Pine Straw
Thursday 01 December 2011 at 08:17 am.
California Wildflowers The rainy season of 1997-1998 is the wettest on record, and it is a great spring for wildflowers. These are photos of the spring bloom on the Central Coast. The photos are spread across several pages. Eschscholzia californica, the California Poppy, blooms in early spring. Most are a bright orange, with flowers about 2 inches across. But poppies are quite variable, and there are strains in many colors, including white, red and yellow.
Lupines begin blooming in March and continue throughout the spring. Most lupines are blue, but other colors are represented too. There are white lupines, and the colorful Harlequin Lupine blooms in yellow and red. These flowers dominate our spring landscapes as much as do California Poppies. Lupines belong to the Leguminoseae or the Pea Family. Note that the seeds are enclosed in a pod. Lupines come in many sizes too. Bush Lupines are found on the Central Coast. Blue bush Lupines in Santa Maria bloom in March. Yellow bush Lupines in Nipomo wait until April. Owl's Clover or Orthocarpus belongs to the Figwort Family, the Scrophulariaceae. It's related to the Snapdragon. Like the Lupines, Owl's Clover often occurs in large drifts. It begins bloom in March and continues to May. The flowers are set in dense spikes, and the color is a reddish purple. Other species of Owl's Clover have flowers in white or yellow. The flowers have lips like the Snapdragon. Can you see that the flowers have 3 purple spots on the lower lip?
Best Shrubs for California This is an index of what I consider the very best shrubs for our landscapes, the ones I recommend when people ask me what they should plant. Of course, I would hate to see all landscapes using only these plants. You should include your own favorites in any planting scheme. I have chosen these plants based on two easy-care criteria. They must have no major pests, and they must have a slow or moderate rate of growth. Each plant in the list meets at least one of these requirements; most meet both. Rhaphiolepis indica India Hawthorne Long period of bloom, beginning in the spring. Prune after the first flowering and as needed to control size and shape. Nandina domestica Heavenly Bamboo Prune, if needed, by thinning and cutting back canes. Fertilize if plant becomes chlorotic. No pests. Callistemon viminalis 'Little John' Little John Bottlebrush
Callistemon 'Little John' is a slow growing (under 3 feet) shrub that needs pruning only one time a year. Foliage is a bluish gray. Long bloom period begins in early spring. Osmanthus heterophyllus Hollyleaf Osmanthus Can easily be kept at 3 to 5 feet. Does well in the shade. 'Variegata' has variegated, holly-like leaves. Buxus microphylla 'Japonica' Japanese Boxwood Infrequent pruning will maintain this plant as a low hedge. It also makes a fine 3 to 5 foot shrub. Myrsine africana African Boxwood As with Japanese Boxwood, trim as a low box hedge, or grow as a 3 to 5 foot high natural shrub. Watch for aphids if grown in the shade. Xylosma congestum Shiny Xylosma This plant grows rapidly into a large shrub or a small tree, but it can take any amount of pruning. Ligustrum japonicum 'Texanum' Waxleaf Privet Privet blooms in the spring and has black berries in the fall unless the plant is pruned. This is a favorite for hedges. Prune only once a year -- after flowering. Euonymous japonica Evergreen Euonymus Forms with gold variegation are excellent.
Does very well in Santa Maria and the Central Coast, but it's very suseptible to powdery mildew in areas with hot summers. The gold leaf varieties combine very well with Euryops pectinatus 'Viridis', the yellow bush daisy from South Africa. The combination looks especially nice during the gray days of winter. Rosmarinus officinalis Rosemary My favorite upright Rosemary is 'Tuscan Blue'. If you want a lower growing kind, choose 'Prostrata' or another groundcover form. These can be pruned as low shrubs or used as a groundcover or to cascade over a wall. All kinds attract bees. Blooms start in February. Cistus ladanifer Crimson-Spot Rockrose Choose this or 'Cistus purpurea' or Cistus 'Sunset' or any other favorite.
All require little care beyond pruning after the flowers peak. Crassula argentea Jade Plant Very easy and very common in Southern California and on the Central Coast. This plant deserves more attention. Don't plant just one; use it in groupings, and prune to show its sturdy structure. All you need are hand shears or even a knife from the kitchen. Carissa macrocarpa Natal Plum Dark green foliage with bright white, star-shaped flowers followed by edible red fruit in the fall. Plant has thorns; be sure that is appropriate for your needs. Loropetalum chinense Fringe Flower Low, mounding shrub for sun or shade. Leaves become red in cold weather. Covered with flowers from late February through spring.
Broadleaf Shrubs These shrubs form the backbone of most California landscapes. The index includes the most popular shrubs in California. Most will get by on limited water in the summer, though they prefer deep watering every two weeks at the coast or weekly inland. All shrubs are evergreen unless indicated otherwise. The xeriphytes index is also made up of broadleaf evergreen shrubs.
Rosaceae The Rose Family Chaenomeles japonica Flowering Quince Cotoneaster lacteus Parney's Cotoneaster Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon or California Holly Photinia x fraseri Fraser's Photinia Prunus ilicifolia Hollyleaf Cherry Prunus lusitanica Portugal Laurel Prunus lyonii Catalina Cherry Pyracantha coccinea Firethorn Pyracantha fortunena 'Cherri Berri' Cherri Berri Pyracantha Rhaphiolepis indica India Hawthorne Rhapiolepis umbellata 'Minor' Dwarf Yedda Hawthorne Spirea x bumalda 'Anthony Waterer' Burmalda Spirea Spirea cantoniensis Double Bridal Wreath Spirea vanhouttei Vanhoutte Spirea Berberidaceae
The Barberry Family Berberis thunbergii Japanese Barberry Mahonia aquifolium Oregon Grape Nandina domestica Heavenly Bamboo Myrtaceae The Myrtle Family Callistemon citrinus Lemon Bottlebrush Callistemon viminalis 'Little John' Little John Bottlebrush Chamelaucium uncinatum Geraldton Waxflower Leptospermum laevigatum Australian Tea Tree Leptospermum scoparium New Zealand Tea Tree Luma apiculata Luma Myrtus communis True Myrtle Psidium cattleianum Strawberry Guava Syzygium paniculatum Australian Brush Cherry or Eugenia Ugni molinae Chilean Guava Malvaceae The Mallow Family Abutilon hybridum
Chinese Lanterns Alyogyne huegelii Blue Hibiscus Anisodontea hypomandarum Dwarf Pink Hibiscus or Cape Mallow Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Hibiscus or Rose of China Hibiscus syriacus Rose of Sharon Lavatera assurgentiflora California Tree Mallow Abelia x grandiflora Glossy Abelia Acuba japonica Japanese Acuba Brunfelsia pauciflora 'Floribunda' Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow Buddleia davidii Butterfly Bush Buxus microphylla 'Japonica' Japanese Boxwood Camellia japonica Camellia Camellia sasanqua Sasanqua Camellia Carissa macrocarpa Natal Plum Choisya ternata Mexican Orange Coleonema album White Breath of Heaven Coleonema pulchrum Pink Breath of Heaven Coprosma repens Mirror Plant Daphne odora Winter Daphne Dizygotheca elegantissima Threadleaf Aralia Dodonaea viscosa 'Purpurea' Purple Hop Seed Bush Eleagnus pungens Silverberry Equisetum hyemale Horsetail Reed
