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More information »	Lonicera x Americana gold flame honeysuckle This semi-evergreen vine is a cross between two Mediterranean Honeysuckles. It grows 20 feet tall but can also be pruned to a smaller size. Long, very fragrant 2 inch coral pink buds open to cream inside then fading to yellow and appear summer into fall. Sun or medium shade, low water.
More information »	Lotus formosissimus coast lotus This sweet little perennial can be found hugging the ground in wet meadows, ditches and coastal seeps. It forms a low mat with small, pea shaped yellow flowers with rose colored wings in summer. Good by a pond, in front of a mixed border that gets summer water or containers. Bay Area native.
More information »	Lupinus albifrons silver bush lupine Compact evergreen shrub 3 feet round with silvery gray foliage and violet blue, pea shaped flowers on 1 foot stalks. Full sun, quite drought and deer resistant. Likes good drainage. Excellent in coastal areas or further inland. Good under the sunny side of oaks. Bay Area native.
More information »	Lupinus albifrons collinus prostrate silver lupine Low growing evergreen shrub 6 to 12 inches tall and spreading with silvery gray foliage and purple, pea shaped flowers on short stalks. Full sun, quite drought and deer resistant. Likes good drainage. Excellent in coastal areas, good in dry border or rocky hillside. Bay Area native.
More information »	Lupinus arboreus yellow bush lupine A dense gray green shrub growing 3 to 4 feet round. Long stems with yellow flower clusters May and June. It prefers full sun, good drainage, and not too much water. It can tolerate salt winds but may have trouble with inland heat. Attracts butterflies and is quite deer resistant. Bay Area native.
More information »	Lupinus propinquus blue bush lupine A dense gray green shrub growing 3 to 4 feet round. Long stems with violet colored pea shaped flowers May and June, it prefers full sun, good drainage, and not too much water. It can tolerate salt winds but may have trouble with inland heat. Attracts butterflies and is quite deer resistant.
More information »	Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' moneywart This vigorous perennial grows a few inches high, creeping or trailing 2 feet or more. Tiny yellow flowers form in leaf joints, summer. Grow in part shade with average water. Give it room or grow in a hanging basket. Good groundcover near streams, in difficult shady areas. The golden color lights up a dark corner.
More information »	Mimulus aurantiacus sticky monkey flower Woody shrub 2 to 4 feet tall and spreading 3 feet or more with bright yellow orange flowers late spring through summer. Full sun or light shade, quite drought and deer resistant. Good under native oaks. Attracts hummingbirds, Buckeye butterflies. Bay Area native.
More information »	Mimulus cardinalis Scarlet monkeyflower This perennial monkey flower with bright red orange flowers with a yellow throat blooms June to September. It grows 1 to 2 feet tall and spreads. It can grow with average water or in shallow ponds. Sun or part shade. Cut to the ground if looking ratty. Bay Area Native
More information »	Miscanthus sinensis 'Adagio' Japanese silver grass Perhaps the smallest of the dwarf forms of miscanthus, Adagio grows 3 feet tall 2 feet wide, dark green upright foliage with a narrow white stripe. Attractive flowe rheads emerge pink then turn to white, excellent for flower arrangements. Full sun, average to low water. A good grass for small gardens.
More information »	Miscanthus sinensis gracillimus maiden grass One of the oldest maiden grass cultivars, the fine texture and showy flowers have made it one of the most popular. Stiff, erect clumps 5 to 6 feet tall and as wide with copper flowers in fall turning silver in the winter, showy tassels good in arrangements. Sun or light shade, moderate water.
More information »	Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline' red bee balm Growing in vigorous clumps to a height of 4 feet, 3 feet wide the foliage has a pleasant minty smell. Scarlet red flowers appear in tight clusters in summer attracting bees and hummingbirds. Grow in full sun or light shade with average water. Native to Eastern United States. Quite cold hardy, may be invasive.
More information »	Monardella villosa coyote mint This small subshrub grows to 2 feet round with fragrant, fuzzy gray green leaves. Flowers that attract bees and butterflies are purple and bloom over a long time. Full sun and drought tolerant, they do well on hot dry slopes and sand dunes. Good in herb gardens, mixed borders. Bay Area native.
