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Ribes speciosum  fuchsia-flowered gooseberry
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Ribes speciosum

(fuchsia-flowered gooseberry)

One of California’s showiest gooseberry, blooming in late winter - early spring with charming bright red, pendant, fuchsia-like flowers. The thorny branches are arching and grow 4 - 6 ft. tall and wide. Best with light shade and needs no irrigation once established. Occasional summer water keeps most of the leaves green through the summer, but will go summer dormant with dry conditions. An excellent choice for under native oaks. The flowers attract hummingbirds and the spiny fruits attract many birds including grosbeak and mockingbirds. Deer resistant.
Ribes viburnifolium  Catalina perfume
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Ribes viburnifolium

(Catalina perfume)

Native to Santa Catalina Island, this Ribes is unique for the genus, being evergreen and low growing. Leathery, dark green, glossy leaves with a spicy fragrance on red stems forms a spreading shrubby groundcover to 2- 3 ft. tall. Small clusters of interesting star-shaped maroon flowers decorate the arching branches in late winter to early spring. Requires part shade and is drought tolerant once established. Adaptable to a variety of soil types including heavy clay. Tip pruning is recommended to encourage a dense growth habit. Deer resistant.
Ribes x gordonianum  currant
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Ribes x gordonianum

(currant)

A special hybrid flowering currant created in England by Donald Beaton in 1837 between our western U.S. Ribes sanguineum and the central U.S. Ribes odoratum. The fragrant flowers hang in dense dangling clusters in late spring and produce a dazzling color display with warm coppery red on the outside and yellow on the inside. The green maple-like leaves are deciduous.  Robust and spreading, this currant grows to about 6 ft. tall and 8 ft. wide.  Provide full sun to light shade and give moderate water.  
Romneya coulteri  matilija poppy
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Romneya coulteri

(matilija poppy)

A much admired, spectacular, shrub-like perennial, with a long history in cultivation. Can be both finicky to get going and extremely vigorous once established. The large flowers are made up of crinkly, crape paper-like, white petals with a shaft of yellow stamens in the center, at the top of long, gray-foliaged stems. Plant where its size and spreading won't be a problem and prune severely in winter. Height 4 -8 feet. Full sun. Drought and deer tolerant.
Rosa californica  California wild rose
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Rosa californica

(California wild rose)

A thicket forming, deciduous shrub native to riparian zones throughout the state. Fragrant, pink blossoms with yellow centers are followed by attractive red fruits or rosehips. Like. The stems are lined with little thorns and gray-green, pinnately divided leaves. A good screen or living fence, where it will grows at least 5 ft. tall and usually spread wider. Very important for erosion control along streams. This is one of our most popular hedgerow plants due to the cover it provides for foraging wildlife and the value it offers to pollinators and birds. Prefers full sun to light shade and seasonally moist soils, but can go a little drier in the summer. A larval host to several butterflies.
Rosa gymnocarpa  wood rose
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Rosa gymnocarpa

(wood rose)

Delicate, native rose of woodlands, growing 3 - 4 ft. tall. Sprinkled with sweetly fragrant single pink flowers followed by small red rose hips. Best in woodsy shade where it tolerates drought. Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are attracted to rose blossoms and the fruits are enjoyed by birds.
Rosa nutkana  Nootka rose
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Rosa nutkana

(Nootka rose)

Named for the Nootka Sound in Alaska where it was originally described,California is the southern end of this shrub's range. Forms prickly thickets to 6 feet tall with light green foliage. Super fragrant, 2-3 inch single pink flowers appear in summer followed by showy red hips.Favors moist sites in full sun to light shade.Rose thickets provide excellent habitat value, offering food and cover for birds and small mammals,pollen and nectar for many beneficial insects as well as a larval food source for a number of butterflies.
Rosa spithamea  Sonoma rose
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Rosa spithamea

(Sonoma rose)

Description coming soon!
Rubus calycinoides 'Emerald Carpet' creeping raspberry
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Rubus calycinoides 'Emerald Carpet'

(creeping raspberry)

Vigorous evergreen ground cover with handsome dark green heavily textured lobed leaves.  Forms a durable and adaptable weed smothering mat 6 inches to 1 ft. tall by 6 ft. wide.  Small white flowers are pretty but don't make an impressive display.  Best with part shade, moderate to occasional watering.

