Water Smart Plant Picker

Low-growing, flowering perennial from the mint family that produces many spikes of lavender flowers in the summer that are attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Soft, gray-green, aromatic foliage is attractive to cats. Nepeta species seed freely and may become invasive. Nepeta x faassenii is a sterile hybrid that is widely available and grows well in Northern California gardens. Available cultivars have flowers ranging from deep blue to white.

Classic, slow-growing Mediterranean evergreen tree with willow-like foliage that can be grown as a standard or multi-trunk. Trunks of younger trees are generally smooth and become more gnarled as they age. Pollen is highly allergenic to many people, and fruit and seeds can be messy and even invasive. Seeds can be spread by birds and mammals and have become invasive in parts of southern California and the Central Valley. Low-flowering and non-fruiting cultivars are available.

Examples: O. e. ‘Bonita’ (25-30’ x 25-30’) is nearly fruitless; O. e. ‘Franz Fruitless’ (25-30’ x 25-30’) produces no pollen and nearly no fruit; O. e. ‘Little Ollie’ (6-8’ x 6-8’) is a dwarf non-fruiting hybrid with dense foliage; O. e. ‘Majestic Beauty’ (25’ x 20’) only develops small amounts of fruit; O. e. ‘Swan Hill’ (25-30’ x 25-30’) is a non-fruiting olive free of airborne pollen.

Wide canopy with greenish bark and pale yellow flowers. Has thorns and little pruning is needed. Leaves drop during extreme heat and will not survive extended frost. Attracts birds and creates a stable habitat for them.

Wide canopy with greenish bark and pale yellow flowers. Leaves drop during extreme heat and will not survive in extended frost. High pest tolerance. Little pruning needed.

Penstemons are a large group of woody or herbaceous perennials with narrow leaves and tubular flowers. Foothill penstemon is a widely known and grown California native with iridescent purple-blue flowers during spring and early summer that are attractive to hummingbirds. The cultivar known as ‘Margarita BOP’ is widely available, reliable, and garden- tolerant. Remove spent flower spikes to encourage more flowers.

As a northern California coastal native, this plant is a favorite of many pollinators, including the endangered Mission blue butterfly from San Francisco. Its hairy leaves and stems give way to tiny blue or lavender flowers, each under a centimeter long. The funnel-shaped flowers grow in one-sided, coiled clusters that uncurl as the flowers open in sequence. It grows to about 1 foot tall and wide and prefers well-drained soil in sun to part shade.

Group of evergreen Mediterranean shrubs and perennials with large, soft, leaves that display striking whorls of yellow or lilac flowers on long stems.

Examples: Jerusalem sage (P. fruticosa, 3-4’ x 3-4’) is the most commonly planted phlomis. P. italica (3-4’ x 5-6’) blooms with lilac-pink flowers. P. lanata (2-3’ x 3-4’) and P. purpurea (4-6’ x 4-6’) have purple-pink flowers from spring to fall. P. russeliana (2-3’ x 2’) provides a low, clumping form that spreads by rhizomes.

Evergreen, clumping perennials from New Zealand with dramatic, strappy, sword-shaped leaves that can provide contrast to other plantings or be used effectively in containers. Provide room for plants to reach full size and give some shade in hotter locations. Numerous cultivars are recommended over straight species and provide a wide range of sizes and foliage colors that include green, yellow, and red—many with some type of variegation.

Lippia is a hardy, low-growing groundcover found in many regions worldwide including California. Small white and purple flowers bloom in spring, attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. Common lippia forms dense mats of trailing runners that make it a popular drought-tolerant alternative to conventional lawns. It stays low to the ground, tolerates foot traffic, and is dog-friendly. May be mowed to remove flowers if undesirable. With occasional deep watering — about every two weeks in summer — it can outcompete weeds while requiring far less water than traditional turfgrass. May die back some in winter in colder locations but recovers the following spring. Sun to light shade. Most soils.

Deciduous shrub native to western North America, including California, that resembles spirea with small clusters of white flowers. Prefers light shade and some moisture while getting established. Prostrate western ninebark (P. c. ‘Tilden Park’, 3’ and spreading) is a groundcover form from San Bruno Mountain.

Together with crape myrtle, Chinese pistache is a ubiquitous street tree in Sonoma and Marin counties due to its modest size, attractive foliage, fall color, and ability to withstand heat and drought. May be invasive in riparian areas. P. c. ‘Keith Davey’ is a sexed male that will not produce fruit.

Dependable, evergreen shrubs that can provide an effective screen or background plant. While most require moderate amounts of water in Sonoma and Marin counties, mock orange (P. tobira, 6-15’ x 6-15’) from Japan is perhaps the most drought-tolerant. Mock orange has a mounding form with whorls of oval leaves. Available in several sizes and with variegated leaves.

Examples: P. t. ‘Creme de Mint’ (2-3’ x 2-3’) is a compact form with white margined leaves; P. t. ‘Variegata’ (5-10’ x 5-10’) is a larger form with variegated leaves; and P. t. ‘Wheeler’s Dwarf’ (3-4’ x 4-6’) is a low-growing groundcover form.