The Plant Lady: Put some California color in your garden as spring blooms peak

California natives are reaching their peak bloom this time of year, enticing many people to add to their garden. There are numerous reasons to incorporate native plants into your garden, including encouraging native insect and animal habitats, reducing invasive species and the simple fact that California contains countless glorious plants. Careful though, just because a plant is labeled a California native does not mean it will do well in our climate (USDA Zone 9). For example, a fern native to the wet northern forests of Humboldt County will not be happy in our central valley summer.

Surprising to many, it is not the drought of summer that kills most natives – it’s actually the wet winters. Many of these plants are adapted to extremely well-draining soils, and if they have any standing water or extra moisture they can quickly succumb to stress and disease. Amending soils with red lava fines or planting on a mound helps combat this. Additionally, choosing plants that are more tolerant of winter moisture will help prevent excessive plant loss. Below are just a few of many natives that should be considered as options when it comes time to plant.

Penstemon heterophyllus ~ Margarita BOP

This plant is a true eye-catcher. Reaching only 2-feet tall and wide, this low mounding native is known for its long bloom period of strikingly blue-purple tubular flowers. Maintenance is low, as it requires only light pruning to keep flowers all season long. Hummingbird moths, carpenter bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators are frequent visitors to these flowers. I recommend mixing with California poppies for a big showstopper. Full sun is best.

Salvia clevelandii ~ Winifred gilman

If you are looking for a larger shrub to fill an area of your garden, this may be it. This Salvia gets to be about 4-feet tall and wide. The tall flower clusters are very showy thanks to their red stems, violet flowers and pinkish outer whorls (calyx). The flowers last about a month but the fragrance of the entire plant is a nice accent to any garden. Prune lightly in fall to keep tidy. Full sun and great drainage is essential.

Verbena lilacina ‘De La Mina’ ~ Lilac verbena

This plant is gaining popularity and I understand why. It has a very long bloom period (spring through fall) and is extremely tidy and compact (roughly 2 feet by 3 feet). The lavender flowers are great for attracting butterflies. Plant in a full sun or an afternoon shade location.

Salvia spathaceae ~ Hummingbird sage

There is a reason this plant is in all native gardens and planting lists. It is reliable, beautiful and it takes dry shade! It isn’t the most tidy of plants, as it sprawls and spreads. The abundance of large magenta flower spikes throughout the season makes it worth growing –and also makes it a hummingbird magnet. To keep it tidier, a heavy pruning and clean up every few years will help. It is great for meandering amongst larger shrubs and even under oaks.

Heteromeles arbutifolia ~ Toyon

If a large hedge is what you need, then instead of Oleander/Photinia, I recommend Toyon. They are not quite as tall as the former (8 to 15 feet high), but they are evergreen and relatively easy to grow with a nice showing of white spring flowers. In the fall and winter, if they haven’t been sheared, the red berries ferment and are eaten by birds. They can make the birds a bit drunk, but the effect is short-lived. My last property had a hedge of these along the drainage canal – they can handle heavier soils better than a lot of natives. Davis Gold is a yellow-berried hybrid that is quite striking.

Ceanothus ~ California Lilac

Ceanothus is another plant that is rarely left out of a native garden. Having said that – I almost left it off of this list. Why? Many are very short-lived in heavier central valley soils. On my previous property I lost five plants across five different areas during the same year. These plants were roughly 7 years old and died coming out of a wet winter – even though the soil was amended and raised. They are beautiful, relatively quick-growing and can survive years, but it can be a bit upsetting when a large shrub dies suddenly. To help avoid this, take the time to work the soil and site select for great drainage. Good choices for hybrids are Ray Hartman and Concha. Ceanothus arboreus is a large species (up to 20 feet) which handles heavy soils a bit better and prefers a bit of afternoon shade.

Cercis occidentalis ~ Western Redbud

This small tree (6 to 20 feet tall) puts on a dramatic show of intense pink flowers in early spring. It’s small size makes it the perfect tree for compact gardens. Specimens can be trained into single-trunked trees or multi-trunked shrubs. Annual fall pruning helps to shape and open the canopy. The seedpods can be considered messy by some people but do add to the winterscape.

If you want more information on native gardens, I highly recommend “California Native Plants for the Garden” by Bornstein, Fross and O’Brien. The Sacramento chapter of the California Native Plant Society is a wealth of knowledge as well. They have plant sales, garden tours, meetings and published information at Sacvalleycnps.org.