Water Smart Plant Picker

Low-growing, Australian evergreen groundcover shrub that forms a mat about 6” high and 6-10’ wide with small, white flowers in the summer.

Dense, evergreen shrub with small leaves that will eventually grow to 4-6’ high and wide. Boxwood is commonly clipped as a small hedge, topiary, or kept in a container.

Mediterranean evergreen shrub with fine-textured, aromatic foliage that withstands shearing and makes a good informal hedge or screen. Several available cultivars provide different growth and foliage characteristics.

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 blue to purple.

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. 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.

Group of cacti that grow in upright or spreading form, from low-growing to treelike. Covered with spines or small prickles. Showy yellow, orange, or pink, cup-shaped flowers in spring are followed by round, spiny fruits. Species are native to arid or semi-arid habitats throughout much of North, Central, and South America. Some species are native to California, including Beavertail Pricklypear (O. basilaris 1-2′ tall x 5′ wide) and Coast Prickly Pear (O. littoralis 3′ tall and wide). Most cultivars are plants selected for commercial food production (e.g., ‘Reyna’, ‘Roja Pelona’), but some species and hybrids are offered as ornamentals. ‘Baby Rita’ is a popular hybrid with blue-gray pads tinged with purple in winter. ‘Ellisiana’ and ‘Burbank Spineless’ are mostly spineless cultivars. Prefer full sun with great drainage.

Semi-deciduous tree or large shrub, 20-30 feet tall and wide 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.

Deciduous shrub or small tree, slow growing to 15-20 feet tall and 12-15 feet wide, with yellowish green bark, and creamy yellow flowers in spring.. 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.

California Phacelia is perennial, 1 foot tall and wide, with velvety, silvery gray-green leaves and purplish pink, funnel-shaped flowers in coiled clusters that uncurl as the flowers open in sequence. Self-sows. Important source of nectar for pollinators, especially bees. Native to coastal bluffs and woodland openings in northern California and western Oregon. Sun or part shade, well-drained soils. This native wildflower is a food source for the Mission blue butterfly.

Philadelphus is a group of evergreen and deciduous shrubs with fragrant white flowers. Several species are low water use. Generally prefer cool sun to part shade and most well-drained soils.

Examples:

P. mexicanus (evergreen mock orange), evergreen vining shrub, fast growing to 8-10 feet tall and wide with dark green leaves and fragrant creamy white flowers with yellow centers in late spring and summer. Can be grown as a shrub, vine, bank cover, or espalier. Native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala.

P. microphyllus (littleleaf mock orange), deciduous shrub, 4-6 feet tall and wide with small, fragrant, bell-shaped, white flowers in late spring or early summer. Native to rocky soils in foothills and mountains from Wyoming south to California and east to Texas and northern Mexico.

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. purpurea (4-6’ x 4-6’) have purple-pink flowers from spring to fall.