Water Smart Plant Picker

Diverse group of resilient shrubs and trees, including several that are native to California, that provide form, foliage, and habitat value.

• Lemonade berry (R. integrifolia, 4-20‘ x 4-20’) is native to coastal Southern California and Baja California. This evergreen shrub provides white-to-pink clusters of flowers in late winter and early spring followed by sticky, reddish fruits. Lemonade berry is more suitable for coastal climates, whereas sugar bush will also grow in hotter areas.
• Sugar bush (R. ovata, 4-10’ x 4-10’) is native to dry slopes away from the coast in Southern California and Baja California. Similar to lemonade berry with more reddish flowers and leaves that are often folded down the center.
• African sumac (R. lancea, 15-25’ x 20-30’) is an evergreen tree from South Africa with willow-like leaves and graceful weeping habit.

Note: The infamous poison oak was previously classified within the Rhus genus, but has since been reclassified to the more appropriate sounding Toxicodendron diversilobum.

Currants (without spines) and gooseberries (with spines) are grown for their graceful growth habit, attractive foliage, wonderful displays of pendulous flowers in winter-spring that are attractive to hummingbirds, and colorful fruit that provides a food source for birds. Most of the species listed are deciduous, going dormant in the summer months.

Examples: Some of the species suitable for California gardens, preferably with partial shade, are native to the Western United States:

• aureum, golden currant (5-10’ x 3-6’), deciduous with small clusters of delicate yellow flowers and sprawling habit.
• malvaceum, chaparral currant (4-8’ x 4-6’), deciduous with early clusters of pink flowers, a slightly vase-shaped habit, and more drought-tolerant than most species.
• sanguineum var. glutinosum, pink-flowering currant (5-12’ x 5-12’), deciduous with maple-like leaves, a vase-shaped habit, and long pendulous clusters of pink, reddish, or white flowers in the spring; many available cultivars such as ‘Claremont’, ‘Tranquillon Ridge’, and ‘White Icicle’.
• speciosum, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry (4-8’ x 6-10’), deciduous with spiny, arching stems and bright red fuchsia-like flowers along the stems in the spring that are attractive to hummingbirds.
• viburnifolium, evergreen currant or Catalina perfume (2-4’ x 5-7’), evergreen groundcover that works well under oaks and can provide erosion control to slopes.

The Matilija poppy is a very large species of California poppy. Its flowers alone can grow to 7 inches in diameter. The shrub itself can be 6-10 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide. Plant near other shrubs that can outcompete it for space, such as ceanothus, coffeeberry, sugarbush, or flannelbush. Plant in sandy, well-drained soil and water carefully until established because it can suffer from both too much and too little once. Once established, however, the shrub is easy to grow and requires no watering at all. Can be cut back hard in late fall.

A native, perennial, deciduous shrub with dark green leaves divided into coarsely toothed leaflets. Rose to pink colored flowers containing yellow seeds and grows abundantly in moist soils. Natural habitat for birds and pollinator insects. Easy to grow, it can tolerate low-water conditions but benefits from some supplemental irrigation, especially during summer.

Classic Mediterranean flowering shrub with aromatic foliage, small blue-lavender flowers in late winter and spring that attract butterflies and bees. Thrives in full sun with well-drained soil and makes a good container plant. Rosemary is an excellent plant to have in the garden for harvesting fresh springs for use in cooking. Cuttings root readily, making it relatively easy to propagate new plants. Many named cultivars provide variation in size, growth form, flavor, and fragrance.

Examples: R. o. ‘Barbeque’ (3-5’ x 2-3’) has tall, upright stems that can be used as skewers for grilling; R. o. ‘Blue Spires’ (4-5’ x 2-3’); R. o. ‘Collingwood Ingram’ (2-3’ x 3-6’) is lower-growing with arching branches; R. o. ‘Huntington Carpet’ (1-2’ x 4-8’) is very low-growing; R. o. ‘Irene’ (1-2’ x 2-3’) has a mounding habit; R. o. ‘Prostratus’ (2’ x 4-8’) has a trailing habit that works well cascading over a retaining wall.

Salvias are a huge group of more than 900 species that include annuals, perennials, and shrubs adapted to a variety of climates and have varying water requirements. Salvias are attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, and are generally ignored by deer. Sages that are native to California are generally drought-tolerant, prefer full sun, and little to no fertilizer. Annual pruning in late summer or fall generally helps to keep plants tidy and healthy.

