Common name:Mexican Palo Verde, Jerusalem Thorn
Botanical name:Parkinsonia aculeata

The Mexican Palo Verde has prickly stems. This tree is very fast growing with sparse foliage and very long narrow leaves. Yellow flowers with orange red throats bloom sporadically. It is very messy, thorny, weedy and short-lived. This tree is usually found on limestone soils in areas with moisture but is strongly drought tolerant. It can withstand saline conditions. It can be cold or drought deciduous. It is beautiful in form being light and airy looking, with green bark.

Common name:Catmint
Botanical name:Nepeta X faassenii

Nepeta faassenii makes soft, gray green, undulating mounds that are 1.5' high when blooming. The small leaves are attractive to cats. This perennial has lavender blue flowers in late spring and early summer.

Common name:Sundrops
Botanical name:Calylophus hartwegii

This low-growing perennial grows 1' tall and 3' tall; it has woody stems with bright green leaves. It produces large, lemon yellow flowers that are up to 4" across and bloom spring through summer and possibly through fall, depending on weather conditions.

Maintenance Tips

Calylophus hartwegii is a soft-textured, low-growing perennial with bright yellow flowers. It only grows 12" tall and up to 3' wide. It is very fast growing in the late winter and early spring, and then it is covered with flowers from mid-spring until fall if the weather is ideal. In the fall, when the days start to get shorter and the rains begin, this plant can decline. The root system will stay intact, but the flowering stops, and the foliage will completely die back. This plant benefits from hard pruning, taking the foliage, and branching almost down to the ground. Don't expect any new growth to emerge until the days start to get longer and warm up. The foliage will start to emerge, and the plant's quick growth and blooming cycle will return.

Common name:Our Lord's Candle
Botanical name:Hesperoyucca whipplei

Stemless, it produces dense clusters of rigid, gray green leaves 12"-18" long. Its drooping, bell-shaped flowers appear on large, branched spikes 3'-6' long. Plants die after blooming, much like Agaves, but only individual rosettes will die off; others in clump will continue to live and eventually bloom. Overall plant grows 3' tall and 6' wide. This CA native prefers well drained soil and is drought tolerant but will lose lower leaves with extended drought..

Common name:Dwarf Orange Bulbine
Botanical name:Bulbine frutescens 'Hallmark'

This bulbine is the compact variation of yellow bulbine. This plant grows to about 1' tall by 1'-2' wide. Orange flowers bloom almost all year long. Plants stay evergreen, but will freeze to the ground in the event of serious frost. However, frost- damaged plants will regrow in spring. Delicate coppery orange flowers with fluffy yellow centers are on tall spikes that rise above the foliage. This selection is free flowering in spring, summer and fall.

Common name:Hidcote English Lavender
Botanical name:Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote'

This is a slow growing lavender that grows to 2-3' tall with deep purple flowers. It is drought tolerant and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

Maintenance Tips

Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' is a smaller hybrid of the English Lavender and is often found in California native gardens. It is a woody shrub with a nice round form. It grows 2-3’ tall and wide and has flower stalks that emerge above the foliage in the spring. The foliage and blooms are very fragrant and are a magnet for bees and butterflies. To keep the maintenance as low as possible, plant it in a sunny location with the space to reach its full mature size. Once the flowers have faded, the spent stalks can be deadheaded to keep the shrub looking tidy and encourage additional flowers. This shrub can take a more aggressive hedging, cutting back by about a third in the winter to keep the round shape.

Common name:Blackfoot Daisy
Botanical name:Melampodium leucanthum

Small mounding perennial grows quickly to 1' x 2'. White daisylike flowers with yellow centers cover the plant nearly year-round The leaves are narrow and gray-green. Accepts full sun or partial shade but blooms better in the sun. Bright and colorful groundcover. Plant in well-drained soil. Native to the southwest U.S. and Mexico.

Maintenance Tips

Melampodium leucanthum or the Blackfoot Daisy, is a small herbaceous perennial that reaches 12 – 18" tall and wide. It is very drought and heat-tolerant and requires very little maintenance to look and perform its best. Once the plant is established, it requires very little water, but it does tend to have a much longer blooming cycle if it is offered supplemental water during the spring and summer. It is very attractive to birds, butterflies, and bees and is usually pest-free. As an herbaceous perennial, it can be attractive to aphids and other soft-bodied insects that can damage the foliage. Instead of using pesticides to control these pests, it would be better to use a hard jet of water or even bring in ladybugs to treat the infestation. That will ensure the beneficial insects and birds can continue to enjoy the flowers.