It is easy to see why Trichostema Lanatum is so popular to garden fanatics. This unusual plant grows quickly in full sun, requires no water once established and has a long blooming season which attracts hummingbirds, bees and butterflies to the garden. The foot long flower stems are covered with a purple to pink wool from which pretty blue flowers with long curling anthers protrude. The flowers and foliage have a pleasing fragrance.

So it sounds great but growing it is not easy. This plant requires an open habitat where air flow is good. Most important is the drainage which has to be very good. It is easy to kill this plant so be careful not to fertilize and stop watering once summer gets in full swing.

This plant has proven to be temperamental even to experts in California native plants. Trichostema Lanatum grows with spectacular abandon all over the Botanic Gardens at Rancho Santa Ana, yet you’ll seldom find it in their nursery. Seeds are notoriously difficult to germinate and the preferred method of propagation, cuttings, yields a low success rate. It sounds like a lot of trouble but it really is worth it when skill, luck and the right environment all come together and you find yourself with a healthy, thriving plant.

The good people at Las Pilitas Nursery in Santa Margarita are a rare source of abundant specimens. They know a secret and are wisely keeping it to themselves! They often have Woolly Blue Curls available to buy online.

One may occasionally come across hybrid varieties of Trichostema that are more tolerant of garden conditions. In my garden I have one Trichostema Lanatum and also a hybrid of Trichostema Lanatum and an unknown [to me] Mexican Trichostema. The resulting hybrid has similar foliage and structure but the flowers are a lighter purple color.

Fast growing to 7′ or more, Dendromecon Harfordii will do very well in the right spot. That right spot requires good drainage, full to part sun and preferably some shade from the hot afternoon sun if you are not near the coast. Occasional water is ok but best not to fertilize. Growing in a pot might be a wee bit tricky since more frequent water will be needed and a little fertilizer maybe once a year.

Like many plants endemic to the channel islands, this is listed as endangered due to its limited distribution. It isn’t just hard to find in the wild, it’s also tough to find in nurseries although I did notice over the last few months the Theodore Payne Foundation had a lot of them listed in their inventory. Maybe they’ve unlocked the secret to successful propagation?

This plant looks spectacular in bloom. In our wildlife garden I didn’t really notice any animals paying particular attention to Island Bush Poppy but it’s sure to turn heads of the human variety.

This is one of the smaller Buckwheats in our patio garden. It grows to about 1′ tall although the flower stems are often another foot higher. The compact form makes it a good border plant, spreading not much more than 2′ or 3′ wide. In the ground it won’t need much water at all once established. It is just as happy growing in a pot but it will need water there.

Seeds are the most common method of propagation for this Buckwheat but if you are lucky enough to find a specimen with red flowers cuttings may be the best way to perpetuate that quality.

This plant is endemic to California and is listed as endangered.

This fast growing shrub is very drought tolerant with foliage boasting almost succulent-like qualities. Clusters of tiny pink flowers appear from late spring through fall attracting bees and butterflies. Even when not in bloom, the attractive twisting, peeling bark gives this plant year-round interest. Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat needs full sun and very little water once established. It’ll quickly spread up to 5′ wide and the compact structure provides good cover for wildlife.

Our specimen suffered a bit of limb damage in heavy rain and high winds this winter but overall it’s a hardy plant and great for native wildlife.

Like other native sages this plant has distinctly fragrant foliage and whorls of long lasting tiny white flowers that attract all manner of wildlife. Hummingbirds, as one would expect, work this plant frequently but most recently I’ve seen a few different species of Bee spend time collecting pollen. Maybe I’ll try harder with insect identification but for now I’ll go with “wee fuzzy honey bee types” and “big black shiny bee types”, both of which seem non-threatening, haste ye back!

This sage does well in little to no water when planted in the ground but in a pot it’ll be fine with a good drink every couple of weeks. The pretty little white flowers appear in early spring and continue through the summer. A small 1 gallon specimen will grow fast to 4′ by 4′ in one year so it’s great if you are looking to fill space quickly with a valuable wildlife plant.

As the name suggests, reblooming irises are known to produce their spectacular blooms from spring through late fall / early winter. The flower stems shooting up above the thick fanning leaves vary between 2′ and 4′ tall and the large flowers can be 6″ across or sometimes even larger. The available flower colors and combinations is basically unlimited.

The length and reliability of the blooming season can be established when buying your irises. Iris retailers usually have a description for each cultivar which includes the notation “RE”, “RE” or “RE RE“. “RE” means the plant should rebloom in fall / winter. “RE” means the plant is a very dependable rebloomer and “RE RE” means this plant should bloom for most of the year.

In my patio garden I have three Tall Bearded Reblooming Irises from the Matilija Nursery in Moorpark, CA. “Splash O’ Wine” (RE RE) was the first to flower. You’ll see that in the gallery. I also have “Comanche Drums” (RE) and “Return to Sender” (RE RE).

This California native requires occasional to moderate water in the summer. It will reach a height of no more than 3′ tall, 1′ to 2′ wide. I’m told on average this perennial only lives for 2 or 3 years in the garden, so it’s performance will help me decide if I want to replace like with like.

** Update **

Aquilegia Formosa typically flowers in the Spring. It’s never a bad time to see a splash of color in the garden and a confused Western Columbine is as good a source as any. I’m acutally over the moon to see blooms on this plant. I grew this specimen from seed, starting it out 18 months or so ago. Back when I was first learning about California native plants this was one that really jumped out at me simply due to those gorgeous flowers. To see it blooming now and enjoying the rain brings a nice bit of Christmas cheer to the garden.

I’m told in spite of it blooming now there should be a new round of flowers on this plant again in the spring.

California Bush Sunflower can grow quickly to 4′ tall with a similar spread. The fragrant flowers are attractive to butterflies and bees and your local bird population will enjoy the seeds should you choose to let those develop.

Like other manzanitas Pacific Mist produces pretty urn-shaped flowers. On this variety they are white and appear in winter. That should keep the hummingbirds happy while they wait for spring and its explosion of color. Pacific Mist Manzanita grows well in a planter with good drainage and some protection inland from afternoon sun.

In favorable conditions Penstemon Spectabilis is fast growing and long lived. It can grow is tall as 4′ with a similar spread. This drought tolerant California native is very sensitive to moisture so one must be careful not to overwater. The symptoms of overwatering and underwatering are unfortunately very similar to each other so you may go through a few specimens before you figure out how best to look after this plant. Don’t get disheartened though, the results are well worth the extra effort.