PARK SIERRA
GARDENING HANDBOOK

BACK TO GARDENING

12-14-09

The kiss of the sun
for pardon;

The song of the birds
for mirth;

One is nearer God's
heart in a garden

Than anywhere else
on earth.

—Author unknown

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Assume nothing. I make lots of misteaks.
2. Many of the plants I’ve listed were taken from old Landscape material, and I have no personal knowledge of far too many of them. I added others that I know are planted around the clubhouse or elsewhere.
3. Main entries are boldface and all caps. Common-name cross-references are in normal typeface followed by the main entry, e.g., Chinese Pistache   PISTACHE, CHINESE, which tells the reader to look under Pistache for info. Latin cross-references appear like this: Pistache chinensis   PISTACHE, CHINESE.
4. Add plants (and knowledge thereof) that you know are growing in our park.
5. Fill in the blanks wherever you can. I brought a limited supply of reference material with me on the road, but I’ll continue to do the same.
6. If you have reference books of your own, or you can connect to the Internet, do research! (It’s best to use the Latin name when searching the net.)
7. Pruning (when & how much) and planting/propagating information (if specific) is needed for many plants. Example: Let me know if a plant can be propagated easily by doing thus & such. This will be a handbook for park gardeners too! We need to list how each plant should be pruned or cut back, and when.
8. Think about additional categories of general information, or add your knowledge to those already included.
9. I’m interested in doing a suitability scale (such as 1 to 10, with 10 as most suitable) to include with each plant. Any ideas? Rosemary, for example, would be a 10. Orchids might be an example of a 1. Then, too, Poison Oak might be a –10!
10. If you wish to do your work on a computer, edit in a different color. Email me at birdmom@sierratel.com (or contact Carol Rodely) and I’ll send you the file.
11. Some natives such as Manzanita, Silver Bush Lupine, and California Poppy are included, but very few, as Wildflowers of Park Sierra is a separate book.
12. Beware of confusion over Latin names. Many of them have changed, so if you’re using old reference books, the information you have may be incorrect.
13. Don’t get too picky about details. If it’s really wrong, then it should be changed, but if one book says a tree grows to 25’ and another says 35’, it may simply reflect 25’ as an average, with 35’ as an absolute. Stick to what’s really important. On the other hand, if an entry says “evergreen,” then it had better hang onto its leaves all year!
14. You may come across Native American uses for some of these plants. Include any interesting info, especially if the plant is poisonous.
15. Please list books used as your information sources, including publication date.
16. If you see articles of interest, or visit nurseries specializing in native plants, please pass along what you learn.
17. Last, but definitely not least, persuade others to join our effort.

DO’S AND DON’TS

• Do get approval of tree and shrub planting from Site Improvement Committee, as roots/digging must not affect underground utilities.

• Do use drought-tolerant plants.
• Do not water under the drip line of natives such as oaks (minimum 10’ from trunk). Watering in summer causes oak root fungus to grow.
• Do not plant a year-round lawn.
• Do not water every day or every other day, with the exception of fragile new plants or seeds. Every third day, twice weekly, or once a week are better.
• Do not run irrigation systems in the wet season.
• Do not use plastic sheeting to prevent weeds, as it prevents rainfall from reaching these areas. Porous sheeting, which allows moisture through, works well.
• Do protect important plants, especially trees and shrubs, by planting in wire gopher baskets.
• Do not transfer rocks from their natural settings to your site.
• Do light trimming and pruning of trees and shrubs, but major pruning or removal must be referred to Maintenance Committee.
• Do be kind to your neighbors when considering plants—will they obstruct your neighbors’ view or interfere with their lots?
• Do not encroach on common areas unless you wish to be a full-time caregiver.

If you plan to travel a great deal, don’t landscape at all. Buy a few colorful pots of flowers for the times when you are in the park.

 If you travel some of the time, choose tough, hardy, drought-tolerant plants and a simple irrigation system. You will need a caregiver to watch over your irrigation system, particularly in summer.

If you travel very little, you may wish to have more plants, but please remember—we live in a seasonally arid climate with poor, rocky soil. Your gardening plans should reflect this reality.

Excess gardening passions can always be put to use by attending Landscaping Committee’s weekly work session, Garden Party.

Soil Types

Length and frequency of watering time can vary widely because of the soil makeup. In sandy soil, water drains quickly. Think of a carrot-shaped moist area under the water source. In heavy clay soil, water drains very slowly, forming a flat shape. In good, loamy soil, the water forms a bulblike pattern.

Most lots have varying types of soil, such as decomposed granite (DG), fill dirt, and (if lucky) soil amendments. Here’s a method to determine a given soil type:

·         Mix soil and water in a jar.

·         Within 2 minutes, sand will settle to the bottom.

·         Within 2 hours, silt will settle on top of the sand.

·         Overnight, clay will settle last.

·         The ratio of each determines the type of soil you’re dealing with.

Mulching

Mulch can be nonorganic (rocks, gravel) or organic (chips, bark, even pulled weeds). Mulch offers many benefits:

1. Holds moisture in the soil.
2. Keeps ground temperature cooler in summer, warmer in winter.
3. Organic mulch gradually breaks down, adding tilth to the soil.
4. Organic mulch feeds valuable earth critters such as earthworms and provides balance.

Basket Making

Ask Lee McK to do this one. I’d like to add a couple of photos.

Pruning
Would like to have detailed info on basic types of pruning, tools needed, maybe photos
 

WATERING

This section is not meant to be comprehensive, only to include some of the tips learned by park gardeners.

Overwatering

In addition to wastefulness of a precious resource, overwatering retards plant growth by causing fine root hairs to die, excessively cools the soil, and blocks air so the tiny “good” insects in the soil die, too.

Many native species, particularly our oaks, will die from oak root fungus if watered during the warm seasons. Death won’t occur immediately, but when that great shade tree begins to go belly-up, it’s sad—not only for the current leaseholder, but for future ones.

Irrigation Systems

Plastic tubing systems (5/8” or ½”) and “spaghetti tubing” form the water lines to your plants. The decision whether to use sprayers or drippers depends on many factors, but drippers are far less wasteful of our water supply and help keep weeds down by directing water to a smaller area. It is highly recommended that you use drippers everywhere you can, and use sprayers only on areas that cannot be accommodated by individual drippers.

The large irrigation tubes are kinked at the end, held with a figure-8. Before each irrigation season, run the system and unkink each end to flush out debris. The debris is mostly dried algae, which looks like soil particles.

Drippers

The drippers themselves come in various gallonages and types.

• Variable; dial from 0 to ___ gpm.

• Self-cleaning; various gallonages.
• Plain; various gallonages.

[Show photos]

The variable drippers can be shut off completely, opened up wide, or somewhere in between, but the variation is not very precise. Closing the dripper to a very low drip often causes the dripper to plug. It’s easy enough to unplug by twisting the dial, but in the meantime, the plant suffers. If the dripper is opened too far, the dial may shoot off, forming a waterspout. Even with these drawbacks, it is a good dripper.

Self-cleaning drippers come in various gallonages, so if plants are changed or a plant needs more or less than it’s been getting, you must install a different dripper. They can clog up, but a twist of each dripper at least once a season helps.

The plain dripper also comes in set gallonages, and is the least trustworthy (but cheapest) of the three types.

Sprayers

Sprayers are notorious for clogging up. A straightened paper clip will usually clear the clog, but sometimes it’s a suck-and-spit job. Spray heads also come loose, and fountains are the consequence.

