- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
Another round of water-wise plants for your garden.
Wayne Roderick seaside daisy
Erigeron 'W.R.'
This small perennial is good in containers or for trailing over a wall. It spreads sparingly by seed in your garden.The seaside daisy blooms profusely from spring through fall. This plant is great for attracting butterflies and beneficial insects.
Giant feather grass
Stipa gigantea
This large dramatic large grass is an excellent garden accent. It's waving wands of flowers add movement to the garden. The low mound of evergreen leaves look good year round.
Mexican tulip poppy
Hunnemannia fumarifolia
Bright yellow poppy flowers bloom from spring through fall. The bushy perennial has lacy, gray-green foliage. It is heat and drought tolerant with seeds that grow to replace the mother plant. Cut back old flower stalks for a tidy apperance and a prolonged bloom.
- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
Here is a collection of water-wise plants for the shade.
Japanese holly fern
Cyrtomium falcatum
This evergreen fern with dramatic, dark-green glossy fronds, that resemble holly leaves, provides a lush look in dark shady areas of your garden.
Lenten rose
Helleborus x hybridus
There are many species of helleborus available. They require little maintenance and tolerate semi-dry shade. The evergreen foliage looks good all year round. Rose-like nodding flowers brighten winter gardens.
Lillian's pink coral bells
Heuchera ‘Lillian's Pink'
This coral bell is a California native with bright pink flowers that attract bees and hummingbirds. It is an excellent groundcover for small shady areas or borders. There are many coral bells to choose from.
For more information click here.
- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
Another installment of water-wise plants.
Canyon snow ‘Pacific iris'
Iris ‘Canyon Snow'
The canyon snow Pacific iris is a California native plant and is a tough hybrid iris of the Pacific coast. It grows in our hot valley with little maintenance. It will need part shade. The narrow leaves form an attractive, evergreen, grass-like mound. The flowers are very white and like many other irises' only bloom in the spring. I have this plant and it is a show stopper in the spring.
Deergrass
Muhlenbergia rigens
This grass is another California native plant. It makes a low informal screen and needs almost no maintenance. The shape and form of this grass adds texture and movement to the garden. Remove old leaves at any time and cut to the ground every three years.
Palmer's sedum
Sedum palmeri
There are many sedums. Some are big and some are very small. The Palmer's sedum has deep golden-yellow, star-shaped flowers in spring. This low growing plant can be used as a groundcover for small areas. It is very drought tolerant and shade tolerant. Another sedum people enjoy is the larger ‘Autumn Joy'.
- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
California fuchsia (Epilobium canum)
This easy to grow California native tolerates heat and drought. There are many different varieties that have narrow or broad leaves and that range from silver to bright green. The red flowers attract hummingbirds and beneficial insects.
Mexican deergrass (Muhlenbergia dubia)
This is a great accent plant for a water-wise garden that requires little maintenance. The flower stalks persist year round adding texture and movement to your garden.
Walking Iris (Neomarica caeulea)
The walking iris is a great accent plant with arching, sword-like leaves. It produces clusters of gorgeous, intricately-patterned, violet-blue flowers. It will bloom repeatedly in partial shade during the hottest part of the summer.
For more information about the Arboretum All-Stars click here.
- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
More water-wise plants. Next week we will highlight a 10 x 10 landscape plan.
Purple Dome Daisy (Aster 'Purple Dome')
This dwarf aster has deep violet flowers in late summer. It attracts butterflies and other beneficial insects. This aster can be in full sun or part shade.
Japanese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis, dwarf varieties)
The leaves on this large grass may turn red, orange and yellow in the fall. There are many varieties available with different leaf patterns and a range of sizes. It can be grown in full sun or part shade and thrives in clay soil.
Christmas cheer poker plant (Kniphofia 'Christmas Cheer')
This dramatic plant brightens up the winter garden. At the top of its tall flowering stems, brilliant orange buds open to deep-gold tubular flowers. The long, narrow leaves form an attractive, medium-large clump over time. This plant is grown in full sun.
To see more water-wise plants go to the http://www.arboretum.ucdavis.edu/arboretum_all_stars.aspx