This native California grass, commonly known as deer grass, can survive with very little water, although it looks best with at least some water. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles has planted great stands of it. The flower stems are very tall and it is very effective in masses. It should be cut back every few years for best…
Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ and ‘Siskyou Blue’ are both silvery grasses, growing about eighteen inches tall. They make great accents in the garden and they are easy to grow, requiring minimal water and care. They form charming clumps which look great in almost any landscape and are particularly handsome amongst rocks or along dry stream beds.
Sesleria autumnalis is a meadow grass reaching twelve to eighteen inches with light green foliage. Flowers appear in the spring and fade gracefully throughout the summer. It tolerates a wide range of conditions. Sesleria caerulea is low growing to eight inches tall, The leaves are green on the bottom, silver on top and slightly twisted so that both colors are visible. Flowers are inconspicuous.
Stipa arundinacea (now known as Anemanthela lessonia) grows three by three feet in shades of olive and orange. This is a lovely grass for all seasons. A new variety, ‘Sirocco’, is smaller, about eighteen inches, with bright shades of copper and pink in cool weather. Both need full sun or they will revert to green. Both require only minimal water. Stipa gigantea has…
Calamagrostis acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ is a very striking, upright grass that produces narrow brown flower heads four to six feet tall. The straw colored flowers remain throughout the winter. This grass prefers rich, moist soil. Other cultivars include ‘Overdam’ and ‘Avalanche’ which exhibit white striping in the leaves and ‘El Dorado’ which has golden stripes in the middle of the…
This genus contains both deciduous and evergreen species. One of the deciduous varieties we stock is a very dramatic variegated one, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Cabaret’ which can grow six to seven feet tall. It is grown for its outstanding foliage as it is not know to produce any flowers. Varieties ‘Sarabande’, ‘Morning Light’ and ‘Gracillimus’, however, have extremely showy flowers.
Pennisetum setaceum is a lovely, graceful grass and the ‘Rubrum’ form is by far the most popular. It’s no wonder as the purple blades are topped with graceful waving flowers. The main drawback, however, is that it is not cold hardy in the North County. If it does survive the winter, it generally takes a long time to rejuvenate,…
Aucuba japonica Aucuba is a foliage plant that can be very useful in the shade. The most widely used varieties are variegated. One of the most handsome is ‘Mr. Goldstrike’ grown by Monrovia Growers. This evergreen plant is a slow grower, eventually reaching four to six feet. The green-leafed version is also a very attractive plant with very…
The handsome, dark green leaves of Camellias provide a great background for the lovely spring flowers as well as for other shade loving plants. Camellia sasanqua is generally shorter with smaller leaves and flowers. It blooms earlier, usually in winter, and many of the flowers have single petals. ‘Yuletide’ is a very eye-catching example with red single flower and…