Timers

To run an irrigation system automatically, some kind of timer is necessary. The two main types are electronic and battery timers, each with its set of pro’s and cons.

Electronic timers are more dependable, but they must have electricity to work. If the park power is off, or the leaseholder is away, the system may become fouled. Many electronic timers are confusing to operate.

Battery timers are simpler, but their durability is problematic. The fancy kinds with electronic displays are great for seeing what your program is doing, but those displays take more power, which means your batteries won’t last as long. The simpler timers are more dependable overall, and batteries may last more than a season. Ask around for current recommendations.
 

PESTS

Pests of some sort will always be with us. The trick is to allow natural controls to function whenever possible. Ant poison, for instance, does not kill ants only. It kills many beneficial insects too. When you spray for one pest, you kill their enemies (who would have been your garden friends) as well. The newspapers often have articles on the harm caused to agricultural workers from pesticides. Err on the side of caution.

Gophers

Gophers are pests for two major reasons: They destroy plants and damage irrigation tubing. Killing gophers is a never-ending task. Gophers are solitary, but if you manage to get rid of one, another will eventually move into the same tunnels. Poison and traps are the most common ways to kill them, with traps being the safest and surest. If poison is used, great care must be taken not to kill other creatures, especially birds.

Gophers don’t eat all plants, but tunneling can destroy root zones by allowing air in and water out. Consider coexistence: Put your expensive plants in gopher wire. Gophers chew on tubing to get to the water inside, so try putting out low containers of water. Stick garden windmills into active gopher holes; they don’t like the vibration.

Moles

Mole activity is easy to spot because they tunnel just under the surface, raising long mounds. They are not after your plants, they’re after your bugs. That’s good, but the tunneling can aerate fine surface roots, as with gophers. Trapping moles is more difficult, and the damage is so minimal that it doesn’t seem worthwhile to kill these animals.

Insects

We classify them as good or bad because of how they affect our gardening.  Among the "good" ones:

• Ladybugs (Lady beetles)
• Praying mantis
• Spiders
• Dragonflies

The bad ones:

• Grasshoppers
• Whiteflies
• Mealybugs

Diseases

Mold, mildew, virus, ___

Oak Galls

Two basic galls are found in the park, formed by gall wasps. The brown galls are the size of plums, and the small spiny red galls are attached to leaves. Neither is harmful.

Mistletoe

Although it is a parasite, it does not harm trees for that reason. However, overgrowth of mistletoe can add so much weight that limbs break.  A major infestation can weaken branches.

WHAT TO PLANT

The bulk of this handbook covers a listing of plants that are (1) recommended for our area or (2) in general use.

In choosing plants, here are some major keys:

• Drought tolerance. A thrifty plant not only saves water, it will survive for longer periods if something happens to the irrigation system.
• Fire resistance. Any plant that retards fire spread is valuable to the park.
• Deer resistance. Deer menus are divided into three groups:

1.     Caviar—The plant is eaten any time, any place.

2.     Choice—The plant is eaten at certain seasons.

3.     Desperation City—The plant that wasn’t touched up till now is munched to the ground.

• Critters (gophers, moles, rabbits, ground squirrels). Very few plants don’t appeal to gophers, but there are some. Even if gophers don’t eat the plant’s roots, their tunnels may aerate and kill them. Moles do not eat the plants; they are after insects in the ground. But in tunneling just under the surface, they may kill young plants by exposing roots to air. Tree squirrels don’t bother plants, but ground squirrels sure do. Rabbits are like deer—sometimes a pest, sometimes not.
• Insects. Look for hardy plants not susceptible to infestation (but accept some damage as the price of balancing nature).
• Diseases. Many plants have been bred specifically to be less susceptible to disease; read the labels.
• Soil requirements. Match the plant to the type of soil you have available. The less amendments needed, the less expense and the more success you’ll have.
• Drainage. Most plants will die without good drainage. Fortunately, most of our land is hilly, which allows water to drain off.
• Fertilizers. Look for plants that don’t have high nutrition requirements. In fact, some plants do less well and have fewer blooms when fertilized.
• Erosion. Hillsides means erosion from winter rains. Choose plants that help bind problem hillsides. A single spreading plant such as Rockrose can protect 10–12’ of hillside.
• Heat/cold. Hot, dry summers are hard on delicate species. Avoid “hothouse” plants with high humidity requirements. We get freezes every winter, sometimes to the mid-20s or even teens. Plants sold in Fresno may not survive the higher elevation of our park, and covering plants at night is not a pleasant chore. Some plants may die back, even to the ground, but rejuvenate in the spring. Tip: Do no no more than lightly prune freeze-damaged parts until the danger of frost is past. Supposedly this helps protect the rest of the plant.
• Native.  Plants that are suited to our climate or have adapted to it will grow the best with the least amount of care. Some natives can be transplanted, such as Manzanita and Silver Bush Lupine.

*** How about a recommendation scale of some kind, +1–5 for recommended, –1–5 for not recommended, on each plant entry?

We’ll need a category listing of all the plants, but some don’t categorize well. Should we duplicate them in different categories? I’d like to split Trees and Shrubs, for example.
 

TREES/SHRUBS

1. Ash
   1. Raywood
   2. Claret
   3. Foothill
2. Bay
3. Butterfly Bush
4. Carob
5. Catalina Cherry
6. Cedar
7. Chinese Photinia
8. Chinese Pistache
9. Common Hackberry
10. Cypress
11. Flannel Bush
12. Four-Wing Saltbush
13. Golden Currant
14. Hollyleaf Cherry
15. Hollyleaf Redberry
16. Hopseed Bush
17. Italian Buckthorn
18. Lemon Bottlebrush
19. Lion’s Tail
20. Manzanita
21. New Mexican Privet
22. Oleander
23. Oregon Grape
24. Pincushion Tree
25. Pine, Italian Stone
26. Pyracantha
27. Privet
28. Sea Tomato
29. Siberian Peashrub
30. Strawberry Tree
31. Sumac
32. Texas Ranger
33. Tower of Jewels
34. Western Redbud
35. Wild Lilac
36. Yucca

GROUND COVERS

1. Australian Bluebell Creeper
2. Cotoneaster, Bearberry
3. Lilac, California
4. Cape Plumbago
5. Capeweed
6. Coyote Bush, Dwarf
7. Mahonia, Creeping
8. Sage, Creeping
9. Cassia, Feathery
10. Germander
11. Lavender Cotton
12. Manzanita
13. Primrose, Mexican Evening
14. Rosemary, Dwarf
15. Rosemary, Erect
16. Saltbush, Australian
17. Snow-in-Summer
18. Grevillea, Woolly
19. Thyme, Woolly
20. Currant, California
21. Carmel Creeper
22. Buckwheat, California
23. Penstemon
24. Juniper, Prostrate
25. Rockrose

PERENNIALS

1. Penstemon
2. Blanket Flower
3. California Fuchsia
4. False Indigo/Wild Indigo
5. Hippocrepis comosa
6. Horehound
7. Matilija Poppy
8. Mexican Sunflower
9. Monkeyflower
10. Daisy, Mt Atlas
11. Puya berteroniana
12. Spider Flower
13. Verbena

SPECIMEN

1. Apache Plume
2. Artemisia
3. California Holly (Toyon)
4. California Lilac
5. Coffeeberry
6. Crape Myrtle
7. Desert Honeysuckle
8. Lily-of-the-Nile
9. Yarrow

ANNUALS

1. Cosmos
2. Flax
3. Moss Rose

BULBS/TUBERS

1. Daffodil/Narcissus
2. Daylily
3. Gayfeather
4. Iris
   1. Bearded
   2. Pacific
   3. Dutch
5. Amaryllis
   1. Naked Lady
   2. Red
6. Lily-of-the-Nile
7. Red Hot Poker
8. Tulip

SUCCULENTS

1. Aloe arborescens
2. Sedum/Stonecrop
3. Euphorbium

VINES

1. Honeysuckle
2. Cape Honeysuckle
3. Clematis
4. Star Jasmine

PLANT LIST

Achillea   YARROW

African Sumac   SUMAC, AFRICAN

Agapanthus   LILY-OF-THE-NILE

ALOE   Aloe arborescens
To 18”. Drought tolerant. Many varieties. Foliage damaged at 29 degrees, but will survive 17 degrees. Many aloes can be grown in pots. Useful for minor burns, skin care.

