Drought tolerant plants for a Bay Area/Northern California coastal garden.
In the 1500's
California went through an 80 year drought. During the winter there
were blizzards in Central California, the Salinas river froze solid
where it flowed into the Monterey Bay. During the summer there was no
humidity, no rain, and temperatures in the hundreds for many
months. During one year in the 1840's there was no measurable rain in
Santa Barbara. (The highest measured rainfall in an hour also was in
Southern California, 11 inches in an hour) The same native
plants that lived through that are still on
the hillsides of California. California native plants that do not
normally live in the creeks and ponds are very drought
tolerant.
Manzanitas
are easy and lively in most Bay area gardens.
Milkweeds
can jazz up a native garden.
Pigeon
Point Dwarf Coyote bush can make the appearance of a lawn with no
irrigation system.
Ceanothus,
California lilac is a show stopper.
Cupressus
sargentii Sargent CypressIn the wild Sargent Cypress is a small gray evergreen tree, with
gray bark. In most gardens Sargent Cypress will grow real fast to 10
feet, then slowly (1'/year) to 50'. C. sargentii is easy to hold t ...
Monkey
flowers for California gardens.
. Hummingbirds will love your flowers, and so will you.
. Hummingbirds will love your flowers, and so will you.
Encelia californica Coast Sunflower
Perennial shrub, 3-4 ft. high, good large scale ground cover with 2 inch daisy, Native from Santa Maria to San Diego. Not frost tolerant, will recover from 27 deg. F. but will die to ground, at about ...
Erigeron
glaucus
Seaside Daisy
Seaside daisy(Erigeron glaucus) can be found along the coast from
Cambria north to central Oregon, ..
Eriogonum parvifolium Cliff Buckwheat
A perennial, 2 ft. by 2 ft.. Native near coast from Monterey to San Diego, shade to sun, red-green foliage, reddish-pink flowers. This one does well in the San Joaquin and in the warmer areas of the s ...
Fremontodendron
californicum California Flannel Bush
(Fremontia)An evergreen shrub fast to 5', can grow to 10 ft.. Explodes with yellow flowers, 3 inches across, in spring. Native to dry slopes, Sierra Nevada, coast ranges, S. Calif. mountains. Likes su ...
(Fremontia)An evergreen shrub fast to 5', can grow to 10 ft.. Explodes with yellow flowers, 3 inches across, in spring. Native to dry slopes, Sierra Nevada, coast ranges, S. Calif. mountains. Likes su ...
Garrya
elliptica James Roof Silk Tassel
Silk Tassel is native coast ranges San Luis Obispo Co. to Ore.. An evergreen shrub to small tree with yellowish male catkins 10 inches long in early spring. They turn gray as they age. The name silk t ...
Silk Tassel is native coast ranges San Luis Obispo Co. to Ore.. An evergreen shrub to small tree with yellowish male catkins 10 inches long in early spring. They turn gray as they age. The name silk t ...
Gnaphalium
californicum California Pearly Everlasting
A native biennial or short-lived perennial that grows in disturbed places.This species is a pioneer plant that helps to prepare the site, and aids in the establishment of longer-lived plants in the n ...
A native biennial or short-lived perennial that grows in disturbed places.This species is a pioneer plant that helps to prepare the site, and aids in the establishment of longer-lived plants in the n ...
Grindelia
stricta venulosa Coastal Groundcover Gum Plant
Grindelia stricta venulosa (or pachyphylla) is a coastal bluff plant from the bay area. Coastal Groundcover Gum Plant is a great plant to mix with Baccharis Pigeon Point and Penstemon Margarita BOP t ...
Grindelia stricta venulosa (or pachyphylla) is a coastal bluff plant from the bay area. Coastal Groundcover Gum Plant is a great plant to mix with Baccharis Pigeon Point and Penstemon Margarita BOP t ...
Malacothamnus
fasciculatus Bush mallow
Bush mallow, Malacothamnus fascicularis is a 4-6' evergreen shrub with pink, 1" flowers, cover the gray-green plant. It likes full sun to part shade, little water after established. A hedge plant fo ...
