Common name:Helene Strybing Manuka Tea Tree
Botanical name:Leptospermum scoparium 'Helene Strybing'

Helene Strybing Manuka Tea Tree has small, needle-like green leaves with showy, 1/2" rose-like flowers in winter and spring. These shrubs can be thinned to enhance their attractive branch structure and flaking bark. They need very little water once established. 'Helene Strybing' grows 6'-10' tall by 5'-8' wide. It has an open structure with deep pink blooms.

Common name:Santa Barbara Daisy, Mexican Daisy
Botanical name:Erigeron karvinskianus

This low mounding perennial, with fine leaves and white to pinkish, daisy-like flowers, is an excellent asset to rock gardens.

Maintenance Tips

Erigeron karvinskianus is a very vigorous, spreading perennial that can get 12-18" tall and spread out to 5'. It is a very fast grower and is covered with pinkish-white flowers nearly year-round. It is fairly drought tolerant and can thrive in just about any soil conditions. This plant can often become invasive in small gardens because it spreads and can over-seed and easily overtake other plants. Maintenance on this plant is only considered low if it is planted in mass and not competing with other plants. If this is used in a small garden, it will require regular pruning to manage its size. It may also be necessary to apply pre-emergent throughout the garden to keep the seeds from germinating and overtaking the garden.

Common name:Southern Magnolia, Bull Bay
Botanical name:Magnolia grandiflora

Its large, simple, leathery appearance makes the pyramidal Magnolia grandiflora perfect for either a street or lawn tree. Its leaves are 4"-8" long, and its powerfully fragrant blooms are carried throughout the summer. Reddish brown cone shaped fruit appear in the fall. If these plants are grafted, they are more predictable (may take 15 years to bloom). Ungrafted trees will take only 2-3 years. Restricted root areas or heavy soils will slow the growth process.

Common name:Japanese Boxwood
Botanical name:Buxus microphylla japonica

Japanese Boxwood is often used as a hedge. It is compact, with small bright green leaves. It can reach 4'-6' tall and wide or be kept smaller through pruning. It can be sheared to shape. It does better in areas with milder winters.