Aloe arborescens   ALOE

ALYSSUM 

AMARYLLIS

Amaryllis belladonna   NAKED LADY

Anacyclus depressus   DAISY, MOUNT ATLAS

Anisacanthus thurberi   HONEYSUCKLE, DESERT

APACHE PLUME   Fallugia paradoxa
3–8’. Partially evergreen. Full sun. No water once established. Very tolerant of heat and drought. Important erosion control plant. Straw-colored branches, flaky bark. Flowers like single white roses in late spring. Large clusters of feathery fruit follow. Needs gritty, well-drained soil.

Arbutus unedo   STRAWBERRY TREE

Arctostaphylos   MANZANITA

Arctotheca calendula   CAPE WEED

ARTEMISIA/CALIFORNIA SAGEBRUSH/SOUTHERNWOOD/
COMMON WORMWOOD   Artemisia

1½–5’. Several species are valuable for leaf patterns and silvery or white aromatic foliage; others are aromatic herbs. Drought tolerant. Most valuable for mixed borders to soften reds and oranges or blend with blues, lavenders, and pinks. Divide in spring or fall.
Southernwood (A. abrotanum) is 3–5’. Deciduous. Lemon-scented green feathery foliage, yellowish-white flower heads. Sprigs hung in closets discourage moths; a few leaves burned on stove kill cooking odors.
California Sagebrush (A. californica) is 1½–5’. Native. Finely divided grayish white leaves. Drought tolerant once established, but loses leaves in extreme drought. ‘Canyon Gray’ and ‘Montara’ are superior hybrid selections.
Common Wormwood (A. absinthium) is 2–4’. Evergreen. Perennial. Silvery gray with finely divided leaves. Pungent odor. Good as background shrub or in flower border.

Artemisia absinthium   WORMWOOD, COMMON

Artemisia californica   ARTEMISIA

ASH, FOOTHILL   Fraxinus dipetala
6’ deciduous shrub or small tree 18–20’. Native to California foothills. Drought tolerant. Grows fairly fast. Tolerates hot summers, cold winters, many soils (including alkaline).

ASH, MODESTO   Fraxinus pennsylvanica ssp. velutina

30–40’. Deciduous. Drought tolerant. Grows fairly fast. Tolerates heat, cold, and alkaline soil. Purple-red fall color. No seeds.

ASH, RAYWOOD   Fraxinus angustifolia)

30–40’. Deciduous. Drought tolerant. Grows fairly fast. Tolerates heat, cold, and alkaline soil. Purple-red fall color. No seeds.

Aspen, Florida   TALLOW TREE, CHINESE

Atriplex canescens

Atriplex semibaccata   SALTBUSH, AUSTRALIAN

Australian Bluebell Creeper   BLUEBELL CREEPER, AUSTRALIAN

Australian Saltbush   SALTBUSH, AUSTRALIAN

Autumn Sage   SAGE, AUTUMN

AZALEA

Baccharis pilularis prostrates   COYOTE BUSH, DWARF
 

Baptisia australis   INDIGO, FALSE

BAY/CALIFORNIA LAUREL/CALIFORNIA BAY/OREGON MYRTLE/
PEPPERWOOD   Umbellularia californica
To 75’. Evergreen. Often multitrunked. Full sun or partial shade. Native to this area. Deerproof. Drought tolerant (no water once established). Not fussy about planting conditions. Always neat. Good for screening, background, tall hedge, patio or street tree. Expect heavy autumn fallout of leaves. Leaves can be dried for use in cooking.

Bearberry   MANZANITA

Bearberry Cotoneaster   COTONEASTER, BEARBERRY

Beard Tongue   PENSTEMON

Bearded Iris   IRIS, BEARDED

Bells of Ireland (Euphorbia) ***

BLANKET FLOWER   Gaillardia grandiflora
Perennial. Developed from native species. Deer resistant. Flowers red and yellow with orange or maroon bands, from June until frost. Plants flower first year from seed. Var: ‘Goblin,’ good compact variety with deep red/yellow flowers. Thrives in heat; needs good drainage. Easy to grow from seed, and often reseeds.

BLUEBELL CREEPER, AUSTRALIAN   Sollya heterophylla (S. fusiformis)
Evergreen shrub (2–3’, spreading) or vine, 6–8’ over low supporting walls. Part or full sun. Needs good drainage. Looks best with regular water. May attract insects. Good container plant.

BLUE-EYED GRASS

BOTTLEBRUSH, LEMON   Callistemon citrinus
10–25’. Evergreen. Full sun, hardy, fast growing. Easy to train. Attracts hummingbirds, bees. Drought tolerant. Deer resistant. Flowers, appearing throughout the year, are 6” long bright red brushes with round golden tips.

BUCKTHORN, ITALIAN   Rhamnus alaternus
12–20’. Evergreen. Spreads as wide as tall, but close planting or pruning keeps it narrow. Fast screen. Heat and drought tolerant. R. variegata has white-edged leaves; ‘John Edwards’ is vigorous and long-lived.

BUCKWHEAT, CALIFORNIA   Eriogonum fasciculatum
1–3’, spreading to 5’. Native. Good erosion control plant. Pinkish-white flowers in spring. Var. ‘Theodore Payne’ is low-growing, makes attractive green ground cover. Grows best in well-drained, loose, gravelly soil. Good in rock gardens. Natives need no water. Plant turns reddish in fall/winter.

Buddleia davidii   BUTTERFLY BUSH

BUTTERFLY BUSH   Buddleia davidii
10’. Deciduous or semievergreen. Has a fountainlike structure. Deer resistant. Fast growth. Needs good drainage and enough water to maintain growth. Soft wood may freeze to ground, but roots are hardy. After fall flowering, cut the plant to 3’ or lower. Seeds new plants, which transplant well. Fragrant flowers grow in slender clusters similar to lilacs; many colors are available, most commonly pale violet with orange eyes. Attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, bees. Keep dead flowers trimmed to produce more blooms.

California Bay   BAY

California Buckwheat   BUCKWHEAT, CALIFORNIA

California Currant   CURRANT, CALIFORNIA

California Fuchsia   FUCHSIA, CALIFORNIA

California Holly   TOYON

California Laurel   BAY

California Lilac   LILAC, CALIFORNIA

California Poppy   POPPY, CALIFORNIA

CHRYSANTHEMUM

Creeping Phlox   PHLOX, CREEPING

California Sagebrush   ARTEMISIA

Callistemon citrinus   BOTTLEBRUSH, LEMON

Canna Lily   LILY, CANNA

Cape Honeysuckle   HONEYSUCKLE, CAPE

CAPE PLUMBAGO   Plumbago auriculata (P. capensis)
Semievergreen shrub or vine. Sprawling, mounding bush to 6’, 8–10’ wide (with support, can reach 12’ or more). Good for banks. Grows on hot walls, low fences. Tolerates poor soil, but likes good drainage. Erosion control. Blooms March–December. Flowers are clear-blue phloxlike clusters. Select plants while in bloom. Can be propagated from cuttings. Slow to start, but tough.