More information »	Muhlenbergia capillaris purple muhly This slender grass has stunning dusky purple pink panicles appearing in great clouds over the foliage in late summer, fall. It grows 3 feet tall and as wide and is best in sandy or rocky soil in full sun with some summer water. Good in open coastal woodlands, meadows, or as a specimen. Tolerates wind.
More information »	Muhlenbergia dubia Pine Muhly Native to south Texas, Arizona and down into Mexico this Muhly looks much like the native Deer Grass but is half the size growing 1 to 2 feet round with stiff seed heads rising a foot above. Full sun, low to no water and quite cold tolerant and deer resistant.
More information »	Muhlenbergia rigens deer grass A handsome bunchgrass to 3 feet round, with stiff flower spikes another 2 feet , they remain attractive in winter. This cool season grass is heat and drought tolerant needing little or no summer water. Sun or part shade, a good specimen plant, used in Indian baskets. One of the showiest natives, good for erosion control.
More information »	Myrica californica pacific wax myrtle An evergreen shrub or small tree, growing 12 to 18 feet tall, 12 feet wide with clean looking glossy, dark green foliage. Small flowers are followed by waxy purple berries that attract birds. Sun or shade, quite drought and wind tolerant, an excellent screen or informal hedge and can be clipped. Bay Area native.
More information »	Nassella pulchra purple needle grass Perennial bunch grass found on slopes and open ground in the sun with long narrow, arching blades 2 to 3 feet long. One of the most wide spread species in California grasslands and important wildlife plant. Drought tolerant, good for erosion control. Reseeds. California State grass. Bay Area native.
More information »	Nemophila Menziesii baby blue eyes A common wildflower on grassy slopes in sun or part shade, it grows to 10 inches tall and has clear blue flowers with white centers in spring. Good in meadows, hillsides and containers, it hopefully reseeds freely. Bay Area native.
More information »	Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' giant catmint A taller form of the standard Catmint growing to 3 feet round, forms soft undulating mounds with a mist of lavender blue flowers in summer. For a repeat bloom shear back mid summer. Full sun, quite drought and deer resistant. Good with lavenders, sages, rockroses.
More information »	Nepeta faassenii catmint This vigorous groundcover perennial makes a soft, gray green undulating mound 1 to 2 feet high, 2 to 3 foot spread covered with tiny lavender blue flowers in summer, shear back for a repeat bloom. Full sun, quite drought and deer resistant. Good beneficial insect plant, it makes a good informal groundcover.
More information »	Ophiopogon p. Nigrescens black mondo grass This is a very slow growing lily making tufts of green foliage that quickly turns black, 8 inches high and 1 foot wide. Small white flowers tinged with lavender appear in loose spikes in summer. Full sun to shade with average water. Good in containers or as a novelty plant.
More information »	Origanum x rotundifolium 'Kent beauty' ornamental oregano This ornamental perennial is a much branched, semi prostrate plant with trailing stems reaching to 12 inches. Flowers have large pink bracts. Full sun or light shade, needs good drainage and moderate water. Excellent dried flower.
More information »	Oxalis oregana 'Pink' redwood sorrel Creeping rhizomes spread this 6 inch high clover like groundcover, a common sight in virgin redwood forests. One inch silky pink flowers in spring, sometimes again in fall. A great cover for part to heavy shade. Fairly drought tolerant but looks more lush with regular water. Bay Area native.
More information »	Oxalis oregana 'White' redwood sorrel Creeping roots spread this 6 inch high clover like groundcover, a common sight in virgin redwood forests. One inch silky white flowers in spring, sometimes again in fall. A great cover for part to heavy shade. Fairly drought tolerant but looks more lush with regular water. Bay Area native.
More information »	Penstemon 'Firebird' beard tongue Evergreen perennial growing 2 feet tall, 1 1/2 foot spread with showy panicles of 1 inch true red flowers late spring into fall if old flowers are removed. Full sun or light shade, drought and deer resistant. It is one of the standards of the English garden and makes a good cut flower.
More information »	Penstemon 'Garnet' beard tongue Evergreen perennial growing 2 feet tall, 1 1/2 foot spread with showy panicles of 1 inch garnet flowers late spring into fall if old flowers are removed. Full sun or light shade, drought and deer resistant. It is one of the standards of the English garden. Good cut flower.
More information »	Penstemon 'Midnight' beard tongue This perennial grows 2 1/2 feet tall, 1 1/2 feet wide with dark purple flowers early summer through fall if cut back. Grow in full sun or part shade. This is one of the standards of the English garden and longed lived, drought tolerant and deer resistant. Good cut flowers, attracts hummingbirds.
