Plant Profile: Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis)
Karen This evergreen shrub is native to coastal California and Oregon and is found in chaparral but is often used as a ground cover and to stabilize slopes. It is a…
Plant Profile: Sweet Olive (Osmanthus fragrans)
For fragrance, sweet olive ranks with jasmine, gardenias, and honeysuckle. A native of eastern Asia, it is a member of the olive family, Oleaceae, that also includes jasmine, lilac, and…
Plant Profile: Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)
This low growing juniper is a native of North America where it is found growing on coastal cliffs and stony hillsides. It is an evergreen ground-hugging shrub with long trailing…
Plant Profile: Myrtle (Myrtus communis)
This upright evergreen shrub grown in the Mediterranean area since ancient times is especially popular in the coastal gardens of California and hot areas of Arizona. It is bushy, fine-textured,…
Plant Profile: Common Juniper (Juniperus communis)
Common juniper is native to more places than any other woody plant and has a variable form to match the diverse areas it calls home. Depending on the geographic origin…
Plant Profile: Mirror Plant (Coprosma repens)
Although mirror plant is considered a weed in its native New Zealand, it has naturalized in California where it is grown for its orange-red berries in late summer and its…
Plant Profile: California Lilac (Ceanothus tomentosus)
California lilac is a beautiful sight in spring when it is covered with blue blooms and the rest of the year its evergreen foliage provides texture and interest with its…
Plant Profile: Southern Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera aka Morella cerifera)
Also called southern bayberry, candleberry, bayberry tree, and tallow shrub, this evergreen shrub or small tree is a native of wetlands in Southeastern United States. It is a member of…
Plant Profile: Winter Heather (Erica carnea)
Winter heather is a low growing compact evergreen shrub that gets up to 12” tall and up to 24” wide so makes a very good ground cover. It grows slowly…
Plant Profile: Silverberry (Elaeagnus x ebbingei ‘Gilt Edge’)
Variegated plants have a special gift for lighting up a dark area but this silverberry goes beyond that. The underside of its yellow and green leaves are covered with silvery…