CA native sages:

• S. apiana, white sage (3-4’ x 4-6’), silvery-white, aromatic leaves with tall flower spikes of white flowers, popular for honey production and in bundles as a natural incense.
• ‘Bee’s Bliss’ (1-2’ x 6-8’), superb, light gray groundcover with light purple flowers on long spikes; damp conditions can cause mildew which will clear with warm weather and sunny conditions.
• S. clevelandii, Cleveland sage (3-5’ x 3-5’), medium-sized shrub for hot, dry locations known for pleasant fragrance and deep blue whorls of flowers; popular cultivars include S. c. ‘Allen Chickering’, S. c. ‘Pozo Blue’, and S. c. ‘Winnifred Gilman’.
• S. leucophylla, purple sage, includes plants with both an upright growth habit, such as S. l. ‘Amethyst Bluff’ (3-5’ x 3-5’) and others with a sprawling form, such as S. l. ‘Point Sal’ (2-3’ x 6’), both of which are from Santa Barbara county.
• S. sonomaensis, Sonoma sage (1-2’ x 3-4’), groundcover that prefers light shade and will not tolerate damp conditions; cultivars include S. s. ‘Dara’s Choice’, S. s. ‘Greenberg Gray’, and S. s. ‘Hobbit Toes’.
• S. spathacaea, Hummingbird Sage (1-2’ tall and 4-5 feet wide), herbaceous groundcover that grows well in dry shade and spreads slowly by underground rhizomes; large leaves have a wonderful fruity fragrance. Pink to dark rose flowers from late winter into summer. It is drought tolerant and can survive without summer irrigation once established. Some supplemental water will keep the foliage green.
• S. mellifera, black sage (6′ x 10′), evergreen shrub that grows well in full sun and well drained soils. Dark green leaves with pale purple flowers in late spring and early summer.

Non-native sages:

• S. chamaedryoides, germander sage (2-3’)
• S. chiapensis, Chiapas sage (1-2’ x 3-4’)
• S. greggii, autumn sage (1-4’ x 1-4’)
• S. leucantha, Mexican bush sage (3-4’ x 3-6’)
• S. microphylla, cherry sage (3-4’ x 3-6’)
• S. officinalis, garden sage (1-3’ x 1-3’)

Fast-growing shrubs and small trees for sun or part shade that attract pollinators from far and wide to large clusters of cream flowers in spring, followed by berries in summer that provide food to many types of birds. Fruit can also be used for culinary purposes. While naturally fairly wild-looking, elderberries can handle being cut back to the ground in the winter or pruned to maintain size and shape.

Examples:

• Blue elderberry (S. mexicana [nigra] spp. caerulea, 8-25’) is native from Oregon to Baja California and beyond.
• Black elderberry (S. nigra, 20-30’) is native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia, and is available in nurseries in the form of many named cultivars. Cut leaf black elderberry (S. n. ‘Black Lace’, 8’ x 8’) has intense dark, fine foliage. Cut leaf elderberry (S. n. ‘Laciniata’, 10’ x 10’) has green leaves, and variegated black elderberry (S. n. ‘Marginata’, 6-12’) has variegated leaves.

Small, mounding, aromatic Mediterranean shrubs that flower in summer with small yellow, button-like flowers. Prune in spring after flowering to maintain appearance. Two widely available species are lavender cotton (S. chamaecyparissus, 1-2’ x 2-3’) with gray-green foliage, and S. rosmarinifolia (1-2’ x 2-3’) with green foliage that resembles rosemary.

Shade-loving, low maintenance, evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves from the Himalayas and China. Small, fragrant, white flowers in late winter and early spring are followed by blue-black or red berries. S. hookerana humilis (1-2’ x 4-8’) is a low-growing form that spreads by underground runners. S. ruscifolia (4-6’ x 3-7’) is an upright shrub form.

Yerba buena is Spanish for “good herb” due to its medicinal qualities as a tea. This trailing herbaceous perennial has a minty fragrance and is native from British Columbia to Los Angeles County. Prefers a woodland setting with light shade and well-drained soil.

This California native plant is extremely attractive to bees, but also helps hummingbirds, butterflies, and wasps. It grows well in dry shade and well-drained soils, including heavy clay. It grows to 3-5 feet tall and less than a foot wide. In moist soils it will form large colonies, but it can also successfully be grown in a pot. Bee Plant flowers are small enough that you might miss them upon first glance, but when backlight by the sun, they look like tiny red jewels. Best incorporated as part of a perennial border, typically near the back as it is a taller plant.

Large group of succulent plants that vary considerably in appearance and cold tolerance. Sedums can provide variety in texture among other plants and also work well in containers.

Examples:

• S. ruprestre ‘Angelina’ has brilliant chartreuse-yellow, needle-like foliage that turns rust- red in winter to form a striking groundcover.
• S. spathulifolium is a mat-forming, evergreen perennial native to California’s coast ranges and Sierra Nevada to British Columbia. Yellow, star-like flowers appear in late spring and early summer. S. s. ‘Cape Blanco’ has chalky-white foliage and S. s. ‘Purpureum’ has purple foliage.
• S. spurium is a ground-hugging succulent with trailing stems and small dark green, bronzy leaves about an inch long, and bears pink, white, or purple flowers in dome-shaped clusters in mid-summer. S. s. ‘Dragon’s Blood’ has red-margined, green leaves that become brilliantly red with cool autumn temperatures. S. s. ‘Bronze Carpet’ bears rich bronze-red foliage with pink flowers. S. s. ‘Tricolor’ leaves are variegated in green, creamy white, and pink.
• S. telephium ‘Autumn Joy’ (2’ x 2’) is a popular and robust hybrid with bright green leaves and clusters of pink flowers in summer that turn rusty brown in autumn. It dies back in winter and reemerges in spring.