Plant Profile: Purple Needle Grass (Stipa pulchra aka Nassella pulchra)
Karen This perennial bunch grass is native to California where it grows in a variety of habitats including grassland, chaparral and oak woodland. It is a member of the grass family…
Plant Profile: Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum)
Also known as greasewood, this evergreen spreading or prostrate shrub is native to California and Baja California and is the most abundant species in the California chaparral. It is a…
Plant Profile: Purple Sage (Salvia leucophylla)
Also known as San Luis purple sage and gray sage, this semi-deciduous shrub is native to coastal Southern California and Baja California where it grows on dry open hillsides. It…
Plant Profile: California Bush Sunflower (Encelia californica)
Also called California brittlebush, this shrub is native to coastal southern California and Baja California, and is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow and…
Poisonous Plants: Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Also known as Canada puccoon, bloodwort, redroot, red puccoon, Indian paint, and black paste, bloodroot is a member of the poppy family, Papaveraceae, that also includes bleeding heart, greater celandine,…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Gopher Apple (Licania michauxii aka Geobalanus oblongifolius)
If you live along the southeast coastline and want to attract the gopher tortoise, this wiry evergreen shrub provides a fruit that is favored by this very special reptile. Why…
Plant for a Plant Zoo: Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum tectorum)
Hens and chick is an endearing plant that is very easy to grow and does well even with neglect; a perfect plant for a children’s garden! The plants grow 4-12″…
Perennials for Wall Gardens in Full Sun
The crevices in walls provide an opportunity to create a beautiful wall garden but also present challenges. They usually have very little soil and so can dry out or get…
Plants of the Bible: Sage-leaved Rockrose (Cistus salviifolius)
Also known as salvia cistus and Gallipoli rose, this bushy evergreen shrub is native to the Mediterranean region, including southern Europe, parts of Western Asia and North Africa. It is…
Plant Profile: Chameleon Plant (Houttuynia cordata)
Native to Southeast Asia, this herbaceous perennial is known by many names including fish mint, rainbow plant, heart leaf and Chinese lizard tail. A member of the lizard-tail family, Saururaceae,…