CAPE WEED   Arctotheca calendula
Evergreen perennial, low-growing. Full sun, almost any soil. Fast growing. Drought tolerant once established. Needs large area, as it spreads by runners. Yellow daisy flowers. Frost damage in high 20s, but quick recovery. Good on hillsides.

Caragana arborescens   PEASHRUB, SIBERIAN

Carmel Creeper   CEANOTHUS

CAROB/ST JOHN’S BREAD   Ceratonia siliqua
30–40’. Evergreen, unusually dense and often multistemmed. Needs winter protection first 2 years, then hardy to 18 degrees. Once established, needs no summer water. If water is required, must be deep and infrequent. Needs lots of space, because roots can break paving. Resistant to oak root fungus.

CASSIA, FEATHERY   Cassia artemisioides (Senna artemisioides)
3–5’. Evergreen shrub. Full sun. Needs no water once established. Yellow flowers. Prune lightly after flowering to eliminate heavy setting of seed.

Cassia artemisioides    CASSIA, FEATHERY

Catalina Cherry   CHERRY, CATALINA

Catalina Perfume   CURRANT, CALIFORNIA

CEANOTHUS/WILD LILAC/CARMEL CREEPER   Ceanothus
Deer resistant. C. griseus horizontalis is native ground cover growing on rocky slopes. Drought resistant, but not long-lived (5–10 years). C. cyaneus is a shrub. C. horizontalis and C. maritimus are ground covers. ‘Ray Hartman” is a shrub. Good erosion control. ‘Joyce Coulter,’ ‘Hoover,’ ‘Hurricane Point,’ ‘Frosty Dawn,’ and ‘Point Sierra’ (more tolerant of heat) are also available. Flowers range from light to dark blue.

CEDAR   Cedrus
Evergreen. Deep-rooted, drought-tolerant once established. Obtain from Department of Forestry.

Cedrus   CEDAR

Celtis occidentalis   HACKBERRY, COMMON

Cenizo   TEXAS RANGER

Cerastium tomentosa   SNOW-IN-SUMMER

Ceratonia siliqua   CAROB

Cercis occidentalis   REDBUD, WESTERN

CHERRY, CATALINA   Prunus lyonii
15–35’. Evergreen. Native to Channel Islands. Shrub, tree, tall screen, or hedge. Very drought tolerant. Fire resistant. Fruit drop. Highly resistant to oak root fungus, and seldom troubled by diseases or pests, except whiteflies.

CHERRY, HOLLYLEAF   Prunus ilicifolia
20–30’. Evergreen. Native to this area. Broader than high. Fruit and mature leaves drop. Unusually high resistance to oak root fungus. Prefers sun, but tolerates light shade. Requires no water once established, but growth and appearance improve with irrigation. Can be used as small tree, tall screen, or clipped hedge.

Chinese Tallow Tree   TALLOW TREE, CHINESE

Chinese Photinia   PHOTINIA, CHINESE

Chinese Pistache   PISTACHE, CHINESE

CHRYSANTHEMUM   ***

Chrysanthemum parthenium   FEVERFEW

Cistus   ROCKROSE

CLEMATIS   Clematis lasiantha
Deciduous or evergreen vine (most are deciduous). Native species needs little summer water. Good as ground cover. Deer resistant.

Clematis lasiantha   CLEMATIS

Cleome hassierana, spinosa   SPIDER FLOWER

COFFEEBERRY   Rhamnus californica
3–15’. Evergreen shrub. Native. Full sun to half shade. Not particular as to soil. Drought tolerant, but looks better with some summer water. Berries are black when ripe.

Common Hackberry   HACKBERRY, COMMON

Common Wormwood   ARTEMISIA

CONEFLOWER   Echinacea ___ ***

COSMOS   Cosmos bipinnatus
2½–8’. Seed or bedding plants. Full sun. Tolerates some aridity. Self-seeds. Airy light-green foliage. Showy daisylike flowers in many colors and forms. Plant in not-too-rich soil. Attracts birds (particularly goldfinches) and butterflies. For flower arrangements, cut when buds are freshly opened and place immediately in deep, cool water.

Cosmos bipinnatus   COSMOS

COTONEASTER, BEARBERRY   Cotoneaster dammeri
3–6”, 10’ wide. Evergreen. Sun or partial shade. Fast growth. Branches root along ground. White flowers, red berries. Best planted on slopes, in poor soil. Erosion control. Deer resistant. Attractive to wildlife. ‘Coral Beauty,’ 6”; ‘Eichholz,’ 10–12”; ‘Skogsholmen,’ 1½”.

Cotoneaster dammeri   COTONEASTER, BEARBERRY

Cotoneaster *** (large with red berries)

COYOTE BUSH, DWARF   Baccharis pilularis prostratus
Evergreen shrub, 18–24”, spreading to 6’ or more. Deer resistant. Valuable, dependable bank cover. Minimum maintenance. ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Pigeon Point’ are 2–3’. Fire resistant. Shear back in early spring, and feed with nitrogen fertilizer. Buy male plants (females have messy, cottony seeds). ‘Twin Peaks’ has moderate growth rate; ‘Pigeon Point’ grows faster.

CRAPE MYRTLE   Lagerstroemia indica
6–10’. Shrub or small tree. Full sun. Slow growing. Attractive bark pattern. Long flowering period, July to September. Prune when dormant to increase flowering wood next summer. Remove spent clusters and prune out twiggy growth. Crinkly flowers in various colors. Leaf fall color yellow, sometimes orange or red.

Creeping Mahonia   MAHONIA, CREEPING

Creeping Sage   SAGE, CREEPING

Crocosmia masoniorum (orange-red lily) ***

CROCUS, FALL   ***

Cupressus forbesii   CYPRESS, TECATE

CURRANT, CALIFORNIA/CATALINA PERFUME/EVERGREEN CURRANT  
Ribes viburnifolium
3’, spreading to 12’. Evergreen shrub, Native. Suitable for ground cover. Fragrant leaves, pink to purplish flowers, red berries. Best with partial shade. Once established, needs no irrigation. Excellent under native oaks. To keep plants low, cut out upright stems.

CURRANT, GOLDEN   Ribes aureum
3–6’. Deciduous. Native. Erect growth. Clusters of spicy-fragrant bright yellow flowers in spring. Berries yellow to red to black. Prefers moderate summer water.

Currant, Evergreen   CURRANT, CALIFORNIA

CYPRESS, ARIZONA   Cupressus arizonica
To 40’, spreading to 20’. Evergreen. Useful as quick windbreaks. Foliage varies from green to blue-gray to silvery with rough bark.
Smooth Arizona Cypress (C. arizonica glabra) has smooth cherry-red bark.

CYPRESS, TECATE   Cupressus forbesii
Low-branching to 20’. Evergreen. Cherry-red bark, green foliage. Very fast growing. Drought tolerant. Windbreak, tall screen.

