Claycord garden lovers have been expressing their desire to know some more about California Native plants. They are enticed by the understanding that California Native plants require less water, no fertilizer, naturally thrive in our climate, and are attractive to bees, butterflies, and the bird-life. California Native plants shrubs and trees are widely available and becoming more mainstream in your local nurseries and garden centers. But, just like any group of plants, some are more desirable than others are. Here is a list and descriptions of several California Natives that are worthy of your plantscape, whether you have a Mediterranean, traditional, hillside, rock garden or poolscape application.
Salvia clevelandii ‘Alan Chickering’ is a fabulous California Native sage. This evergreen has aromatic gray foliage, and displays whirls of two-lipped shaped periwinkle flowers May through December. In full sun this sage will reach 4’ tall and wide. Salvia clevelandii is extremely attractive to hummingbirds, honeybees and butterflies. Plant this native sage on a dry hillside, or along a hot fence line. This evergreen needs very little summer water, and doesn’t need any fertilizer. You will have an easy time finding this California Native, it is often available.
Hummingbird sage, or Salvia spathacea isn’t as easy to find, and is definitely worth the hunt. Salvia spathacea is a part sun loving sage. It has magenta 1” tubular shaped flowers that stand along thick stems. The foliage of this sage creates a matting along the ground, while the flower stalks reach up 2-3’ tall. This sage is deer proof. Salvia spathacea will work nicely in a traditional garden setting. A couple of great companion California Natives for the Hummingbird sage are the Sticky Monkey Bush with its vibrant colored, happy blossoms, and the Bush Anemone, with its feminine white late spring flowers.
Several varieties of Penstemon are California Natives. Penstemon heterophyllus is that stunning blue penstemon that you may have seen. It is truly blue! This selection has dark green leaves and spikes of flowers that reach 2’ tall and wide, creating a dense shrub like habit. Penstemon heterophyllus is very sun tolerant, heat loving and can take extreme cold. It is the perfect plant to install within your poolscape. The color of the blossom exudes a cool, watery feeling. Penstemon centranthifolius Scarlet Bugler is awesome if you are craving some red in your landscape beds. The 2-4’ spikes of 1-2” long flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds. This selection of penstemon is successful planted on a dry slope, it desires drainage, and the hillsides of Claycord are a perfect match.
Arbutus “Marina” is a show-stopper in a focal destination of your Claycord landscape. This evergreen naturally grows like a multi-trunked tree, and occasionally you will find it trained as a standard shaped tree. Arbutus ‘Marina’ has very dark green leaves and cinnamon colored bark that peels with age, the trunk of this California Native is very interesting, and worthy of up lighting. Sporadically throughout the season, small pink flowers dangle from the branches, above the foliage. The flowers are hummingbird attractive. After flower, the Arbutus ‘Marina’ produces a small, red fruit that the bird-life adores. Use the multi-trunk shape of the Arbutus ‘Marina’ on a slope or hillside. Install the standard tree shape besides property lines, or for privacy around a pool.
Manzanita is the most easily identified California Native. We are already used to seeing the planted in meridians along our streets and public landscapes. Incorporate manzanita into your landscape by using some of the more available selections such as Emerald Carpet, Dr. Hurd or Howard McMinn. The Emerald Carpet is a woody ground cover that will reach 8-12” tall and 5-6’ wide. The biggest problem with this type of ground cover is when garden lovers install and do not give enough room for this plant to grow naturally. If you plant the Emerald Carpet in an area that is 30’ long and only 3’ wide, and you prune to control, your manzanita is going to look woody, tall and awful. Plants have a natural way to grow, if you have to control the size, you have planted the wrong plant. Dr. Hurd is a large growing manzanita. You will find this selection at a nursery and it will look like a shrub, but eventually it could reach 15’ tall and wide. Howard McMinn matures to a smaller size, about 4-6’ tall and wide. All of the manzanita has deep green foliage and the lovely mahogany colored bark. Buy your manzanita small for a better plant.
California Lilacs or Ceanothus is another commonly recognized California Native plant family. This family of natives has many members. They share similar characteristics such as shiny, dark green, textured foliage, and tight clusters of flowers that look like mini panicles of lilac blooms which are intensely fragrant. The colors of the flowers are often blue or lavender with a handful of white. Dark Star is a selection of Ceanothus that would make an excellent backdrop for a California Native garden. This sturdy shrub will grow 5-6’ tall and wide. In the late part of winter through the middle of spring, the Dark Star is covered with richly colored cobalt flower clusters. Ray Hartman is a robust member of the family who will reach about 20’ tall and half as wide. Snow Flurry reaches 10’x10’ and is covered with clouds of white flowers.
California Native plants have their own rules for survival. They would rather be planted by bird or wind then by man. So if you choose to install California Natives, and you lose a couple, it’s expected. They don’t want to be planted in rich, amended soil. They hate extra water, but may need some to get started, but just not too much. California Natives do not like drip-systems. Be especially careful with your summer water, since it can kill, and put away the fertilizer. Install a native where it can grow naturally, without pruning or controlling. Using California Natives in your landscape is great, but you will really have to be a hands-off gardener.
