Poppies

Matilija Poppy

Romneya coulteri

California Native Succulents

Dudleya “Frank Reinelt” is a coastal variety of D. caespitosa, so you know it will grow well for you, assuming you are coastal too, since we are the Bay Area, so named after the coastal feature that defines it.

Monkey Hand Tree

X Chiranthofremontia

Common Name: Monkey Hand Tree

Origin: California

Hybrid: Chiranthodendron pentadactylon X Fremontodendron “Pacific Sunset”

Large, broad, showy intergenic hybrid. If provided space in a garden, this centerpiece plant will be covered in golden flowers in spring. No water once established.
Characteristics:

Temperature: Hardy to 25°F

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Low; Summer Drought

Size: 15ft. to 20ft.

Monkey Hand Tree

X Chiranthofremontia

Common Name: Monkey Hand Tree

Origin: California

Hybrid: Chiranthodendron pentadactylon X Fremontodendron “Pacific Sunset”

Large, broad, showy intergenic hybrid. If provided space in a garden, this centerpiece plant will be covered in golden flowers in spring. No water once established.
Characteristics:

Temperature: Hardy to 25°F

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Low; Summer Drought

Size: 15ft. to 20ft.

California Lilac

The Ceanothus are blooming – nice regular winter rains, not too cold. California Lilacs for Everyone!

Ceanothus “Cynthia Postan”
California Lilac
California

Evergreen Shrub
Small glossy dark green leaves and medium blue flowers sweetly scented in spring. Slow growing. Handles clay soils.

Hardy to 10F
Full Sun
6-8 ft.

Dudleyas for Everyone!

Hi Peter

I was at Cactus Jungle this morning – here is a picture of my succulent that is unidentified. It has been in the ground three years in full sun has not grown much in that time. Looks like a chrysanthemum.

Thank you Hortensia

Hortensia,

That’s a Dudleya. We do have those here at the store, out on the floor, but they do not have as much red on the tips as in the photo. It is a very slow growing succulent that forms only small clumps.

Peter

Summer Cactus Flower

It’s a cholla in full bloom! Well, it’s a single cholla flower. At least! Maybe I could zoom out and we’d see if there are more flowers.

And it’s a California native cactus too.

Cylindropuntia fulgida

Chain-Fruit Cholla, Boxing glove Cholla

Origin: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Baja California

Medium height tree cholla, to 6ft tall. Flowers in summer.

Hardy to 5F.

 

California Beavertail Cactus 

Opuntia basilaris 

Classic blue cactus from the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Very low water, can handle high heat and winter cold if dry. Pink flowers. Loads of small glochids, very few spines. Will get 2 to 3 feet tall and spread 6 to 8 feet wide over time. Pads were used medicinally.

Temperature: Hardy to 0F if very dry

Fingertips

image

Dudleya edulis
Fingertips

Clumping rosettes to 12″, green in shade, SoCal native

Hardy to 15F
Full Sun to Part Sun
Cactus Soil
Low Water

Butterfly Milkweed

image

Asclepias tuberosa
Butterfly Milkweed
Native throughout the US
Herbaceous Perennial

Sun: Prefers Full Sun, Handles Light Shade
Water: Moderate, drought-tolerant
Size: 2 feet tall

Dies back in winter and re-sprouts from its underground tuber each spring. The brilliant orange or red flower clusters appear in midsummer followed by attractive green pods.

Ocotillo

image

Fouquieria splendens in mid summer bloom!

From the Mojave and Colorado deserts; spiny stems. Hardy to 0F in very fast draining soil.

Indian Mallow

abutilon_palmeri4

Abutilon palmeri – Indian Mallow

California Native/Southwestern US
Evergreen desert shrub

Sun: Full Sun
Water: Low
Size: 3 to 6 feet

Very heat-tolerant. Fuzzy gray leaves, orange poppy flowers. An astounding addition to any drought-tolerant or native-plant garden. Hardy to 25F.

California Native Flowers in Berkeley

Mimulus Georgie Orange

Mimulus “Georgie Tangerine” on 4th Street in Berkeley

I can’t actually confirm the ID of the cultivar, but I’m pretty sure. Embiggen the photo if you want to look a bit closer yourself and let me know what you think. Maybe it’s M. “Curious Orange”?

California Native Plants for the Garden

image

It’s Gaura lindheimeri on the streets of Sydney. Australia!

Gaura lindheimeri – Appleblossom Grass
Native to California
Perennial

Sun: Full Sun
Water: Low
Size: 2-3 feet

Wispy, upright perennial. The stalkless leaves and flowers grow directly on the stems. White flowers with a hint of pink bloom in the spring through fall. Cut back flower stalks for repeat bloom.

White Succulents

image

Dudleya farinosa is normally a pretty green California native succulent, coastal northern California the  best more interesting about it. But the Noyo River form is white white white. This is also northern California Coastal, but almost all the way to Fort Bragg.