DAFFODIL/NARCISSUS   Narcissus
Many varieties, colors. Gophers don’t eat them. Deer resistant. Will naturalize. Prefers sun, but late varieties last well in light shade. Water as needed during growth and bloom. Bulbs are hardy in cold and heat, and increase each year. Good in containers.

DAISY, MOUNT ATLAS   Anacyclus depressus
Perennial. Full sun. Infrequent water. Forms dense, spreading mat. Grayish leaves, yellow and white daisy flowers (red on reverse side). Good in hot, sunny, dry rock gardens. Hardy, but may freeze in severe winters.

DAYLILY   Hemerocallis
Full sun or partial shade. Large clumps of arching, sword-shaped leaves, with lilylike flowers. Tuberous, fleshy roots. Tall and dwarf varieties available. Good cut flowers (cut stems with well-developed buds, which will open each day). Adapts to almost any soil; fertilize in spring and midsummer. Divide crowded plants in early spring or late fall.

Desert Honeysuckle   HONEYSUCKLE, DESERT

Desert Olive   PRIVET, NEW MEXICAN

Dodonaea viscose   HOPBUSH

DOGWOOD, WESTERN (OR PACIFIC?) ***

DOGWOOD, EASTERN

Dutch Iris   IRIS, PACIFIC

Dwarf Coyote Bush   COYOTE BUSH, DWARF

Dwarf Rosemary   ROSEMARY, DWARF

Dwarf Pomegranate ***

Eastern Dogwood   DOGWOOD, EASTERN

Echinacea ___   CONEFLOWER

Echium wildpretii   TOWER OF JEWELS

Eriogonum fasciculatum   BUCKWHEAT, CALIFORNIA

Euphorbia ___   *** (I call them Bells of Ireland)

Euphorbia myrsinites (related to gopher plant, E. lathyris) Polly’s plant ***

EVENING PRIMROSE, MEXICAN   Oenothera berlandieri, O. speciosa childsii
10–12”. Perennial. Profuse cuplike rose-pink flowers bloom in summer. Once established, needs little or no care, but can be invasive. Ground cover for dry slopes. ‘Siskiyou’ is lighter pink, more compact, and more nearly everblooming.

Evergreen Currant   CURRANT, CALIFORNIA

Fall Crocus   CROCUS, FALL

Fallugia paradoxa   APACHE PLUME

False Indigo   INDIGO, FALSE

Feathery Cassia   CASSIA, FEATHERY

FEVERFEW   Chrysanthemum parthenium   *** (Newcomb's 380)

Firethorn   PYRACANTHA

FLANNELBUSH   Fremontodendron
6–20’. ‘California Glory’ and ‘Pacific Sunset,’ evergreen shrub or small tree. Fast-growing. Shallow roots; must be staked while young. Full sun. Hillside planting best for good drainage. No water after established. Deer resistant. Large yellow to yellow-orange flowers. Leaf hairs irritating. F. californicum is native to our foothills, with lemon-yellow flowers in May–June. Short-lived.

FLAX   Linum
Perennials and annuals. Full sun; tolerates some aridity. Prefers light, well-rained soil. Easily self-seeds. Blue flowers.

Florida Aspen   TALLOW TREE, CHINESE

Forestiera neomexicana   PRIVET, NEW MEXICAN

Four-Wing Saltbush   SALTBUSH, FOUR-WING

Fraxinus angustifolia   ASH

Fraxinus dipetala   ASH, FOOTHILL

Fraxinus oxycarpa   ASH

Fremontodendron   FLANNELBUSH

FUCHSIA, CALIFORNIA/HUMMINGBIRD FLOWER   Zauschneria (Epilobium)
1–2’. Perennial or subshrub. Full sun, little to no water once established. Deer resistant. Will grow on hillsides. Native species never become fully domesticated, growing rangy, reseeding themselves. Flowers are bright red-orange trumpets, attractive to hummingbirds.

Gaillardia   BLANKET FLOWER

GAURA   ***

GAYFEATHER   Liatrus callilepis, scariosa, spicata, ‘Kobold’
1–3’. Showy perennials. Full sun. Light to regular water. Basal tufts of narrow leaves grow from tuberous rootstocks. Tufts lengthen to plumes of small rose-purple flower heads, which are choice cut flowers.

GERMANDER   Teucrium
Perennial. Tough, endures poor, rocky soil, but must have good drainage. Fire resistant. Many varieties, with different flower colors.

Golden Currant   CURRANT, GOLDEN

Grape, Oregon   OREGON GRAPE

GREVILLEA, WOOLLY/HUMMINGBIRD BUSH   G. lanigera, Grevillea thelemanniana

3–6’; 6–10’ wide. Bank cover. Hot, sunny areas. Mounding plant. Gray-green needle-like leaves, clusters of crimson and cream flowers. Attractive to hummingbirds.

Grevillea lanigera, thelemanniana   GREVILLEA, WOOLLY

HACKBERRY, COMMON   Celtis occidentalis
50–60’. Deciduous. Good shade tree, related to elms. Particularly tough (not ‘Douglas,’ which needs water). Buy in containers rather than bare root. Takes wind, heat, alkaline soil, pollution. Resistant to oak root fungus, and fine near buildings or paving. Occasional aphid attacks. Attractive to birds.

Hakea laurina   PINCUSHION TREE

Hemerocallis   DAYLILY

Heterometes arbutifolia   TOYON

HIPPOCREPIS   Hippocrepis comosa
3”. Perennial ground cover, spreading to 3’. Full sun, tolerates some aridity. Will take poor soil, but looks better with good soil. Bank cover, rock garden. Pea-shaped yellow flowers.

Holly, California   TOYON

Hollyleaf Cherry   CHERRY, HOLLYLEAF

Hollyleaf Redberry   REDBERRY, HOLLYLEAF

HONEYSUCKLE   Our variety?

HONEYSUCKLE, CAPE   Tecomaria capensis
Evergreen vine or shrub. Good on hot, steep slopes when established. Needs good drainage. Takes heat and wind. Use as espalier, bank cover, coarse hedge. Little water once established. Sun or light shade. Fine-textured dark-green foliage. Tubular flowers bright orange-red. Attractive to hummingbirds.

HONEYSUCKLE, DESERT   Anisacanthus thurberi
3–5’. Evergreen or deciduous shrub. Full sun. Drought tolerant (infrequent but deep watering). Long season of color with spikes of tubular bright yellow-orange flowers. Best when treated as a perennial (cut to the ground in winter).

HOPBUSH/HOPSEED BUSH   Dodonaea viscose
12–15’, spread same. Evergreen. Fast growing. Any soil. Tolerates desert heat. Drought resistant.

Hopseed Bush   HOPBUSH

HOREHOUND   Marrubium vulgare
1–3’. Perennial herb. Aromatic woolly gray-green leaves, mintlike white flowers. Grows in poor, sandy soil. Seed in ground.

Hummingbird Bush   GREVILLEA, WOOLLY

Hummingbird Flower   FUCHSIA, CALIFORNIA

INDIGO, FALSE/WILD INDIGO   Baptisia australis
3–6’. Somewhat like bush lupine in habit. Both blue sweet-pea flowers and inflated seedpods interesting. Long taproot enables plant to survive dryness. Seed in ground.

Indigo, Wild   INDIGO, FALSE

IRIS, BEARDED  
Rhizomes. Most flower in spring and early summer, but may flower even in winter. Leaves swordlike, flowers showy. Deer resistant. Needs good drainage, any soil. Full sun or light shade. Withdraw regular water about 6 weeks after flowers fade (every other week is fine). Divide every 3–4 years in early fall, trimming leaves and roots to about 6”. Replant after cuts heal (several hours to a day, or longer if desired). Top of rhizomes should be at soil level.