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Rubus leucodermis

(blackcap raspberry)

West coast native found in open or wooded places from British Columbia south to California.Forms an arching deciduous shrub 3-4 foot tall and wide.The stems and back of the leaves are covered in a beautiful white bloom,white flowers are followed by tasty red to purple fruits.Tolerates many soil types,preferring some moisture and a little shade from the hottest sun.Excellent habitat plant where the the prickly shoots and thorny canes provide safe cover for birds, flowers that attract a wide array of pollinators and tasty berries are a favorite of animals of all sorts.
Rubus parviflorus  thimbleberry
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Rubus parviflorus

(thimbleberry)

Thimbleberry is a deciduous native shrub with handsome large pale green velvety leaves. Small clusters of pretty white single flowers in spring and early summer followed by thimble-shaped mild-flavored edible berries in mid summer. Grows 3 - 6 ft. tall and spreading. Needs part shade and moisture.
Rubus parviflorus 'Dr. Stasek' double-flowered thimbleberry
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Rubus parviflorus 'Dr. Stasek'

(double-flowered thimbleberry)

Bob Hornback found this interesting form of thimbleberry. Instead of the usual single white flowers, this cultivar offers double flowers. The extra petals are a nice touch against the background of large velvety leaves. Thimble-shaped edible berries follow which are mild flavored but sweet and much enjoyed by birds. Grows 3 - 6 ft. tall and spreading. Needs part shade and moisture.
Rubus spectabilis  salmonberry
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Rubus spectabilis

(salmonberry)

Native to moist places in and about the woods of coastal Northern California. Forms an upright shrub that arches at the tips, growing easily 6 ft. by 6 ft. Dark green foliage with weak prickles can form a dense hedge. The dark pink flowers resemble small single rose blossoms and are followed by showy orange-red berries that look like salmon eggs. Wildlife relishes the fruit, people too, though they aren’t as tasty as blackberries. Grows best with summer water and some shade.
Rubus ursinus  California blackberry
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Rubus ursinus

(California blackberry)

Not to be confused with the weedy non-native Himalaya berry that has taken over acres in northern California. The native blackberry when happy can form a good sized patch, growing as much as 3 ft. tall by 6 ft. wide depending on available moisture. This thorny, spreading evergreen has excellent habitat value. The berries are widely used as a food source for wildlife. Offers excellent escape and nesting cover and is good for erosion control. People relish the berries and its fruits are highly prized for pies and jam. Best with some shade and moisture, but is drought tolerant once established.
Rudbeckia californica  California coneflower
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Rudbeckia californica

(California coneflower)

Large, bold perennial native to montane seeps and meadows where they receive regular moisture. The big leafy clumps can become very large growing 3 foot tall or more. Midsummer brings showy yellow daisies on tall stems with a distinctive long central cone and a skirt of three inch yellow petals. Plant in sun to light shade with regular water. Highly attractive to bees and other pollinators.  
Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' black-eyed Susan
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Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm'

(black-eyed Susan)

An award winning perennial, this Eastern North American native is popular for good reason. Sturdy, dependable and long blooming, this robust selection grows 2 - 3 ft tall and 18 - 24 inches wide. Midsummer brings a dazzling display of rich, golden-yellow, daisies with dark centers, blooming into autumn. This low maintenance plant is somewhat drought tolerant, but blooms best with moderate summer water and full sun. Flowers attract bees and butterflies, and birds enjoy the dried seed heads if old flowers are not trimmed off. Said to be deer resistant. 
Rudbeckia glaucescens  waxy coneflower
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Rudbeckia glaucescens

(waxy coneflower)

This uncommon coneflower hails from the Klamath Mountains of northern California and southern Oregon. While similar in flower to the California coneflower, featuring yellowish-brown cones encircled with a skirt of long, yellow petals, this species has waxy leaves tinted a striking blue-gray. The flowers perch atop leafless stalks reaching 3 to 4 ft tall, rising above the large, lance-shaped leaves. A favorite of bees and butterflies. Even though this species normally occurs in serpentine soils, it grows easily in almost any soil type, as long as it is kept moist. Enjoys regular to moderate irrigation and full sun to part shade.
Rudbeckia nitida 'Herbstsonne' coneflower
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Rudbeckia nitida 'Herbstsonne'

(coneflower)

A large and beautiful perennial featuring flower stalks reaching up to 7 ft. tall. Bright yellow daisies with raised central cones sit atop these elegant stems in summer and into fall. Deeply lobed, dark green leaves flank the stems and form a tall mat at their base. Over time this coneflower will spread to from a striking drift. Looks great with grasses, Joe Pye weed, and Verbena bonariensis. Coneflowers are excellent pollinator plants and birds love the seeds. Needs sun and regular to moderate irrigation. May need staking. This plant goes completely dormant in the winter, only to emerge with vigour in the spring. Deer resistant.
Rudbeckia occidentalis  Western coneflower
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Rudbeckia occidentalis

(Western coneflower)

From mountains in Northern California and throughout the West comes this unusual and distinctive coneflower. Deep purple, almost black cones sit atop a star of green sepals without any petals to distract from the striking form. Large, pointed green leaves climb up the flowering stems which can reach 5 or 6 ft. high. Slowly spreads to form a small clump in moist locations with decent drainage. Will tolerate full sun near the coast, but some afternoon shade is needed in hot, inland areas. An excellent pollinator plant from the sunflower family attracting bees and butterflies. Works well in a container. Winter deciduous.

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