Common name:River Wattle
Botanical name:Acacia cognata

This is a small graceful weeping tree which grows from 20' to 30' in height. The leaves are narrow and pendulous. It bears yellow puffy flowers in spring. It reguires well-draining soil. It needs protection from sea winds or hot inland valley sun.

Common name:Crimson-Spot Rockrose
Botanical name:Cistus ladanifer

Crimson Spot Rockrose is a mid-sized shrub to 5' tall with an equal spread and a compact habit. Leaves are 4" long, dark green above, lighter beneath, sticky and fragrant. Flowers are white, to 3" wide, with a dark maroon basal spot on each petal, and appear late spring and early summer. It can adapt to periods of drought.

Maintenance Tips

Cistus ladanifer is a woody shrub from the Mediterranean region. It matures at 5' tall with a width of about 8'. This plant is often the victim of box-hedging and poor pruning habits because they are often planted in locations where they are crowded out by other plants. The flowers form at the tops of the branches, so the poor pruning habits cut off all of the blooming potential, leaving a woody box or ball that sends out excessive amounts of growth to try and recover. The best way to keep the maintenance low with this plant is to plant it in a sunny location where it can reach its full size. They have a slower rate of growth, so planting them close together when they are young is common. Once they start to fill out the space, it will make sense to cull out a few of the plants so the ones that remain can reach their full size.

Common name:Matilija Poppy
Botanical name:Romneya coulteri

Crowned by white poppies, this high-impact, spreading, gray green perennial stands statuesque at 8' tall. It is best used where its scale and habit will not overpower neighboring plants. It requires no summer water and thrives on dry alluvial slopes.

Maintenance Tips

Romneya coulteri is a large, herbaceous, California native perennial that is grown for its attractive gray-green foliage and showy, white poppy flowers that bear resemblance to fried eggs. It can grow up to about 8' tall and wide but can spread up to 20’ away by underground runners known as rhizomes. Despite its large size, it is relatively easy to maintain. Flowering begins in the spring and lasts until late summer. In the fall, the foliage will start to wither, which is when it is best to cut all the stalks down to about 6". Once they are removed, you can leave this plant alone to regrow back in a matter of a couple of months.