IRIS, PACIFIC/DUTCH IRIS
Sun to light shade. Good drainage. Moderate to nearly no water in summer. Deer resistant. Plant from containers any time. Dig and replant in fall to midwinter when new roots are forming (critical timing). Dutch Iris should be planted 4” deep. Good in containers.

Italian Buckthorn   BUCKTHORN, ITALIAN

Italian Stone Pine   PINE, ITALIAN STONE

Ixia   *** (red & white flower from tuber).

JASMINE, STAR   Trachelospermum jasminioides (Rynchospermum)
1½–2’, 4–5’ wide. Ground cover, shrub, spiller, or climber. White flowers, very fragrant. Attractive to bees. For ground cover, cut back upright shoots. Feed spring, late summer. Takes 3–4 years to discourage most annual weeds.

Jewels, Tower of   TOWER OF JEWELS

JUNIPER, PROSTRATE   Juniperus
6”–3’. Evergreen, coniferous plants with berrylike cones. Foliage is needle or scale-like. Best with little or no water and good drainage. Deer resistant. Cones provide food for wildlife.

Juniperus   JUNIPER, PROSTRATE

Kinnikinnick   MANZANITA

Kniphofia uvaria   RED HOT POKER

Lagerstroemia indica   CRAPE MYRTLE

Laurel, California   BAY

Lavender Cotton   SANTOLINA

Lemon Bottlebrush   BOTTLEBRUSH, LEMON

Leonotis leonurus   LION’S TAIL

Leucophyllum frutescens   TEXAS RANGER

Liatris callilepis, scariosa, spicata   GAYFEATHER

Ligustrum japonicum texanum   PRIVET

LILAC, CALIFORNIA   Ceanothus
Deer resistant. ‘Blue Blossom’ (evergreen, hardy, light blue flowers), 6–21’, 8–30’ wide. ‘Dark Star’ (deerproof, cobalt blue flowers), 5–6’ tall, 8–10’ wide. ‘Julia Phelps’ (indigo blue flowers), 4–7’, 7–9’ wide. This is a good bloomer and needs some water, but water only by hose through the first dry season.

Lilac, Wild   CEANOTHUS

LILY, CANNA

LILY-OF-THE-NILE   Agapanthus

4–5’. Evergreen or deciduous perennials. Needs water to establish. Grows in full sun or as little as 3 hours of sun. Best in loamy soil, but will grow in heavy soils. Likes ample water, but grows and blooms without water. Divide infrequently (5–6 years). Lift and store tubers over the winter and replant in spring. Superb container plant, and good near pools. A. orientalis is the most commonly planted, and is evergreen.

Linum   FLAX

LION’S TAIL   Leonotis leonurus
3–6’. Shrubby, branching. Full sun. Deer resistant. Dense whorls of tubular, deep-orange flowers covered with furlike hairs, summer to fall. Striking if kept well groomed. Little or no dry-season watering.

Liquidambar   SWEETGUM

MAHONIA, CREEPING   Mahonia repens
Evergreen shrub, creeping by underground stems to 3’. Erosion control. Good ground cover in sun or partial shade. Needs little water. Yellow flowers, blue berries.

Mahonia repens   MAHONIA, CREEPING

MANZANITA   Arctostaphylos
Large group from trees to ground cover. Native. Evergreen, with purplish red bark. Attractive to birds. Flowers bell-like, pink or white. Fruit white, turning deep red. Very young manzanita sprouts transplant relatively well. Must be irrigated until established. Prefers loose, deep soil, but grows even in rocks.
‘Emerald Carpet’ forms a mounding, dense, uniform plant 9–14” tall. Small pink flowers in spring, but not showy. One of the greenest, most uniform manzanitas.
Bearberry, Kinnikinnick (A. uva-ursi) is prostrate, spreading and rooting as it creeps to 15’ wide. Leaves turn red in winter. Flowers white or pinkish, fruit bright red or pink. Good as ground cover on hillsides, or trailing from wall. Starts slowly; mulch to keep weeds down and soil moist for branch rooting.

Marrubium vulgare   HOREHOUND

Matilija Poppy   POPPY, MATILIJA

Mexican Evening Primrose   EVENING PRIMROSE, MEXICAN

Mexican Sunflower   SUNFLOWER, MEXICAN

Mimosa ___   SILK TREE  

Mimulus   MONKEYFLOWER

Modesto Ash   ASH, MODESTO

MONKEYFLOWER   Mimulus (Diplacus)
1–4’. Native. One species is a short-lived perennial grown as an annual; the others are shrubby perennials. Hybrids (‘Verity’) are showy, no-water-needed plants. Sun or light shade, good drainage. Funnel-shaped flowers come in many colors. Not long-lived, but can be propagated by cuttings rooted in moist sand.

MOSS ROSE   Portulaca grandiflora
6–18”. Summer annual. Low-growing, succulent leaves and roselike flowers in many colors, which close in early afternoon. Good on dry banks, rock gardens, gravel beds, shallow containers, hanging baskets. Any soil, but best in sandy loam. Seed or bedding plants. Self-sows. ‘Afternoon Delight’ and ‘Sundance’ stay open longer in the afternoon.

Mount Atlas Daisy   DAISY, MOUNT ATLAS

Myrtle, Oregon   BAY

NAKED LADY Amaryllis belladonna
Full sun. Bulbs poisonous. Straplike leaves in fall and winter, dormant late spring and early summer. Clusters of trumpet-shaped rosy pink, fragrant flowers bloom on top of bare stalks in August. Will grow in almost any soil with no irrigation. Very long-lived. Plant right after bloom; set bulb top even with ground. Lift and divide clumps infrequently. CAUTION: May not bloom for years if disturbed at wrong time. Drought resistant, deer resistant.

Narcissus   DAFFODIL

New Mexican Privet   PRIVET, NEW MEXICAN

OAK, RED   Quercus ___

Oenothera berlandieri, speciosa childsii   EVENING PRIMROSE, MEXICAN

OLEANDER   Nerium

8–12’. Evergreen. Hardy. Aggressive roots, so care must be taken with planting location. Do not plant near native oaks or septic systems. Deerproof. Flowers in various colors. Warning: All parts are poisonous.

Olive, Desert   PRIVET, NEW MEXICAN

OREGON GRAPE   Mahonia
M. aquifolium to 6’. Native. Evergreen. M. compacta to 2’, spreads freely. Drought tolerant. Erosion control. Resistant to oak root fungus. Blue-black fruit edible, makes good jelly. Cut old woody stems to ground. Attracts birds.

Oregon Myrtle   BAY

Pacific Iris   IRIS, PACIFIC

PEASHRUB, SIBERIAN   Caragana arborescens
To 20’. Deciduous. Tolerates cold, heat, sun, drought. Nearly indestructible. Good windbreak, wildlife cover. Bright-yellow sweet-pea type fragrant flowers in spring.

PENSTEMON/BEARD TONGUE   Penstemon heterophyllus purdyi
1–2’. Perennial. Tubular flowers range from blue to lavender. Blooms April–July. Attractive to hummingbirds. Needs fast drainage such as loose, gravelly soil. Short-lived (3–4 years). Native species (P. setaceum) may thrive in dry years but dies with too-rich soil and too much water. Choose hybrids for these areas. Seed or cuttings. Attracts hummingbirds.

