Syringa

Philadelphus is an old fashioned shrub with wonderfully fragrant white blossoms. It is a deciduous shrub growing four to six feet tall, making it a very good foundation plant.  It is also very effective in lawns and as a background plant.  Shade in the afternoon is preferred and good drainage is essential.

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…

Hibiscus syriacus, or Rose of Sharon, is a deciduous shrub that grows to about ten feet tall and six feet wide.  It sports very showy, two to three inch flowers from summer until frost.  It is easy to grow, actually likes heat and can tolerate some drought.  Flower colors include white, pink, red and shades of purple….

Cistus (rockrose) These are understandably popular in the North County. Some outstanding characteristics include drought tolerance, relative deer resistance and a prolific spring bloom. Flower colors are white and many shades of pink. The lowest growing variety is Cistus salvifolius, a white flowered variety that grows two by six feet. Cistus ‘Sunset’ is a hybrid with…

Abelia grandiflora has arching stems six to eight feet tall and produces large numbers of small white or pink bell-shaped flowers in summer. The variety ‘Sherwoodii’ is three to four feet tall and has lavender flowers and darker green leaves.  ‘Kaleidoscope’ is only two to three feet tall with yellow variegated foliage and white flowers in summer. The leaf color tends to redden…

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…