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

This column was compiled by guest author Dan Songster. He asked chapter members and local experts to briefly share their experience gardening with natives. Dan queried local experts, asking

“Which natives do you love AND find do well through most summers, without too much additional water?”

Leon Baginski-“Oenothera elata ssp. hookeri (Hooker’s Evening Primrose) is perfect.  It throws out copious large yellow flowers all summer long if you water it sufficiently in the winter and spring and with a stitch of water during the summer it can bloom all the way into the late fall. Sadly, it is a biennial so you have to start fresh every couple of years or stagger plantings so that you can get blooms every year.”

Sarah Jayne-“I love all my small trees and shrubs–Scrub Oaks, Toyon, Redbud, Summer Holly, and California Bay Laurel –and they don’t me give a care all summer. But if I have to choose one as my all-time favorite, it would be Lemonadeberry–for its endurance and amazing versatility.”

Rama Nayeri-“My favorites include Siskyou Blue Fescue, Yankee Point Ceanothus, and Gambelia Juncea ‘Gran Canon’.”

Greg Rubin-“Local species of Manzanita are pretty tough once established, and hold up better appearance wise. Any of our local natives will survive once fully established but may have a hard summer dormancy. Oh, and the ants often spell the difference – controlling them means the roots/fungi will be able to function at full beneficial capacity.”

Jennifer Beatty-“My evergreen plants do well in summer including a very large Ceanothus spinosus, much smaller Ceanothus maritimus ‘Valley Violet’, and a few unknown Ceanothus volunteers. Also Ribes viburnifolium (Evergreen Currant), a large but easily pruned Rhus integrifolia (Lemonadeberry), a hummingbird and bee-attracting Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea), Artemesia californica (California Sagebrush), Baccharis pilularis and Baccharis ‘Pigeon Point’. Of course, there are several different buckwheats, Salvia mellifera (Black Sage), and Symphytotrichum chilense (Pacific Aster) that do well. We’re about five miles from the coast, so overhead water spraying the yard a couple times a month with a hose in the cooler hours (evening to morning) seems to work for our garden location.”

Bob Allen-“For me, buckwheats are the ticket. They do best without additional water. Plus, gophers don’t eat buckwheats, but they sure like my neighbors’ lawns! My favorite, Eriogonum arborescens, Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat, is very easy to care for and looks great.”

Lori Whalen-“California Buckwheat, Cleveland Sage, and Bladderpod are my go to plants. Once established, I never water them, and they thrive all summer long in my Costa Mesa yard. They’re tough, beautiful, and great for pollinators too. Can’t recommend them enough!”

Alan Lindsay-“At the top of my list is the Island Hazardia (H. detonsa). When in bloom the hummingbirds won’t leave it alone, even though the Asteraceae flower is a bit odd. Then comes the Santa Cruz Island Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus  ssp. aspleniifolius) and after it the Island Oaks: Quercus pacifica and Quercus tomentella. All of these get watered every other month, if that, but when I do water, I use an MP Rotator sprinkler and leave it running for hours for a deep soak.”

Stephanie Pacheco-“Without any water, I love all the flowering Buckwheats and of course Lemonadeberry as beautiful evergreen plants. The Toyons have their white flowers, getting ready to fruit towards winter and I still see some flowers on Salvia’s, Indian Mallow and Bladderpods. Trees like Torrey Pines , Tecate Cypress, Coffeeberries, and bushes like Laurel Sumac are always lovely.” 

Dan Songster-“Well, I currently have a dense and lovely ‘Dana Point’ Buckwheat hedge at home that needs nothing and blooms well and stays green through the summer’s heat. California Fuchsia (Epilobium sp.) are tough and have great red flowers the hummingbirds love. For a fairly big and bold plant, what about Saint Catherine’s Lace? Quick growing and such big umbels of flowers lasting so long. Of course, I also find all of the Asters in the Happlopappus, Ericameria, Isacoma, and Grindelia genera rewarding, since they bloom fiercely in the hot summer sun with no water (and attract so many pollinators!).”

Do you have evergreen summer native plants that don’t require much supplemental water that you especially enjoy? Send a reply and share your experience.

Our question for the coming September/October 2025 Newsletter is:

“With prime native planting time almost here, what plants are you looking to incorporate into your garden this year?”

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