Penstemon heterophyllus, setaceum   PENSTEMON

Pepperwood   BAY

PHLOX, CREEPING

PHOTINIA, CHINESE   Photinia serrulata
To 35’. Evergreen. Easily held to 10x10’. Withstands heat and wind. Drought tolerant. Slow growth. New leaves copper, scattered crimson leaves in fall, winter. White spring flowers. P. fraseri is a good espalier, to 10’. Attractive to birds.

Photinia serrulata, fraseri   PHOTINIA, CHINESE

PINCUSHION FLOWER

PINCUSHION TREE   Hakea laurina
8–20’. Evergreen. Prefers full sun. Tough. Grows in poor soil, and needs no dry-season water. Good small patio tree. Flower clusters are showy, round, crimson pincushions stuck with golden pins. Blooms winter or late fall. Good small patio tree.

PINE, ITALIAN STONE   ***

PISTACHE, CHINESE   Pistache chinensis
40–50’, 30’ width. Deciduous. Long-lived. Drought tolerant. Will tolerate to 20 degrees. Moderate growth. Females bear fruit (if male trees are nearby), which attracts birds. Can take irrigation or aridity, moderately alkaline soil. Resistant to oak root fungus. Pestfree, diseasefree. Reliable, beautiful fall colors. Young trees appear spindly and awkward. Trees planted from 5- and 15-gallon containers need staking and grow slowly for the first few years.

Pistache chinensis   PISTACHE, CHINESE

Plumbago auriculata, capensis   CAPE PLUMBAGO

Poker, Red Hot   RED HOT POKER

Popcorn Tree   TALLOW TREE, CHINESE

POPPY, CALIFORNIA

POPPY, MATILIJA   Romneya coulteri
8’ or more. Perennial. Gray-green stems, white flowers up to 9” wide. Good on hillsides, and tolerates varying soils. Withhold summer irrigation, cut nearly to ground in late fall. Deer resistant. Difficult to propagate. Dig up rooted suckers or take cuttings from thickest roots. Seeds can be difficult to germinate. Try mixing with potting soil in foil-lined flat, then burn pine needles on top for 30 minutes, water, and hope.

Portulaca grandiflora   MOSS ROSE

Primrose, Mexican Evening   EVENING PRIMROSE, MEXICAN

PRIVET/TEXAS PRIVET   Ligustrum japonicum texanum
6–8’. Evergreen. Sun loving. Tolerates cold temperatures. Needs regular watering. Makes good, thick screen. Yellow flowers. Widely used for hedges, or clipped into formal shapes. Fire resistant. Warning: Leaves and fruits cause gastric distress.

PRIVET, NEW MEXICAN/DESERT OLIVE   Forestiera neomexicana
6–8’. Deciduous. Full sun. Fast growing, especially with some water. Good screen. May have blue-black fruit.

Prostrate Juniper   JUNIPER, PROSTRATE

Prunus ilicifolia   CHERRY, HOLLYLEAF

Prunus lyonii   CHERRY, CATALINA

PUYA   Puya berteroniana, alpestris
4–6’. Evergreen perennial. Takes poor soil. Leaves swordlike. Massive flower clusters in blue-green with orange anthers. Rock gardens, banks, large containers.

Puya berteroniana, alpestris   PUYA

PYRACANTHA/FIRETHORN   Pyracantha Santa Cruz prostrata
Easily kept below 3’ when upright shoots are cut out. Evergreen. Fast growing. White flowers, red berries. Thorns. Tough. Few, if any, pests. Attracts birds.

Pyracantha Santa Cruz prostrata   PYRACANTHA

Ranger, Texas   TEXAS RANGER

Raywood Ash   ASH, RAYWOOD

RED APPLE   ***

Red Oak   OAK, RED

ROSE   Rosa ___ ***

REDBERRY, HOLLYLEAF   Rhamnus croces ilicifolia
3–15’. Evergreen. Native. Multistemmed or treelike. Drought resistant. Full sun. Good ornamental for dry banks or informal screen. Small, bright red fruit.

REDBUD, WESTERN   Cercis occidentalis
10–18’. Deciduous. All-year interest. Erosion control (will grow on dry banks). Early spring flowers are pea-shaped magenta clusters. Once adapted, flowers are borne in great profusion on twigs, branches, and even the trunk (prefers temperature drop to 28 degrees or lower for profuse bloom). Flowers are followed by flat magenta pods. Leaves are heart-shaped. Good fall color. Resistant to oak root fungus.

RED HOT POKER   Kniphofia uvaria (Tritoma uvaria)
Perennial. Full sun or some shade. Heat and drought resistant. Coarse clumps of grasslike leaves. Flower stalks 2’ in dwarf varieties, 3–6’ in large. Orange-red or yellow tubular flowers form pokerlike clusters 1’ long, good in flower arrangements. Named varieties offer even more colors. Blooms from spring through summer. Cut old flower spikes after bloom. Cut old leaves at base in fall. Increase by root division. No dry-season water. Attracts hummingbirds.

Rhamnus alaternus   BUCKTHORN, ITALIAN

Rhamnus californica   COFFEEBERRY

Rhamnus croces ilicifolia   HOLLYLEAF REDBERRY

Rhus lancea   SUMAC, AFRICAN

Rhus ovata   SUMAC

Ribes aureum   CURRANT, GOLDEN

Ribes viburnifolium   CURRANT, CALIFORNIA

ROCKROSE   Cistus
Evergreen shrub. Sun loving, fast growing, tolerant of aridity. Often planted in fire-hazard areas. Can reduce erosion. Accepts poor, dry soil, and heat. If watered, must have good drainage. Deer resistant. Plant can be sheared lightly, or old stems cut out, and tips pinched. Sage Rockrose (C. salviifolius; may be sold as C. villosus prostratus) grows 2’, spreading 6’. Flowers white with yellow spots. Good bank or ground cover. ‘Sunset’ dense, spreading to 2’, 6–8’ wide. Flowers dark magenta, long bloom period.

Romneya coulteria   POPPY, MATILIJA

Rosa rugosa   SEA TOMATO

Rosmarinus prostratus   ROSEMARY, DWARF

ROSEMARY, DWARF   Rosmarinus prostratus
To 2’ with 4–8’ spread. Evergreen herb. Useful for banks or trailing over walls. Weed control. Tolerates hot sun, poor soil. Needs good drainage. Pale blue flowers. Good erosion control. Thrives without irrigation once established, but looks better with some water. Feed lightly, thin occasionally, head back gently to encourage new growth. Attracts hummingbirds, bees.

ROSEMARY, UPRIGHT   Rosmarinus ___ ***

SAGE, AUTUMN   Salvia greggii ***

SAGE, CREEPING   Salvia sonomensis
Tolerates hot or dry soil. Weed control. May not be permanent.

Sage, Texas   TEXAS RANGER

Sagebrush, California   ARTEMISIA

SALVIA, various   ***

Salvia greggii   SAGE, AUTUMN

ST JOHN’S WORT   ***

St John’s Bread   CAROB

SALTBUSH, AUSTRALIAN   Atriplex semibaccata
Evergreen. Ground cover spreading to 1–6’ or more. Forms dense, foot-tall mat. Deep rooted. Drought tolerant. Erosion control. Fire resistant.

SALTBUSH, FOUR-WING   Atriplex canescens
3–6’, spreads to 4–8’. Evergreen. Gray-silver leaves. Drought tolerant; very little water. Erosion control. Flowers, seeds attract birds. Fire resistant.

