Common name:Santa Barbara Daisy
Botanical name:Erigeron karvinskianus 'Profusion'

This herbacious perennial grows to 1' tall and 3' wide. White daisy-like flowers bloom heavily in spring and fall in the low desert but in higher elevations, bloomtime is only during the summer. The foliage is bright green and finely textured. This plant is fairly short-lived but will reseed if pruned in winter and given moderate irrigation all year. It does better in light shade if planted in the low desert.

Common name:Tree Aloe
Botanical name:Aloe arborescens

This shrub is large, full of branches and produces deep orange blooms. The flowers produce a nectar that is attractive to many different birds; this plant is grown all over the world.

Common name:Aloe Vera or Medicinal Aloe
Botanical name:Aloe vera

The rosette of this plant consists of fleshy gray green leaves, which are narrow, succulent and erect with soft spines on margins. This Aloe is a slow to moderate grower. Flowers are spikes of yellow, 2'-3' tall and bloom late winter to summer. This aloe can form large clumps. It will tolerate full to partial sun, needs some supplemental water in heat and good drainage. It attracts hummingbirds. This aloe is a Mediterranean native. The sap is used for burns and abrasions.

Common name:New Zealand Flax, Purple
Botanical name:Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum'

Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum' is an evergreen perennial. Big, dramatic plant composed of many swordlike, stiffly vertical leaves can reach 5' tall. Leaves are purple red. Flowers stems reach high above leaves, bearing clusters of 1"-2" blossoms in dark red.

Maintenance Tips

Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum' is one of the most popular hybrids of Flax. This variety matures at 4-6' tall and wide. The leaves are strap-shaped, and deep purple, tall flower stalks appear in the summer up to 10' tall. To keep the maintenance as low as possible, plant in a location that is full sun, and well-drained and give it the space it needs to reach maturity. These plants are often the victim of poor pruning habits, with gardeners cutting the leaves off in the middle or shearing them because they are too large for the space they have been given. If this is the case, they should be transplanted to a location where they can reach their full size, or other plants around them should be moved out of their way. Old leaves rarely fall off of the plant, so removing them as they age will help keep the plant looking and performing its best.

Common name:Kleinia
Botanical name:Senecio mandraliscae

This succulent perennial will grow to about 1.5' tall and 2' wide. It has curved, bluish gray leaves that are about 3.5" long and very slender.