More information »	Penstemon 'Sour Grapes' beard tongue Upright perennial 2 to 3 feet tall, 1 1/2 foot spread with unusually large bell shaped cabernet flowers tinged with white. Blooms late spring into fall if old stalks are cut back. Full sun or partialshade, drought and deer resistant. Good for the back of the perennial bed.
More information »	Penstemon azureus skyblue penstemon This native penstemon from the Sierra foothills grows close to the ground with a 4 foot spread. Showy one inch bright blue purple flowers appear late spring into fall. Grow in full sun or part shade with good drainage. and average to low water, quite deer resistant. Good in containers, as a low border. Hardy to at least 10°F
More information »	Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita' foothills penstemon This native hybrid penstemon grows 1 to 2 feet tall, 2 feet wide. One inch blue flowers tinged with pink appear mid spring through summer. Grow in full sun or light shade. Quite drought tolerant and deer resistant. Good on rocky, poor hillsides but can be invasive in well watered gardens. Tolerates clay and sandy soils. Bay Area native.
More information »	Petasites frigidus v palmatus western coltsfoot This herbaceous perennial with large leaves on 2 foot stems appears in early spring and spreads by rhizomes. Small pinkish white flowers. Found in stream beds and occasionally in drier shade areas, if kept wet in can spread quickly. Great riparian plant if you have the room. Bay Area native.
More information »	Phacelia californica bluff phacelia This evergreen perennial grows 1 foot tall, 18 inch spread with showy dark blue fiddleheads appearing in abundance from middle to late spring. Native to coastal bluffs, good in rock gardens and dry perennial beds. Good nectar plant for butterflies.
More information »	Philadelphus lewisii 'Goose Creek' California mock orange Arching, deciduous shrub 6 to 8 feet tall, 4 to 6 feet wide. Very fragrant, double, satiny white flowers in late spring, early summer. Sun or light shade with moderate water, good near a pond or stream, as a transition plant. Showy. Native to the North Coast and Sierra Nevada Ranges.
More information »	Philadelphus lewisii 'Marjorie Schmidt' California mock orange Arching, deciduous shrub 4 to 8 feet tall, 4 to 6 feet wide. Very fragrant, satiny white flowers in late spring, early summer. This selection is known for its showy display. Sun or light shade with moderate water, good near a pond or stream, as a transition plant. Native to the North Coast .
More information »	Phlomis x 'Edward Bowles' Jerusalem sage Also known as Phlomis fruticosa, this semi-evergreen perennial growing to 4 feet with whorls of yellow flowers in summer. Full sun or light shade and quite drought and deer resistant. Good in mixed borders. Cut back each season to keep bushy. Use flowers cut or dried. Resistant to oak root fungus.
More information »	Phormium tenax 'Thumbelina' dwarf New Zealand Flax This dwarf form has stiff purplish bronze leaves to 2 ft round with rust red 2 inch flowers on stiff stalks in summer. Full sun or light shade, tolerates wind, heat, sea coast conditions, and drought. A good accent in low water gardens, also good in containers and can be grown indoors with good, indirect light.
More information »	Physocarpus capitatus western nine bark Named for its layers of peeling bark this deciduous shrub is particularly attractive when it leafs out in the spring with vibrant, light green leaves. Next come many round clusters of tiny white flowers. Growing 6 to 8 feet round, this shrub fits well in the wild garden or open woodland. Not fussy about light or soil, average to low water.
More information »	Pinus contorta shore pine Fast growing evergreen pine that grows more like a large bush than a tree with multiple tops, 20 to 30 feet round. Tolerates wind, salt, drought. Deer resistant. Full sun, does well in container. Excellent near the ocean. North Coast native.
More information »	Polypodium californicum California polypody This deciduous native from the Bay Area to the foothills of southern California grows 1 foot tall. It is summer dormant and appears in fall with the rains. Grows in sun near the coast, shade anywhere with average to no water. Excellent under oaks, on rocky cliffs, in shaded beds or rock gardens. Hardy to -15°F. Bay Area native.
More information »	Polypodium scouleri leathery polypody This evergreen fern, common in coastal forests from British Columbia to Southern California, grows 6 inches tall with 7 inch fronds. Found on trees and rocks in the wild it's a slow grower, excellent for containers or old tree stumps. Grow in sun near the coast, shade anywhere with average to no water. Bay Area native.
