Euonymous

Coleonema pulchellum (or Breath of Heaven) is a charming, wispy plant with very small pink flowers.   The flowers themselves are not showy, but the sheer numbers of them in spring make the plant a real sight.  It grows to about five feet tall and wide, but ‘Compacta’ gets only about three feet.  ‘Sunset Gold’ has…

Syringa (lilac) is loved for its wonderful fragrance and glorious, showy blooms.  Lilacs are a good match for our north county climate as the low winter temperatures encourage blooming.  In the south county, grow the Descanso hybrids such as ‘Lavender Lady’ and ‘Angel White’ which have been bred for warmer climates. An unusual and charming lilac, a Korean type, is ‘Miss Kim’.  This…

Usually grown as a shrub or small tree, Vitex (chaste tree) reaches about twelve feet tall and wide.  The very attractive leaves are divided into five to seven leaflets and are a grey green.  The flower spikes appear in summer and are usually purple, although white is also available.  The plant is deciduous and can…

Viburnum is a genus that contains many species, both evergreen and deciduous, and there are several good varieties for our area. Viburnum tinus ‘Robustum’ and Viburnum ‘Spring Bouquet’ are among the earliest spring blooming shrubs. They both have flat heads of pink buds opening to white blossoms which in turn form dark blue berries. The former can grow…

This is an evergreen shrub that adds color all year round.  It can reach up to ten feet and has an upright growth habit  It can take sun or partial shade and does best with regular water.

Commonly called butterfly bush, buddleja can reach fifteen feet and flowers in shades of purple, lavender, pink, white or yellow.  It is also available in an increasing number of dwarf varieties, most of which grow to three to five feet.  The flowers are a favorite of butterflies, hence the common name.  All the Buddlejas perform best if they are pruned severely…