Common name:Red Star Cordyline
Botanical name:Cordyline 'Red Star'
The 'Red Star' cultivar is an evergreen shrub that grows 12' to 30' tall and 10' to 15' wide with sword-like leaves with a reddish color. It likes full sun, and is very tolerant of heat and drought. It will live in any type of soil that is well drained. Cut back to develop multiple trunks.
Common name:Slender Sedge
Botanical name:Carex praegracilis
California native, rhizomatous. Native on alkaline soil. Low and adapted to a lawn use. Sun or shade. Somewhat drought tolerant. Will take some traffic. It is commonly found in meadows, open areas, marshes and wetlands.
Common name:Yellow Bahia
Botanical name:Bahia absinthifolia
Yellow Bahia is a perennial ground cover that will even grow in shallow caliche. It grows in full sun; it is drought tolerant, but with some additional moisture, it will bloom until frost season. It is a fast grower and will reseed. It has 1" yellow daisies and silvery foliage; it is herbaceous. It is constantly in bloom in the low desert from spring until late fall. It can then be cut to the ground for fresh regrowth in spring. It spreads also by underground rhizomes.
Common name:Mexican Bush Sage
Botanical name:Salvia leucantha
The Mexican Sage is a bushy shrub that grows 3'-4' tall and wide. It has hairy white stems, gray green leaves and velvet-like purple flower spikes that bloom summer through fall. This shrub tolerates sun, light shade, little water, and is hardy to 15 degrees F. The Mexican Sage is drought tolerant and attracts hummingbirds.
Common name:Cleveland Sage
Botanical name:Salvia clevelandii
The Cleveland Sage is a perennial shrub that grows 4' tall and wide. It has fragrant gray foliage and blue flowers that bloom between May and August. This shrub needs full sun and prefers well drained soil. The Cleveland Sage is native to California and is drought tolerant.
Common name:Sea Lavender, Statice
Botanical name:Limonium perezii
This mounding shrub will reach about 3' high and has large, dark green leaves with small blue and purple flowers that bloom in spring and summer.
Common name:Pt. Sal Spreader Purple Sage
Botanical name:Salvia leucophylla 'Point Sal Spreader'
The Point Sal Spreader Sage is an evergreen shrub that grows 3'-4' tall and 4'-6' wide. It has gray green to white leaves. Flowers are pinkish purple. This shrub tolerates heat and droughts. This Salvia is a California native. This variety has a more prostrate form than other varieties.
Maintenance Tips
Salvia leucophylla 'Point Sal Spreader' is a hybrid of the California native Purple Sage. It is a woody sage that can grow into a dome shape 3’ tall and 6’ wide. The tall flower stalks emerge in the spring and are very attractive to hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. It performs best 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. Woody shrubs tend to become dense with lots of cross-branching, so thinning out the branching and allowing sunlight to the interior will benefit the plant and will encourage new growth. This shrub can take a more aggressive pruning, cutting back by about a third in the winter to keep the nice dome shape.Designer: Daley Landscape
Photographer: GardenSoft