I was just discussing alliums with my sister, Donna, a few days ago and now I seem to be seeing them everywhere. Here are a few Los Angeles friendly albums we could be growing in our gardens. — Douglas Fall bulb catalogs are sweetened with alluring eye candy, including those lollipop-shaped alliums. Their large, […]
Interesting Plant: Clematis x cartmanii ‘Avalanche’ (White Evergreen Clematis) I came across this while browsing /r/gardening on Reddit and love the look immediately. I don’t see many clematis here in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. I am guessing it is probably too hot and dry for most varieties but I would like to […]
Interesting Plant: California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum) By Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the comments! Epilobium canum, also known as California fuchsia or Zauschneria, is a species of willowherb in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae).[1] It is native to dry slopes and in chaparral of western North America, especially California. It is a perennial plant, notable […]
Interesting Plant: Heuchera rubescens By Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the comments! Alumroot. A perennial with small, grape-like leaves, only 3″ high, shade to part shade, garden conditions, good with small ferns in shady rock gardens. Heuchera rubescens is a tough plant. […]
Interesting Plant: Alpine Strawberries (Fragaria vesca) We are always looking for more food items to grow, even here in our somewhat shady garden, so when I saw these strawberries they intrigued me. While we have a few pots of hybrid strawberries, I wonder if these might not be a better choice for our particular conditions. […]
Butterfly Mint Bush (Monardella subglabra) What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the comments! Monardella subglabra, Butterfly Mint Bush, is a one foot tall perennial covered with one inch purple flowers in Jun-Jul. Butterfly Mint bush has a mint odor but much less than many others. Native to the Central […]
Interesting Plant: Cupressus cashmeriana I really like the weeping habit of this cypress. At around 40’ tall it is a bit too large for my garden but I could easily see it being a focal point of a larger garden. — Douglas What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the […]
Interesting Plant: Shinyleaf Mahonia/California Barberry (Mahonia pinnata) By Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the comments! Mahonia pinnata (syn. Berberis pinnata) is a species of shrub in the barberry family. Common names include California barberry, wavyleaf barberry, and shinyleaf mahonia. It is similar to the Oregon-grape (Mahonia aquifolium), and is sometimes called the California […]
Interesting Plant: Orange Honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa) By Walter Siegmund – Own work, CC BY 2.5, Link What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the comments! Lonicera ciliosa (orange honeysuckle or western trumpet honeysuckle) is a honeysuckle native to forests of western North America. A deciduous shrub growing to 6 m (20 ft) tall with hollow twigs, the leaves are opposite, oval, 4–10 cm (1.6–3.9 in) […]
Interesting Plant: Wallaces Pitcher Plant (Lepechinia fragrans) By Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the comments! Lepechinia fragrans is endemic to California. It is found in open areas in chaparral, in dry ravines, on rocky slopes and ridgetops, between 60 and 1100 meters. It is known in the […]
