Buckwheat [Eriogonum umbellatum]

Buckwheats provide color spring and summer. Eriogonum umbellatum (sulphur buckwheat) sports bright yellow flowers in spring. Eriogonum giganteum (St. Catherine’s Lace) is topped with creamy clusters of flower sprays reaching as high as five feet. The star of the genus, Eriogonum grande var. rubescens (rosy buckwheat) displays rosy buttons atop rounded gray-green leaves for most of the summer.

Buckwheat [Eriogonum giganteum]

California Bush Poppy

Another very showy native is Dendromecon harfordii (California bush poppy).  In late spring, it is covered in bright yellow flowers and flowers intermittently throughout the summer.

California Wild Lilac (Ceanothus americanus)

Ceanothus, ‘California wild lilac’, is known for its wonderful spring floral display.  Flower colors are either white or shades of purple-blue, while height can range from a foot or two to twenty feet.  ‘Ray Hartman’ and ‘Cliff Schmidt’ are among the tallest of the Ceanothus, attaining heights of twelve to twenty feet.

Ceanothus ‘Dark Star’

‘Dark Star’ and ‘Concha’ are among the varieties that grow four to six feet. Both have profuse brilliant violet blue flowers in the spring. ‘Yankee Point’ is a popular three to four foot ground cover.  A much lower growing ground cover is ‘Heart’s Desire’.

Catalina Cherry Flowers (Prunus ilicifolia)

Prunus lyonii (Catalina Cherry) and Prunus ilicifolia (Holly leaf Cherry) are two evergreen shrubs that are extremely useful as screens or background plants. They both have red berries in late summer which the birds find very desirable.

Catalina Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia)

Heuchera maxima

For the shade, try Heuchera maxima, a cream flowering coral bell that looks great under oak trees and needs very little water.

The Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri) is one of the most spectacular California native plants. Getting it started can be difficult, but once established, it requires no irrigation and may, in fact, need to be watched so as not to take over your garden.

Matilija Poppy

Manzanita

Tops on the list of desirable shrubs is Arctostaphylos, commonly called manzanita. Again, there are many choices in this genus. Handsome and tree-like are ‘Dr. Hurd’, ‘Hood Mountain’ and ‘Austin Griffiths’. ‘Sentinel’ is one of the more upright varieties, eventually reaching five to six feet.

Manzanita Shrub Branches

Medium sized Manzanitas are ‘Howard McMinn,’ ‘Sunset,’ ‘John Dourley’ and ‘Wayside,’ growing between 3 to 5 feet tall and spreading. At gound level is ‘Emerald Carpet.’and ‘Ken Taylor’ 1 ft. or less, and ‘Pacific Mist,’ a gray green variety 2 ft. high and spreading.

Paradise Manzanita

Penstemon heterophyllus

This native plant is of variable appearance, but generally has narrow bluish green foliage and blue to purple flowers.  The variety ‘Margarita Bop’ was discovered at Las Pilitas Nursery in Santa Margarita.  It sends up wands of fuchsia and violet blue flowers in spring and early summer and requires little to moderate water, as do other heterophyllus.

Salvia Clevelandii

Another diverse and useful genus is Salvia. The Clevelandii group includes ‘Allen Chickering’, ‘Whirly Blue’, ‘Pozo Blue’ and ‘Winifred Gilman’.  In need of an attractive, drought tolerant ground cover? Try ‘Bee’s Bliss’. This salvia has gray green leaves with lavender flowers in spring; it will spread three to four feet wide or more.

Salvia spathacea (Hummingbird sage) A more herabceous plant, Salvia spathacea spreads by runners and produces dramatic magenta flowers in late spring.

Carpenteria californica

Carpenteria californica (bush anemone) does best with afternoon shade.  Clusters of white, anemone shaped flowers cover this evergreen shrub in early summer.

Carpenteria californica flowers