Evergreen shrub
White flowers in Summer. Bright red berries in fall are attractive to birds. Can be pruned to tree shape, but will need to be cleaned regularly. Plant under shade of native oaks, or in full sun at coast.
Low, summer-drought
Ixia viridiflora
Deciduous Bulb
Small bulb with tall bloom stalks and lots of vibrant blue flowers. Winter-growing, flowers in spring followed by summer-dormant. Prefers sandy soils.
Leymus “Canyon Prince”
Turf Grass
Blue-grey, evergreen, running, mat-forming grass thrives on seasonal winter rains. Avoid regular summer irrigation or the grass will flop over.
Marrubium “All Hallows Green”
M. bourgaei “All Hallows Green”
Evergreen perennial
Short shrub spreads many feet wide and makes an excellent border. Lime green leaves, round and textured, send up cream colored flowers in spring and fall.
Muhlenbergia rigens
Semi-Evergreen Grass
Deer resistant. Whip-like blooms to 5 feet tall. A stunning vertical accent especially when back-lit by autumn sun. Used in basketry.
Myrica californica
Evergreen shrub
Purple-ish, single-seeded berries coated with a white wax. The leaves are extemely fragrant when crushed, also known as bayberry – used for various medicinal preparations.
Olea “Little Ollie”
O. europaea “Little Ollie”
Evergreen tree
Dwarf non-fruiting olive, multi-stemmed, with dark green leaves. Excellent for hedges and marine exposures.
Olea “Manzanillo”
O. europaea “Manzanillo”
Evergreen tree
Cultivated for edible fruit. The epitome of a Mediterranean climate plant – loves the San Francisco Bay Area. Picturesque shade tree with grey leaves.
Olea “Montra”
O. europaea “Montra”
Evergreen tree
Bushy multi-stemmed small tree. Fruitless. Closely spaced grey-green leaves. Great for small yards. The epitome of a Mediterranean climate plant for the Bay Area.
Olea “Skylark”
O. europaea “Skylark”
Evergreen tree
Compact, multi-trunked small tree. Small fruit some years. Closely spaced grey-green leaves. Great for small yards. The epitome of a Mediterranean climate plant for the Bay Area.
Olea “Wilsonii”
O. europaea “Wilsonii”
Evergreen tree
Cultivated to be fruitless. The epitome of a Mediterranean climate plant – loves the San francisco Bay Area. Picturesque shade tree with grey leaves, and no fruit dropping – “a clean plant.”
Olea europaea ssp. africana
Evergreen tree
Pea-sized black fruit. Picturesque shade tree with glossy dark green leaves, brown on the undersides.
Parkinsonia aculeata
Evergreen tree
Gracefully arcing canopy, spiny branches atop a short trunk, covered in bright yellow flowers in spring.
Parkinsonia X “Desert Museum”
Cercidium “Desert Museum”
P. microphylla x P. florida x P. aculeata
Semi-Evergreen tree
Gracefully arcing canopy, thornless branches atop a short trunk, tiny leaves, covered in bright yellow flowers in spring.
Restio multiflorus
Evergreen Feather-Reed
“The sparsely branched bloom stalks rise like a fountain out of a mass of finely branched, bright green stems.”
Restio quadratus
Evergreen Feather-Reed
Young, soft, feathery stems with dark green foliage mature to thick, square branches. Small white flowers. Plant at beginning of rainy season.
Salvia “Point Sal”
S. leucophylla “Point Sal”
Evergreen perennial/shrub
Low growing, but wide spreading. Deer resistant, attracts butterflies, fragrant flowers.
x Chiranthofremontia
Chiranthodendron pentadactylon X Fremontodendron “Pacific Sunset”
Evergreen shrub
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.