If you would like to see what some can do with a California Native landscape, then tour the annual Bringing Back the Natives Gardens Tour in May. This is an exceptional, free tour. Visit their website for more information http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net
Nicole Hackett is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio and Gardens. She also writes column for the Clayton Pioneer newspaper and is the Clayton Valley Garden Clubs 2012 President.
Email your questions to thegardengirl@claycord.com
Too bad the police sub-station in Dianda Shopping Center is...
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Really good information, many thanks. We have grown Ceanothus (some big bush kind) on our hillside with much success for many years. Only thing that may not be obvious to some people is that they don’t live forever, you need to plant new ones after 5-6 years. I had always just thought that plants live for ever , maybe that’s an amateur like myself homeowner view. In fact each individual plant has a life cycle from growth to death. Perhaps plant people would help us by letting us know of a plant’s typical cycle because when I’m in the nursery I’m reading the tags about the the sun/shade/water/size but never get any information about what I should be planning when this thing need replacing. Again, thanks.
Ceanothus is a Native plant, huge 10′+ grows in the Santa Cruz mountains, not sure why yours are dying out.
My Fava plants in a raised bed have been decimated by something…not snails or slugs. I removed what was left and sifted a lot of dirt looking for Cutworms, didn’t find anything. Garden Girl, any suggestions as to what could be eating my plants?
As a Clayton neighbor of yours, with the difficult clay soil, I have struggled at making things grow in my yard. After much struggling, I concluded last year that I should stick to natives. You helped me choose hummingbird sage, and it is thriving in a mostly shaded spot. I liked it so much, I planted more in full sun, where it is doing less well…but both are in full bloom now, and I love this plant. Manzanita is also doing well in my clay/full sun yard, with no attention. I think natives are the way to go!
can you include pictures with your articles?
I have converted my front yard to native plants and have NO regrets. It is beautiful and it just makes perfect sense. Anyone interested can google the names of the plants listed in this great article and see how they look. My yard is full of hummingbirds and butterflies. I love it and I hope more people choose to change their yards to a more natural design.
Nicole, I hope everyone takes it seriously when you advise that Manganitas will do better if you start with a SMALL plant. We experimented with transplanting some from our property in Siskiyou County, and they truly “don’t like to be transplanted”. Mainly it’s because they have a humungous root system compared to the part you see above ground, so it’s hard to move one from its natural habitat. But your nursery manzanitas will already be growing well, so that’s a great reassurance.
I do have a blue ceanothus which has grown as it pleases for about 25 years now, but it is still only maybe 5′ tall and 7′ wide. The unusual thing is that it is on the regular sprinkler system cycle, but still it seems perfectly happy.
Thank you for all the new information!
*manZanitas*, sorry
I really question the advisability of “up lighting” plants and trees in the garden. When I looked out over Clayton from Mitchell Canyon before Oakhurst (B.O.), the sky was dark and all the stars were beautifully visible and many constellations could easily be seen. Now there is an ugly yellow glow over the area that makes stargazing diffiicult. While it looks good for a house to have this plant lighting, some research seems to indicate that it may be intefering with the nesting habits and reproduction cycles of birds. How would you like floodlights on you all night? Some things are more important than “looks.”
How big does an Arbutus Marina grow? If I planted one, could I prune off the lower limbs to show off the multi-stem trunk, kind of like a multi-stem crepe myrtle?
Slightly off topic, but how do I care for lavender? Do I cut it back? Prune off the dead flowers? Thanks.
So glad the Mayor added a gardening column, BTW.
@8 Another Fine Day… I’ve taken a fancy to those little solar powered lights that can be had for as little as two bucks a pop. Using them to out line my garden paths is super magical – but I have the same concern. Am I screwing up the lifestyles of my spiders, salamanders, etc.? On the other hand, I haven’t noticed any dead zones on the part of the yard that is bathed by a street light. I wonder how much artificial light is an actual detriment, and how much is me anthropomorphizing the sleep schedules of my rolly pollies?
Great article on native plants. Keep them coming. I agree pictures would help identify these when buying. A lot of local places (Nav’s etc.) carry these plants, but nobody places much emphasis on them or carries a wide variety of natives.
FoShizzle at #11 ~ ~ ~ A wonderful source for native plants (well, for lots of things, including gifts) is R&M Pool, Patio, & Garden at 6780 Marsh Creek Road in Clayton. If you are hoping to see a particular plant “in person”, you might want to call 672-0207 to verify that it is in stock. Wear your Crocs out there so that you can really explore during this nice rainy spell
For others of you who are requesting pictures…..just Google the plant’s name, and you will be pleasantly surprised by the lovely photography and additional information.
check out the wonderful native photos at Las Palitas Nursery online. They have wonderful descriptions and you can order online too if you don’t have any luck finding things closer to home. They are a wonderful resource.
I have manzanita in my backyard and it is not only beautiful but has done well without any special care. I would caution people though to plant it safely away from your house/garage as it is considered very flammable. So please plant carefully, keeping fire season safety in mind.
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