Fremontodendron

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.   ‘Dark Star’ and ‘Concha’ are among the varieties…

Trichostema lanatum (woolly blue curls) grows to three to five feet high and four to eight feet wide.  The dark green leaves are pungent when bruised.  The purple flowers are fuzzy and appear in spring.  The plant will continue to bloom during summer and autumn if it is deadheaded.  Trichostema takes full sun and needs…

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

Mimulus aurantiacus, or monkey flower, grows to about four feet and blooms in a wide range of colors from white to dark red.  It likes sun or part shade, good drainage and little water.

There are many species of Ribes, both evergreen and deciduous.  A very nice evergreen species is Ribes viburnifolium with roundish, dark green leaves and dark red stems.  It needs no irrigation, making it ideal for planting under oaks.  It grows three to six feet tall and can spread to twelve feet. A lovely deciduous species is…

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.