Plant of the Month – July
Sugarbush Rhus ovata Plant Form: Evergreen Shrub Water Use: Low Mature Size: 8-15’ tall & wide Exposure: Full Sun, Part Shade Bloom Time: Spring (March – May); fruit Summer (June – August) Native to: California, Arizona, & Mexico (at elevations 3,000 – 5,000 feet) Hardiness: Cold Hardy to 0°F Sugar Bush is a very long-lived, evergreen, aromatic shrub with lush, deep green, leathery leaves that are slightly folded like a taco shell. Maroon twigs and leaf stems, as well […]
Plant of the Month – June
Mojave Desert Sage Salvia dorrii Plant Form: Evergreen Sub-shrub Water Use: Very Low Mature Size: 1-2 ft. tall x 2-3 ft. wide Exposure: Full Sun, Part Shade Bloom Time: Spring (May), Summer (June-July) Native to: California, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada,Oregon,Utah, Washington (between 2500 – 8500 feet) Hardiness: Cold Hardy to 10°F Mojave Desert Sage is an aromatic, native “shrublet” with striking blue-violet flowers that emerge from purplish, ball-shaped flower heads along the stems. This compact, herbaceous perennial is impervious to […]
Plant of the Month
White Sage Salvia apiana Plant Form: Evergreen shrub Water Use: Very Low Mature Size: 2-3 feet tall x 3-6 feet wide Exposure: Full Sun Bloom Time: Spring (April – June) Native to: California to Baja (below 4,500 feet) Hardiness: Cold Hardy to 15°F White sage is an aromatic, slow-growing, evergreen shrub prized for a variety of qualities. Gardeners treasure this drought-tolerant native for its beautiful white foliage, almost luminous in the early evening and on moonlight nights. Bees […]
Plant of the Month – April
Bladderpod Peritoma arborea Plant Form: Evergreen shrub Water Use: Very Low Mature Size: 4-6 feet tall & wide Exposure: Full Sun Bloom Time: Year-round; heaviest bloom Feb – June Native to: California (between 200 – 6,000 feet) Hardiness: Cold Hardy to 25°F Bladderpod is a hardy, drought-tolerant, evergreen shrub with lacy gray-green leaves. This relative of capers produces showy, yellow flowers year-round with only occasional water. Bladderpod derives its name from its seed pods that are shaped like small […]
Plant of the Month
Toyon, Christmas Berry Heteromeles arbutifolia Plant Form: Evergreen shrub/tree Water Use: Low Mature Size: 8-15 (to 25) ft. tall x 8-10 ft. wide Exposure: Full sun, part sun Bloom Time: Summer (June – Aug) Native to: So. California Hardiness: Cold hardy to 0°F Toyon, also called Christmas Berry and California Holly, is a very giving evergreen shrub or small tree from California’s chaparral communities. The city of Hollywood was named after this plant. This very adaptable, dense shrub is valued […]
Plant of the Month
Mediterranean Fan Palm European Fan Palm Chamaerops humilis Plant Form: Palm, shrub, tree Water Use: Low, moderate Mature Size: 6-15 ft. tall x 6-20 ft. wide Exposure: Full sun, part shade Bloom Time: Spring (Mar – May) Native to: Europe, Northern Africa Hardiness: Cold hardy to 10°F Mediterranean Fan Palm is among the hardiest palms, able to survive triple-digit heat and cold down to 10 degrees F, with exceptional tolerance to wind and drought. This bushy, evergreen palm forms either […]