Bush mallow, Malacothamnus fascicularis is a 4-6' evergreen shrub with pink, 1" flowers, cover the gray-green plant. It likes full sun to part shade, little water after established. A hedge plant fo ...
Monardella
villosa Coyote Mint
Coyote Mint is a two-foot-high perennial with gray-green leaves and light purple clusters of flowers in summer. This Monardella is native to the California coast ranges. This coyote mint likes part ...
Coyote Mint is a two-foot-high perennial with gray-green leaves and light purple clusters of flowers in summer. This Monardella is native to the California coast ranges. This coyote mint likes part ...
Muhlenbergia
rigens Deer Grass
Deer grass is a 3 foot perennial with 2 foot plumes rising above the plant. It looks like a small pampas grass but without the bad leaf cuts and the aggressive seeding. Native to much of Calif. up int ...
Deer grass is a 3 foot perennial with 2 foot plumes rising above the plant. It looks like a small pampas grass but without the bad leaf cuts and the aggressive seeding. Native to much of Calif. up int ...
Penstemons
for California gardens
California Penstemons that grow in DRY areas. These Penstemons will grow in California without much water.
California Penstemons that grow in DRY areas. These Penstemons will grow in California without much water.
Philadelphus
lewisii Wild Mock Orange
Wild Mock Orange is a deciduous shrub that grows fast to 6 ft. in height.
Wild Mock Orange is a deciduous shrub that grows fast to 6 ft. in height.
Pinus
muricata Bishop Pine
A fast dark green pine to 40 ft. It is good to use in place of Pinus radiata for fence hedge. It's excellent near coast. We've had very good luck inland.
A fast dark green pine to 40 ft. It is good to use in place of Pinus radiata for fence hedge. It's excellent near coast. We've had very good luck inland.
California
ribes, gooseberries are spiny and currants are spineless with flower
clusters.
California currants and Gooseberries have berries that the birds love, flowers you'll love, put a few Ribes in your garden.
California currants and Gooseberries have berries that the birds love, flowers you'll love, put a few Ribes in your garden.
Rosa
pinetorum Whiskey Rose
A beautiful rose that we've seen only twice in the wild, once in the town of Quincy on a north facing slope(can you say COLD) under interior live oak and bays, and once at the edge of a redwood forest ...
A beautiful rose that we've seen only twice in the wild, once in the town of Quincy on a north facing slope(can you say COLD) under interior live oak and bays, and once at the edge of a redwood forest ...
Satureja
douglasii Yerba Buena is a creeping flat perennial that can spread to 3' but is
easily held to 1'. Yerba Buena is found in woods near the coast and
coast ranges from Los Angeles to British Columbia.
Sisyrinchium
bellum Blue-Eyed Grass
Blue-eyed Grass. Sisyrinchium bellum is a 1 foot tall perennial with 1 inch blue flowers in Jan.-June. It has small, iris-like leaves. It is widely distributed in California on open, grassy slopes.
Blue-eyed Grass. Sisyrinchium bellum is a 1 foot tall perennial with 1 inch blue flowers in Jan.-June. It has small, iris-like leaves. It is widely distributed in California on open, grassy slopes.
Stipa
pulchra Purple Stipa
Purple Needle Grass is native throughout our area. Nice plant. Use simply. Leaves are bright green up close, appear gray from a distance. In the wild it is in the open spots in Oak Woodland.
Purple Needle Grass is native throughout our area. Nice plant. Use simply. Leaves are bright green up close, appear gray from a distance. In the wild it is in the open spots in Oak Woodland.
Symphoricarpos
albus laevigatus Common Snowberry is a chin-high, deciduous shrub,
gradually forming a thicket by way of its rhizomes, or underground
stems.
California
Fuchsia, Zauschneria or Epilobium
is loved by hummingbirds,
butterflies and people. California fuchsia plants grow will in most California gardens with no additional water.
