california native Archives - Page 6 of 7 - Summer-Dry | Celebrate Plants in Summer-Dry Gardens

3 11, 2015

California wild grape

California wild grape

Nora Harlow2024-06-27T19:25:24-07:00Categories: Blog|Tags: california native, nora harlow, vine|

Vitis californica 'Roger's Red' in fall color California grape (Vitis californica) is a large, fast-growing, deciduous vine that provides quick summertime privacy and shade as well as brilliant yellow, orange, or red fall color. In summer or fall, the lush foliage is thrilling when backlit by afternoon sun. Native to riparian areas of California and Oregon, this headstrong vine grows thirty feet tall and wide with its preferred regimen of shaded roots, tops in full sun, and moderate summer water. Vines climb by tightly twining tendrils that stand firm against the most determined pulling and will advance high

13 10, 2015

Penstemons

Penstemons

Nora Harlow2024-06-27T19:25:23-07:00Categories: Blog, perennials|Tags: california native, nora harlow, perennials|

Penstemon x gloxiniodes 'Maurice Gibbs' It’s easy to see why penstemons are so popular with gardeners everywhere. Their tubular or trumpet-shaped flowers, usually on tall spikes, put on a brilliant show from late spring until fall. Flower color ranges from shades of purple to red, blue, white, yellow, or pink, often with contrasting markings at the base. Hummingbirds and butterflies are drawn to them. Some penstemons are tall and upright, excellent in the mixed border; others are low mats perfect for the rock garden; and still others are sprawling mid-size mounds. All need good to excellent drainage, but

28 09, 2015

Manzanita

Manzanita

Nora Harlow2024-06-27T19:25:22-07:00Categories: Blog, shrubs|Tags: california native, nora harlow, shrubs|

Arctostaphylos pajaroensis branches in Tilden Park Every garden needs a “backbone” – usually trees or shrubs that provide enduring form and structure as perennials and annuals lose their seasonal impact. Native to much of the West Coast, manzanitas (Arctostaphylos) are the perfect backbone plants for California – graceful form, picturesque bark, showy clusters of small winter to early spring flowers, and handsome green or gray-green leaves year round. Arctostaphylos hooveri bark Why are manzanitas not in every California garden? Perhaps because they often fail to thrive under gardening practices considered normal for East Coast or English gardens

11 09, 2015

Ceanothus

Ceanothus

Nora Harlow2024-06-27T19:25:21-07:00Categories: Blog, shrubs, California Native|Tags: california native, nora harlow, shrub|

Ceanothus griseus horizontalis 'Yankee Point' If you’re looking for a plant that provides masses of spring flowers, stays green year round, takes little to no summer water, and thrives on benign neglect, it’s hard to beat California’s wild lilacs (Ceanothus). There are so many kinds of ceanothus that it takes a little research and some trial-and-error to find one that will do well in your garden. Fortunately, most grow quite fast, so an initial failure is not irreparable. Some ceanothus are wide-spreading ground-huggers. Others are medium-height mounds. Still others are tall, upright shrubs that can be gently trained

10 06, 2015

Epilobium

Epilobium

Nora Harlow2024-06-27T19:25:19-07:00Categories: perennials|Tags: california native, perennials|

Epilobium septentrionale 'Select Mattole' (California Fuchsia) silver gray foliage native groundcover in flower with Arctostaphylos It’s curious that some scientific plant names can be changed and no one seems to mind, while other changes are heartily resisted by gardeners as well as by many plant book authors and nurseries. California fuchsias were known and grown for so long as Zauschneria, their former scientific name, that it took years for some people to call them by their current scientific name, Epilobium, in part perhaps because zauschnerias are horticulturally so different from other epilobiums, or fireweeds. A variable group of

31 03, 2015

Matilija Poppy

Matilija Poppy

Nora Harlow2024-06-27T19:25:18-07:00Categories: Blog, perennials|Tags: california native, perennials|

You will hear that Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri) is hard to start and hard to stop, and to some extent this is true. But if you plant this magnificent California native from one-gallon cans in late fall or early winter, and the spot you choose has excellent drainage (hillsides, mounds, raised beds), you should have self-sustaining plants by the second year. Plant carefully without disturbing the roots. Water thoroughly at planting and weekly through the first summer. The huge (4-6 inches across) white, crepe-papery flowers with bright yellow stamens each last about a week and then cleanly drop all their

23 02, 2015

Dwarf Coyote Brush

Dwarf Coyote Brush

Nora Harlow2024-06-27T19:23:53-07:00Categories: Blog, groundcovers, shrubs|Tags: california native, nora harlow, shrubs, ground covers|

In the world of living plants and landscapes there is no equivalent of the little black dress – the absolutely carefree plant that goes anywhere with the right accessories – but this has never stopped us from looking for one. Nor has it stopped us from believing we’ve found such a plant, from embracing it with too much enthusiasm and then rejecting it outright when it fails to live up to impossible expectations, moving on to the next high fashion. Nowhere is this trend more obvious than in our vain attempts to completely cover the ground. In the 1960s we