Giant Chalk Dudleya

image

 
Dudleya brittonii
Baja California
 
18″ rosettes on single stems with chalky leaves. Looks best if dry through the summer months – avoid overhead watering.
 
Hardy to 20F 
Full Sun to Part Sun
Cactus Soil
Low Water

Monkeyflower

image

Mimulus “Jelly Bean Terra Cotta”
 
California Hybrid
Evergreen Perennial

Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water: Low
Size: Shrub to 2ft.

Deep reddish-orange flowers will bloom year round.  Deer resistant.  Hardy to about 20°F.

Sticky Monkeyflower

image

Mimulus aurantiacus
 
California Native
Evergreen Perennial

Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water: Low
Size: Shrub to 3ft.

Commonly found growing wild on California hillsides. Orange flowers appear sporadically throughout the year. Much more drought tolerant than other mimulus. Deer resistant. Hardy to 25°F.

Flannel Bush

image

Fremontodendron “Ken Taylor” – Flannel Bush
Native to California
Evergreen shrub

Sun: Full Sun
Water: Summer-drought
Size: 6’ t. x 10’w.

Perfect for sunny dry areas. Blooms spring and summer – golden yellow/orange. Rich mass of thick thick green leaves.

 

Palmer's Bush Mallow

image

Malacothamnus palmeri

California Native
Evergreen Shrub

Sun: Full to Part Sun
Water: Low once established
Size: Bushy, erect stems to 6 feet

Vibrant green foliage year-round gives to small bright pink flowers throughout the summer. Coastal native (Big Sur Area). Butterfly plant. Hardy to 10F.

 

Apricot Monkeyflower

mimulus_esselen_apricot_monkeyflower

Mimulus “Esselen” – Santa Lucia Monkeyflower

California Native
Evergreen Perennial

Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water: Low
Size: 2ft.

Compact shrub with glossy green leaves and bright orange flowers in spring and summer. Great for coastal gardens. Attracts hummingbirds and is a host plant for the Checkerspot butterfly. Deer resistant. Hardy to 20F.

California Succulents

The Dudleyas are always a crowd-pleaser, what with the small chalky leaves and green leaves and long bloom spikes with pale small flowers too.

dudleya_anomala

Dudleya anomala is our newest member of the California native Sea-Lettuce family. I wonder how it got a strange name like that? This one is pretty reliably green and doesn’t get too red in sun. Where in California is it from? Why its from Baja California.

Tight clusters of green rosettes with slightly red tips in full sun. White flowers on long bloom stalks.

  • Hardy to 25F
  • Full Sun to Part Shade
  • Cactus Soil
  • Low Water

dudleya_brittonii8

Dudleya brittonii is the classic Giant Chalk Dudleya, also from Baja California.

18″ rosettes on single stems with chalky leaves. Looks best if dry through the summer months – avoid overhead watering.

  • Hardy to 20F
  • Full Sun to Part Sun
  • Cactus Soil
  • Low Water

dudleya_farinosa6

Finally we have the very red Dudleya farinosa – Sea Lettuce, our own Northern California coastal succulent.

  • Hardy to 20F
  • Full Sun to Part Sun
  • Cactus Soil
  • Low Water

Sunrise Yarrow

achillea_sunrise

Achillea millefolium “Sunrise” – Yarrow

Hybrid from California Native
Herbaceous Perennial

Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water: Low to Moderate
Size: Fern-like foliage to 2ft.

Golden yellow flowers with a touch of pink in Spring/Summer. Remove spent flowers for a late summer rebloom. Cut flowers last a long time, look great dried. Attracts Butterflies. Hardy to below 0°F.

Western Redbud

cercis_occidentalis_blooms4

Cercis occidentalis
Western Redbud

Southwestern US/California Native
Evergreen tree

Sun: Full to Partial
Water: Winter rain, summer drought
Size: 20ft.

Careful not to disturb roots when transplanting. Magenta flowers in Spring. From rocky soils at foothills. Bright green kidney-shaped leaves.

Dudleya Questions

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Dudleya brittonii, the Giant Chalk Dudleya from Baja California. Now don’t argue with me here – I have an answer for any objections you might have to my answer below.

Q: How do you differentiate between a dudleya and a echeveria?

Mary
(via Instagram)

Mary-

They are very closely related! But Dudleyas are California native and summer dormant, while Echeverias are Mexican and winter dormant. Also Echeveria flowers are more brightly colored.

Peter

Pt. Reyes Succulents

Rikki and Jordan went hiking yesterday and found some very photogenic succulents.

Dudleya farinosa Pt Reyes

Dudleya farinosa is the most common of the local native Sea Lettuces. Still, the plants are small and often found in rocky crevices, so look for them!

Dudleya farinosa

Thanks Rikki!

 

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