Native Gardener’s Corner-Member’s Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

Submitted by guest author Dan Songster.

This column is a regular feature offering OCCNPS chapter members and local experts a chance to briefly share information on many things related to gardening with natives. Our question for this month:

“We often give praise for plants that flower during the summer months, but what are your favorite native plants that stay green throughout the hot and dry summer months?”

Elizabeth Wallace-“My favorite summer evergreen native plants are Wooly Blue Curls, Toyons, and shady Coast Live Oak trees.”

Tom Betts Aranda-“The first thing that comes to mind when I think of evergreen plants in summer are Ceanothus and Arctostaphylos. They fill the space and add extra interest with green shiny leaves and beautiful bark and structure.”

Leon Baginski-“Coffeeberry is right up there–it’s especially nice to see caterpillars of the pale swallowtail butterfly munching away starting now and lasting through the summer.”

Ron Vanderhoff-“I am continually amazed how ANY native plant can keep its leaves, stay green, and sometimes even flower, during six months of absolutely no water and 80 to 90 degree days. Dry every day. Amazing! My nomination for a great looking and hugely adaptable summer plant are the many selections of Rhamnus californica: California coffeeberry. Best in a little light shade and with an occasional summer splash, but there are selections anywhere from super compact three foot mounds to eight to ten foot large screening shrubs. Always handsome and easy to grow too.”

Lori Reznick-“The very popular Ceanothus ‘Yankee Point’ is beautiful with deep green, glossy leaves year-round. Ours has been in place for many years. We give it plenty of room to spread (6-10’)! 

Calscape says, “Yankee Point is a very garden tolerant spreading groundcover, with glossy green leaves and blue flowers…It is a horticultural selection of cuttings of Ceanothus griseus horizontalis from Yankee Point on the central California coast just south of Carmel.”

Amy Litton-“This is easy as I’m sitting at the computer by a window – the green I see is Basket Bush (Rhus trilobata now named Rhus aromatica) and Spiny Rush (Juncus acutus). Old and trusty, I presume they harbor all kinds of mysteries. Their color and form have delighted me for years.”

Mark Sugars-“During my four years working on Cuesta Kato, Back To Natives’ restoration site in Dana Point, I acquired a considerable respect for Isocoma menziesii, which grows there; it thrives in harsh conditions, in a variety of soils, and is in bloom for a long time. It may be semi-deciduous in the wild, but it’s evergreen in my own yard.  Yes, it needs regular pruning, and it doesn’t belong in every native garden, but in my opinion is currently under-utilized, considering how easy it is to make a dense hedge of it. Other than Menzies’ Goldenbush, my favorite natives for enduring summer verdure are the usual suspects: Heteromeles arbutifolia, Rhus integrifolia, Malosma laurina, Vitis girdiana and our local Ceanothus species.”

Ed Kimball-“Calliandra californica (Red Fairyduster) and Constancea nevinii (Nevin’s Woolly Sunflower) are two of my summer favorites.”

Rama Nayeri-“My favorite native plant of all time is the Gambelia juncea ‘Gran Canon’ – Baja Bush Snapdragon.  In my garden I have five in pots that thrive in a mixture of full sun to mostly shade.”

Nancy Harris-“My Aster chilensis is summer green with tiny clumps of lavender daisies with yellow centers. It is blooming now and rambling through the yard, I use it as a ground cover.” 

Dan Songster-“I considered Coffeeberry (Frangula californica), a lovely dark green plant that will live and thrive in most soils, and in clay soil too. California buckwheat also came to mind: Evergreen and tough as nails–perhaps the single most impressive plant on slopes, and a wonder for pollinators, too. I mulled over Lemonadeberry, Sugarbush, and Toyon–and they are great, (though fairly large unless pruned) as well as Verbena lilacina, Ceanothus, Baccharis, and more.

But my absolute favorite summer “foliage” native is Quercus agrifolia, our own Coast Live Oak. What a wonderful plant. Read the Plant of the Month article in the OCCNPS July newsletter to learn more about it and why I am in love with this tree! 

Our question for the coming September newsletter is: “As planting season arrives, what tips do you have regarding successful planting of our native plants in your garden?”

Email your responses to Dan Songster at songster@cox.net. Please attempt to keep replies brief so we can include most of the responses!