Water Smart Plant Picker

Attractive deciduous shrub or small tree native to streambanks from the Mediterranean region to central Asia that produces spikes of fragrant lavender-blue flowers in summer into fall.

Vitis californica (California wild grape) fast growing California native deciduous vine to 30 feet or more, with large, soft, heart-shaped green leaves that turn bright red and yellow in fall. Fruits are small and sour but attractive to many birds.  Sun to part shade, most soils.

Australian evergreen shrubs that are well-adapted to California gardens. W. fruticosa (3-6’ x 5-10’) is a mounding shrub with green-to-gray-green, needle-like leaves and small white or lavender flowers from winter into spring. W. ‘Wynyabbie Gem’ (6-8’ x 6-8’) has a more upright habit and lavender-blue flowers.

Evergreen succulent-like plants that grow over much of North America and feature sword-shaped leaves. Yuccas typically produce flowers on tall stalks in spring. Some yuccas are stemless while others have trunks and grow to tree size.

Examples: Banana yucca (Y. baccata, 3-4’ x 4-5’) eventually forms a short trunk. Adam’s needle (Y. filamentosa, 2-3’ x 4’) has loose fibers at the edge of leaves. Others are Spanish dagger (Y. gloriosa, 10’ x 8’), beaked yucca (Y. rostrata, 12-15’), and our Lord’s candle (Y. whipplei, 2-4’ x 3-6’), native to Southern California and Baja California.