Arctostaphylos (manzanita)

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.

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

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.  

Zauschneria, or California fuschia, is a low spreading plant with green, grey or silvery foliage and orange to scarlet flowers.  Bloom occurs in late summer or autumn and the flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds.  The plant is fast growing and drought tolerant, but as with most plants, it looks better with occasional water.  It…

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…

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…