small mammals and birds, especially mockingbirds, but
can stain a patio, so keep this in mind when placing it in the garden.
Ribes aureum (Golden Currant):
Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
Light: Sun to partial shade
Soil: Adaptable
Bloom Season: Mid winter
Water: Drought tolerant to occasional
Natural Habitat: Coastal scrub, chaparral and woodlands below 2500 ft.
Garden Usage: Broad shrub, deciduous, attracts birds, plant with toyon, coffeeberry, coast live oak, ceanothus
Golden currant is a broad, sprawling shrub reaching as much as 10 ft tall. Clusters of yellow flowers form in midwinter and develop a reddish cast as they fade. They have bright glossy green leaves that offer early season color. The translucent yellow-orange or black berries attract birds, and seedlings are common as a result. Keep it pruned to avoid rangy thickets.
Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum (Pink-flowering currant):
Plant
Type: Deciduous shrub
Light: Sun to shade
Soil: Adaptable
Water: Infrequent to moderate
Bloom Season: Spring
Natural habitat: Open slopes, chaparral, moist woodlands
below 2000 ft.
Garden Usage: Woodland garden, narrow corridors
Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum ranges in size from 5 to 12 feet high. The flowers are held in pendulous clusters 2 to 8 inches long and vary in color from silver pink to carmine red. The medium to dark green, maple-like leaves are 1 ½ to 3 inches wide. The powdered, blue-black berries are edible, but you’ll have to compete with the birds to get them. Grows best in partial shade inland and full sun at the coast. Supplemental irrigation is recommended to give this adaptable shrub a fuller, fresher appearance. Combine it with toyon, coffeeberry, and oaks in a woodland garden; or mix with hummingbird sage, western columbine, and western meadow rue.
Salvia apiana (White sage):
Plant Type: Evergreen subshrub
Light: Sun
Soil: Adaptable; well-drained preferred
Water: Drought tolerant to occasional
Bloom Season: Spring to summer
Natural Habitat: Dry slopes and flats in coastal scrub chaparral, and some woodlands and forest below 4500 feet
Garden Usage: Hillsides, focal points, fragrance
White sage has something for everyone. Gardeners treasure this strikingly handsome shrub for its bold foliage, dramatic floral display, and powerful scent. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet across. In spring it sends up flower stalks that easily add another 2 to 4 feet in height. The lavender-tinged white flowers are clustered in interrupted spikes and the broad silvery white leaves are 3 to 4 inches long, with an incredibly pungent scent. An exceptionally drought-tolerant plant, white sage doesn’t need summer water and if over-watered in summer it may not survive. It makes an arresting focal point in a border and can be massed on slopes to help curb erosion. Prune the flower stalks back to the most robust new buds to keep the plant from becoming leggy. Combine it with other sages, buckwheats, penstemons, ceanothus, and California fuchsias. Bees produce a delicate and flavorful honey from its flowers.
Salvia clevelandii ‘Winifred Gilman’
(Cleveland sage):
Plant Type: Semi-evergreen shrub
Light: Sun
Soil: Well-drained
Water: Drought tolerant to occasional
Bloom Season: Late spring to summer
Natural Habitat: Dry slopes in coastal scrub and chaparral below 300 feet, garden hybrid
Garden Usage: Attracts hummingbirds, containers, herb gardens, dry border, fragrant
Evergreen shrub with flowers lavender to blue. This Cleveland sage is native to dry slopes San Diego County. It likes sun and perfect drainage. The gray-green leaves have intense fragrance. The stalks of purple-blue flowers are spectacular during the blooming cycle, but also distinctive after the bloom when the seed pods turn a dark rusty brown. The Salvias are great hummingbird plants. Plant them in the hottest, driest, fastest-draining site available. They can be used as a focal point in a decorative pot, herb garden, or in a dry border as a low hedge. Try planting Cleveland sage in front of island bush poppy and behind red-flowered buckwheat, foothill or royal penstemon, and groundcover manzanitas. You can trim it back after fall for new spring growth.
Salvia leucophylla (Purple sage):
Plant Type: Semi-evergreen shrub
Light: Sun
Soil: Adaptable
Water: Drought tolerant to occasional
Bloom Season: Spring to summer
Natural Habitat: Common on dry, open hills and slopes in coastal scrub and chaparral below 2000 feet
Garden Usage: Sunny steep slopes, desert themed gardens, attracts hummingbirds, bumblebees, and wasps
Purple sage is a showy silver-leaved shrub with pungent fragrance and light-purple flowers in dramatic spikes. It forms neat mounds 5' tall and 6' wide. Sages take full sun and are drought tolerant, although you can encourage blooming by giving them extra water, but be sure to let the ground dry out between watering and be careful not to give too much summer water. In California, the sages are visited by hummingbirds, bumblebees, wasps and bees. If you want to keep the sage neat, you can prune it, but wait until it is not flowering. Also makes an excellent low hedge.
Salvia leucophylla
hybrid:
(Purple sage hybrid):
Plant Type: Evergreen subshrub
Light: Sun
Soil: Adaptable; well-drained preferred
Water: Drought tolerant to occasional
Bloom Season: Spring to summer
Natural Habitat: Dry slopes and flats in coastal scrub chaparral, and some woodlands and forest below 4500 feet, garden hybrid
Garden Usage: Hillsides, focal points, fragrance
This
variety is a very special hybrid of white and purple sage grown by our good
friend Tom. Its leaves have the
appearance of a white sage but the flowers are light purple. As with all sages, it’s important not
to over water once they are established.
This has an incredible scent!
Can grow 6-8 feet tall and wide.
Ok to prune back after bloom period.
Vitus californica
‘Rogers Red’ (California Wild Grape):
Plant Type: Deciduous vine
Light: Sun to part shade
Soil: Adaptable
Water: Occasional
Bloom Season: Fall color
Natural Habitat: Garden hybrid
Garden Usage: Cover fences, arbors, trellises
Selected
by Roger Raiche at the U.C. Berkeley Botanic Garden, this cultivar is now
thought to be a natural hybrid between the native Vitis californica and
the European wine grape, Vitis vinifera. A vigorous vine growing
3-6 feet per year, it turns flaming red in the fall before losing its leaves.
Also sets fruit profusely, with only occasional water. While tasty, the grapes
are seedy, making it better for birds than people. We have not found it to be
messy, hanging onto the grapes until they are raisins, then picked off by
birds.