Salvia sonomensis   SAGE, CREEPING

SANTOLINA   Santolina chamaecyparissus
1–2’. Evergreen subshrub, an herb. Lavender Cotton is whitish gray, with yellow button flowers. Cut back plant in early spring.
S. rosmarinifolius (S. virens) has deep green leaves that look like puffs of smoke, creamy chartreuse flowers. Faster growing. Fire resistant. Best to cut flower spikes before bloom.

Santolina chamaecyparissus, rosmarinifolius, virens   SANTOLINA

Sapium sebiferum   TALLOW TREE, CHINESE

SEA PINK   ***

SEA TOMATO   Rosa rugosa
3–8’. Extremely tough and hardy, withstands freezing and drought. Erosion control, hedge. Free of insects. Flowers pink. Very thorny.

Sedum   STONECROP

SEQUOIA   Sequoia ___ ***

Siberian Peashrub   PEASHRUB, SIBERIAN

SILK TREE   Mimosa ___ ***

Silver Bush Lupine   BUSH LUPINE, SILVER

SNOW-IN-SUMMER   Cerastium tomentosa
6–8”, spreads 2–3’ in a year. Perennial. Full sun or partial shade. Low-growing dense, tufty silvery gray mats. Masses of snow-white flowers bloom in early summer. Must have good drainage. Good on sunny banks and cascading from walls. Not long-lived.

Sollya heterophylla   AUSTRALIAN BLUEBELL CREEPER

Southernwood   ARTEMISIA

SPIDER FLOWER   Cleome hassierana (C. spinosa)
4–6’, 4–5’ wide. Annual. Shrubby, branching plant with open, fluffy clusters of pink or white flowers, followed by seed capsules. Both are useful in floral arrangements. Seed in ground in spring. Keep on dry side.

SPIRAEA   Spiraea ___ ***

Star Jasmine   JASMINE, STAR

STONECROP   Sedum
Many varieties. Full sun to considerable shade. Little summer water. Provides some weed control. Good ground cover, but no foot traffic. Leaves and stem cuttings form new plants.

Stone Pine, Italian   PINE, ITALIAN STONE

STRAWBERRY TREE   Arbutus unedo

8–35’, spread equal to height. Evergreen. Damaged in severe winters. Deer resistant. Good lawn or raised-bed tree. Sun or part shade. Little or regular watering. Slow to moderate growth. Can be pruned (not sheared), or plant several for screen. Trunk and branches have red-brown shreddy bark, becoming twisted and gnarled. Fruit and flowers both appear in fall and winter. Fruit edible, but mealy and tasteless.

Sugar Bush   SUMAC

SULPHUR FLOWER   ***

SUMAC/SUGAR BUSH   Rhus ovata
Native. Deciduous. Deer resistant. Slow growing. Fire resistant. Hard to establish in hot weather. Flowers white or pinkish in spring, followed by reddish fruit. Popular desert tree.

SUMAC, AFRICAN   Rhus lancea
To 25’. Evergreen. Slow growing. Drought resistant. Hardy to 12 degrees; takes high summer heat. Attractive, airy tree with interesting branch pattern and dark red, rough bark, either single trunk or multitrunk. Females drop fruit.

SUNFLOWER, MEXICAN   Tithonia rotundifolia (T. speciosa)
6’. Perennial grown as annual. Flower heads 3–4” wide with red-orange rays and tufted yellow centers, blooming July to frost. Tolerates heat. Full sun. Takes some aridity. Sow seed in place in spring, in not-too-rich soil.

SWEETGUM   Liquidambar ___

Fast growth. Full sun to filtered shade. Long-rooted; needs deep soil. Maplelike leaves show excellent fall colors. Spiny fruit pods hang from the tree in fall, and may be objectionable in some areas. Limbs drop fairly easily. Not bothered by pests or disease. Tolerates both drought and wet, flooded soils. Sweetgum is a favorite of yellow-bellied sapsuckers (look for their parallel rows of little square holes in the bark).

TALLOW TREE, CHINESE/FLORIDA ASPEN/POPCORN TREE   Sapium sebiferum

25’. Deciduous tree with a medium domed crown. Good fall color. Can become a nuisance, and is difficult to get rid of. Insect and diseasefree. Drought tolerant once established. Stems contain an irritating milky sap. Birds disperse the easily germinating seeds, resulting in unwanted trees. Best bought in fall to determine leaf color.

Tecate Cypress   CYPRESS, TECATE

Tecomaria capensis   HONEYSUCKLE, CAPE

Teucrium   GERMANDER

Texas Privet   PRIVET

TEXAS RANGER/TEXAS SAGE/CENIZO   Leucophyllum frutescens
5–12’. Evergreen shrub. Silvery leaves, purple flowers. Withstands heat, wind, some aridity, some alkali if good drainage. Slow growing. ‘Compactum’ is dense-growing to 3–4’. ‘Green Cloud’ has green leaves, deep violet flowers. ‘White Cloud’ has silvery leaves, white flowers. ‘Rain Cloud’ is erect grower. Tall ground cover, clipped hedge. Attracts hummingbirds.

THYME, WOOLLY   Thymus pseudolanuginosus (T. lanuginosis)
2–3”. Ground cover. Woody, gray-green, aromatic ground cover. Sun/light shade. Best in rock gardens, spilling from banks. Can be propagated from cuttings taken early in summer or by seed.

Thymus pseudolanuginosus, lanuginosis   THYME, WOOLLY

Tithonia rotundifolia, speciosa   SUNFLOWER, MEXICAN

TOWER OF JEWELS   Echium wildpretii
4–10’. An oddity; column of flowers during the second year, but then dies and seeds. Propagates from plants and seeds.

TOYON/CALIFORNIA HOLLY   Heterometes arbutifolia
Evergreen shrub 6–10’ or multitrunked small tree 15–25’. Native to this area. Deer resistant. Drought tolerant, but looks better if watered. Fire resistant. Erosion control. Good screen or bank planting. Red berries are relished by birds.

Trachelospermum jasminioides   JASMINE, STAR

TULIP   ***

Umbellularia californica   BAY

Upright Rosemary   ROSEMARY, UPRIGHT

VERBENA   Verbena peruviana (V. chamaedryfolia)
Perennial, but may be grown as annual. Spreads rapidly, forming flat mat for ground cover. Modest water. Flower clusters in red, pink, white, purple. Trim old blooms and dead branches for best appearance and more blooms.

Verbena peruviana, chamaedryfolia   VERBENA

WALLFLOWER   ***

WATERLILY   ***

Western Dogwood   DOGWOOD, WESTERN

Western Redbud   REDBUD, WESTERN

Wild Indigo   INDIGO, FALSE

Wild Lilac   CEANOTHUS

Woolly Grevillea   GREVILLEA, WOOLLY

Woolly Thyme   THYME, WOOLLY

Wormwood, Common   ARTEMISIA

YARROW   Achillea
4–10”. Perennial. Deer resistant. Some varieties fire resistant. Good for cut flowers or dried for winter bouquets. Leaves are aromatic, flowers mostly in flat clusters. Once established, can endure drought, although some watering is better. Cut back after bloom, and divide when crowded. Many varieties.

YUCCA   Yucca
Y. flaccida grows 4–7’. Hardy. Y. recurvifolia grows 6–10’. Hardy.

 

Yucca flaccida   YUCCA

Zauschneria   FUCHSIA, CALIFORNIA