Rhaphiolepis

Buxus, or boxwood, is the classic hedging plant.  It responds well to pruning  and clipping and is also great for topiaries.  It is a slow grower and is very cold hardy.  Some varieties and species turn orange to bronze in winter.  For green foliage all year, plant ‘Green Beauty’ or ‘Winter Gem’.  Buxus will also…

The Cotoneasters listed here are all evergreen and require little to moderate water.  They have small white flowers in spring and red berries in autumn and winter.  The most common groundcover types are ‘Coral Beauty’, ‘Lowfast’ and ‘Streib’s Findling’, all of which will get about ten feet wide and do well in sun or partial shade. …

Laurus nobilis, or sweet bay, is the bay leaf used in cooking.  It is a handsome evergreen shrub that grows anywhere from twelve to forty feet, but in our climate, usually stays in the twelve to fifteen foot range.  Yellow flowers appear in spring.  It  can take full sun or partial shade and needs moderate…

Callistemon, or bottlebrush, is a well-known shrub.  It is loved by hummingbirds and bees.  The most commonly grown species is C. citrinus, a fast grower to ten to fifteen feet tall and wide.  An excellent dwarf variety is C. viminalis ‘Little John’ which grows about three by three feet and sports intense red flowers.  All Callistemon like…

Salvia microphylla is a wonderful plant that requires little water once established and is not liked by deer, but is a hummingbird magnet!  Flower colors are off-white, yellow, coral, pink, red and purple.  One very popular variety is called ‘Hot Lips’, with red and white flowers.  An interesting aspect of this one is the changing flower color. The flowers are…

Teucrium ( germander) is a genus with some very different looking species.  Teucrium cossonii majoricum is a low growing groundcover with grey foliage and whorls of mauvey purple flowers that smell like honey.  T. x lucidrys (formerly T. chamaedrys) has dark green, toothed leaves with pink flowers.  It grows to about one by two feet.  T….