Plant Profile: Threenerve Goldenrod (Solidago veluntina)
Karen Native to western US and the northern half of Mexico, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes sunflower, dandelion, and lettuce. With a…
Plant Profile: California Coffee Berry (Frangula californica aka Rhamnus californica)
Native to California, southwestern Oregon, Arizona and Baja California, this large evergreen shrub grows in open woodland, brush canyon sides, and chaparral. It is a member of the buckthorn family,…
Plant Profile: Hollyleaf Redberry (Rhamnus ilicifolia)
This evergreen shrub is native to western North American where it grows in chaparral and wooded areas in Oregon, California, Baja California and Arizona. It is a member of the…
Plant Profile: Bunchleaf Penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus)
Also known as foothills penstemon and foothills beardtongue, this evergreen herbaceous perennial is endemic to California where it grows in grassland, chaparral, and forests of all of the major coastal…
Plant Profile: Black Sage (Salvia mellifera)
Native to California, Baja, and Mexico, this semi-deciduous shrub is common in the coastal sage scrub and chaparral of Southern California. It is a member of the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae,…
Plant Profile: Woolly Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum)
Native to dry slopes of south coast ranges of California and northern Baja, this evergreen shrub is a member of the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae, that also includes mint, rosemary, and…
Plant Profile: Lemonade Berry (Rhus integrifolia)
Native to coastal sage scrub and chaparral of Southern California and Baja, this evergreen shrub or small tree is a member of the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that also includes sumac,…
Genus Erysium (Wallflowers) for the Garden
Often called wallflower or blister-cress, Erysimum is a genus of about 150 species in the mustard family, Brassicaceae, that also includes cabbage, alyssum, and stock. The plants may be annuals,…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)
Attract ruby-throated hummingbirds, bumblebees and Baltimore checkerspot butterflies by adding a clump of this perennial with its flowers that resemble the head of a turtle peering out of its shell.…
Weeds and Their Control: Common Reed (Phragmites australis)
Common reed is a vigorous warm season perennial and a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes corn, rice, and bamboo. It is native to north America and…