Evergreen Perennial Groundcover
Silver foliage mounds up in tufts with flower stalks to 3ft tall. Woody branches, spreads wide. Deer resistant. Can handle sandy soils and clay soils. Grows well near the coast.
Full to Part Sun
Artemisia viridis “Tiny Green”
Tiny groundcover that can handle light traffic. Very green leaves turn bronze with sun. Great for borders, rock gardens, between paving stones, or anywhere that needs a little extra texture. Yellow button flowers.
Artemisia “Leprechaun”
A. arbrotanum “Leprechaun”
Semi-Evergreen Perennial
Upright stems in a mounding habit, or can form a short hedge. Very green leaves, strong fragrance. Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Rabbit Resistant.
Asclepias fruticosus
Gomphocarpus fruticosus
Perennial
Butterflies. Deer-resistant. Star-shaped flowers. Round pendant seedpods.
Asclepias physocarpa
Gomphocarpus physocarpus
Perennial
Monarch butterfly host. Large, round pendant seedpods.
Aster “Wartburg Star”
Evergreen perennial
Lavender flower with yellow center, produces huge number of flowers through the summer. Easy to grow, great for cut flowers.
Aster chilensis “Purple Haze”
Semi-evergreen perennial, drought deciduous
Showy deep-purple blossoms are attractive to butterflies. Grows on dry banks and grassy fields to 5000 ft. Violet flower with yellow center.
Banksia blechnifolia
Evergreen
Low tothe ground, leaves arch outward and appear like fern leaves. Giant red cone flowers at the ground level in spring. Serrated leaves come in rusty brown and turn green with age. Drought tolerant, but a little extra water when hot will increase growth.
Banksia coccinea
Evergreen Shrub
Great for cut flowers. A compact upright shrub with impressive large scarlet flower cones. Mediterranean climate plant – keep dry in summer.
Banksia marginata “Mini Marg”
Evergreen Shrub
Dense, rounded shrub, dark green foliage shows silver underneath, topped with stunning displays of orange-yellow flowers on cone shaped flower spikes in summer and fall.
Banksia menziesii
Evergreen Shrub
Great for cut flowers. A compact upright shrub with large maroon and yellow flower cones. Twisted trunk with thick bark. Coastal native, Mediterranean climate plant – keep dry in summer.
Banksia serrata
Evergreen Tree
Can grow tall if kept in perfect conditions but generally will stay smaller with hard growing. Very large creamy-pink flower spikes. Coastal native, Mediterranean climate plant – keep dry in summer. Can handle sandy soils, doesn’t like clay.
Bauhinia lunarioides
Semi-deciduous shrub
Dainty slow growing small tree with an open growth habit and cute bi-lobed leaves. Small white flowers in late Spring through early Summer.
Bouteloua gracilis “Blonde Ambition”
Evergreen Bunch Grass
Tufted perennial grass with grey-green leaves. Gorgeous blonde blooms through the summer.
Brachychiton populneus
Evergreen tree
Bottle Tree. Attractive green, lance-shaped leaves. At maturity, has a tapered trunk and dome-shaped canopy. White flowers in late spring to early summer.
Buddleia “Buzz Hot Raspberry”
Evergreen Perennial
Dwarf shrub with compact habit. Perfect for patio containers and small garden centerpieces. In summer graceful tapering spikes of fragrant flowers. Prune back each year.
Buddleia “Silver Anniversary”
Perennial Shrub
Small white and yellow flower clusters in early spring. Soft silver-grey leaves. Cut back hard in early spring to keep plant compact, or let grow shrubby to 5 feet tall and eventually taller.
Butia capitata
Palm Tree
Silver-blue leaves, compact stout palm with wide spreading arching fronds. Cold hardy, but prefers a warm spot in summer.
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Semi-evergreen Tree
Small vase-shaped tree with bright yellow and orange flowers year-round. Low maintenance and drought tolerant. Deciduous below 25F.
Ceanothus “Centennial”
Evergreen Shrub
Low mounding shrub with arching branches and clusters of lavender blooms in late winter to early spring. Excellent for coastal gardens, provide afternoon shade inland.
Ceanothus “Cliff Schmidt”
Evergreen Shrub
Native to the Channel Islands, great for coastal gardens. Clusters of blue flowers in spring, reblooms in fall along the coast. Can be pruned into a small tree. Tolerates clay soils.
Ceanothus “Diamond Heights”
Evergreen Shrub
Variegated yellow and green foliage all year round. Flowers in spring with pale blue blooms. Beautiful groundcover, provides a pop of color in the garden.
Ceanothus “Emily Brown”
C. gloriosus v. exaltatus “Emily Brown”
Evergreen shrub
Low-spreading shrub with rich dark green leaves, dark blue blooms in spring. Edible seeds are favored by native birds. Deer-resistant, cold-hardy, doesn’t like temps over 100F.
Ceanothus “Heart’s Desire”
C. gloriosus “Heart’s Desire”
Evergreen shrub
Wild variety found North of Pt. Reyes. Will tolerate clay soils and heat over 100° with some summer irrigation. Good border plant and along sidewalk strips. Deer-resistant.
Ceanothus “Joyce Coulter”
Evergreen shrub
Fast growing, mounding shrub with dark green leaves. Medium blue flower clusters in late spring. Full sun in coastal gardens.
Ceanothus “Kurt Zadnik”
C. griseus “Kurt Zadnik”
Evergreen shrub
Cultivated in Berkeley at the UC Botanic Garden from a plant found in Sonoma. A prolific bloomer with rich dark blue flowers. Edible seeds are favored by native mockingbirds and others.
Ceanothus “Tassajara Blue”
Evergreen shrub
Hybrid California Lilac with glossy deep green leaves, blue flowers in late spring to early summer. Makes a great hedge plant.
Ceanothus gloriosus
Evergreen groundcover
Low-spreading shrub with rich dark green leaves, light lilac blooms in spring. Edible seeds are favored by native birds. great for Coastal locations. Deer-resistant, cold-hardy, doesn’t like temps over 100F.
Cercis occidentalis
Evergreen tree
Careful not to disturb roots when transplanting. Magenta flowers in Spring. From rocky soils at foothills. Bright green kidney-shaped leaves.
Convolvulus “Snow Angel”
Evergreen perennial
This low-growing evergreen bush has a compact form dense with shimmering silver-green leaves and beautiful white flowers blooming spring through fall.