More information »	Polystichum munitum western sword fern Evergreen fern to 2 feet round in the sun, 3 feet in shade; it can even be grown in deep shade. Low or no water once established although it can also handle regular garden watering. Very deer resistant, hardy. Good under native oaks, with rhododendrons. Bay Area native.
More information »	Potentilla gracilis cinquefoil This bright green perennial grows one foot round with 2 foot tall stems of cheerful bright yellow flowers late spring into fall, a very satisfying performer. Found in meadows and open forests, it also works in containers. Full sun or part shade, likes water but doesn't need much to grow. Cut back midseason. Re-seeds.
More information »	Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii Catalina cherry This evergreen native Cherry Tree can be used as a large shrub or trained into a 30 foot tree. Showy racemes of white flowers followed by large red purple fruits with large stones that attract birds. Good in containers or pruned as a tall screen. Full sun, quite drought and wind resistant. Protect from gophers.
More information »	Rhamnus californica coffeeberry This evergreen shrub or small tree grows 5 to 15 feet tall with a 10 foot spread or more. Shiny, dark green 4 inch leaves form a solid, mounding screen. Creamy white flowers are followed by dark purple fruit. Attracts birds, butterflies, beneficial insects, good under oaks. Sun or shade, tolerates heavy soil if not over watered.
More information »	Rhamnus californica 'Eve Case' coffeeberry This is a dense, compact form of the common Coffeeberry growing 4 to 6 feet round. It will grow in full sun or part shade near the coast, best with shade further inland. Small white flowers are followed by green berries turning red than black. Not particular as to soil, drought tolerant and fairly deer resistant. Bay Area native.
More information »	Rhamnus californica 'Mound San Bruno' Dwarf coffeeberry An evergreen shrub, this form makes a dense, compact mound 4 feet tall, spreading 6 feet. White flowers are followed by showy red berries, a popular food for birds. Full sun near the coast, part shade anywhere. Quite drought tolerant but looks better with once a month watering. Bay Area native.
More information »	Ribes aureum golden currant A delicate looking but tough semi-evergreen shrub from South Dakota to San Francisco Bay, it grows 6 to 10 feet round with clusters of golden yellow flowers early spring, followed by edible berries, an important wildlife plant. Full sun or part shade, tolerates drought and heavy soils. A good woodland or riparian plant. Bay Area Native
More information »	Ribes sanguinium glutinosum pink flowering currant A deciduous shrub growing 4 to 6 feet round with very attractive deep pink flower clusters January to March that signal the coming of spring. Full sun or part shade, quite drought tolerant but can handle water and ocean salt spray. Deer resistant. A good wildlife plant. Bay Area native.
More information »	Ribes viburnifolium evergreen currant Low growing evergreen plant with arching, wine red stems to 3 feet tall, 8 to 12 foot spread. Fragrant leaves after rain or when crushed, tiny brown flowers in spring followed by red berries. A good cover for sun or part shade, quite drought tolerant. Excellent for erosion control, under native oaks.
More information »	Romneya coulteri Matilija poppy A fast growing perennial to 8 feet round each year with fragrant 6 to 9 inch white flowers with large yellow centers May to July. Full sun, it tolerates different soils. It survives with no water, will grow faster and bloom longer with water but can become invasive. Cut to 6 inches in fall.
More information »	Rosa 'Cecile Brunner' sweetheart rose This vigorous climbing rose can grow to 30 feet, good for arbors, fences, or a barn roof. Fragrant 2 inch double pink flowers grow in clusters making perfect rosebuds before they open. Heaviest bloom in the spring, sometimes again in the fall. Full sun or light shade, quite drought tolerant once established. Fast growing.
More information »	Rosa 'The Fairy' Fairy rose This dwarf polyantha rose grows to 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide with large clusters of small, light pink double flowers late spring until the first frost in fall. Grow in full sun or part shade with good drainage and lots of organic matter. Average water.
More information »	Rosa californica wild rose This deciduous shrub grows to 6 feet tall, spreading underground to create a thicket - an important wildlife habitat especially for birds, butterflies, beneficial insects. Single pink one inch flowers late spring to summer, fall. Sun or part shade, likes water but can tolerate drought. Bay Area native.