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More information »	Hazardia squarrosa v. squarrosa (sawtooth goldenbush) For a splash of color in late summer and fall, this goldenbush is a great choice, providing clusters of cheery, golden flowers at the height of the dry season, which supply food for butterflies. Birds enjoy the seeds which follow. Rounded leaves with sawtooth margins line the stems and emit a wonderfully sweet scent. This seed strain comes from a hot area in Big Sur and is remarkably compact and rounded, reaching about 3 ft. tall and wide. We’ve found it to be very adaptable, tolerant of clay soils and zero to occasional irrigation. Likes full sun but will accept a little shade. Plant with buckwheats, Salvias, and California fuchsias. Not usually available in Northern California nurseries.
More information »	Helenium autumnale (autumn sneezeweed) This desirable autumn bloomer is known for its masses of bright yellow daisies up to three inches wide, perched atop stems two to three feet high. Lance-shaped leaves of light green create dense mats six inches high. Native to Northern California and much of North America where it grows in moist meadows. Will slowly increase to form small colonies. Plant in full to part sun and provide regular water. Attracts bees and butterflies. Deer resistant. Despite the common name, this plant is insect pollinated and isn't known to cause hay fever. It was originally used to make snuff, hence the name sneezeweed.
More information »	Helenium bigelovii (Bigelow's sneezeweed) Native to moist meadows of California and S. Oregon, this summer flowering perennial makes a lovely addition to the garden. The cheerful golden-yellow petals turn down slightly from the rounded dome-like center. The golden daisy-like blossoms are held above the rosette of smooth green leaves on 2 - 3 ft. tall stems and attract a wide variety of insects including bees and butterflies. Despite the common name this plant does not cause allergies. It was originally used for snuff, hence the name sneezeweed. Plant in full sun to light shade with regular water. The seed for this crop is from the Pitkin Marsh in Sonoma County.
More information »	Helenium bolanderi (coastal sneezeweed) Description coming soon!
More information »	Helenium puberulum (rosilla) Summer brings clouds of yellow pom-poms which age to brown on this native member of the sunflower family. The round flower clusters sit atop rings of small, down-turned petals, held up on flat stems lined with lanceolate leaves. The flower stalks reach 3 to 5 ft. in height and can be cut down once blooming has finished. Plant in full sun to light shade. Rosilla grows naturally by creeks and seeps and enjoys regular moisture, but will tolerate some drier periods. Attracts a wide variety of insects including bees and butterflies. Goldfinches love the seed. Reseeds readily.
More information »	Helianthella californica (California helianthella) Native perennial sunflower growing in chaparral and woodland communities throughout much of California. Forms clumps of dark green, lance shaped leaves under a foot tall. Blooms April through June with small, golden-yellow sunflower heads which rise above foliage 18 inches to 2 ft. tall. Plant in full sun to light shade where it will be quite drought tolerant once established. The flowers attract a wide array of pollinators and beneficial insects.
More information »	Helianthemum (Crocanthemum) scoparium (peak rushrose) An interesting and little known member of the rockrose family, found in disturbed areas of chaparral, especially abundant after fires. Smooth, rush-like, green stems, lacking obvious leaves with age, grow 6 - 20 inches tall and wide. Summer brings an abundance of little, cheerful, bright-yellow blossoms. Perfect rock garden item or planted with other dryland species such as manzanita, California lilac or native sages. Plant in full sun with good drainage, where it will be very drought tolerant once established. Tolerant of serpentine soils too.
More information »	Helianthus annuus (common sunflower) Native to much of North America, this is a wild California selection from the Central Valley just east of Lake Berryessa. A fast growing annual with coarse heart-shaped leaves and topped with an abundance of 3 inch flowers, with bright yellow petals and brown centers on branched stalks. An excellent habitat plant, providing nectar and pollen for a wide array of bees and butterflies as well as seed relished by birds. A highly variable species with a long history of uses and domestication. Plant in full sun where it is adaptable to soil types and watering regimes. Can manage in dryish conditions but best with moderate water, especially early in its growth.
More information »	Helianthus californicus (California sunflower) This giant, perennial sunflower is native to riparian habitats in openings with decent light. Dormant in the winter, spring brings rapid growth, with narrow, bright green leaves on tall stalks rising 7 feet or more above a root system which spreads widely. Summer brings many small, golden-yellow sunflowers on the branch tips which are quite dramatic in full bloom. Flowers attract bees and butterflies and the seeds are relished by birds. Perfect for stabilizing soil where there is some summer water and plenty of space. Once established it can take it dryish, but will flower better with water. An excellent cut flower.
More information »	Heracleum lanatum (cow parsnip) Big, bold, native perennial 3 - 8 ft. tall, is striking in mass or as a specimen. Forms a rosette of large lobed leaves followed by stout flower stems carrying large umbels of white flowers. Thrives in rich soils with some moisture. Full sun along coast, part shade inland. As a member of the carrot family (Apiaceae) the flowers are very effective at attracting beneficial insects. Larval food source for anise swallowtail butterfly.
More information »	Hesperocyparis forbesii (Tecate cypress) Description coming soon!
More information »	Hesperocyparis macnabiana (MacNab cypress) MacNab Cypress is native to dry, open, slopes, usually on serpentine, in chaparral and woodlands of Northern California. Fast growing tree or large shrub, 15 – 40 ft. tall, often with multiple trunks and a spreading crown, growing wider than it is tall. The pleasantly pungent, grey-green, foliage smells like gin and is arranged on flattened branches, giving it a somewhat lacey appearance. The bark is rough and furrowed and the cones are spherical and persistent. Plant in full sun with good drainage and little to no summer water once established. Deer resistant.
More information »	Hesperocyparis pygmaea (pygmy cypress) Description coming soon!
More information »	Hesperocyparis sargentii (Sargent cypress) This cypress makes its home in serpentine pygmy forests from Santa Barbara to Mendocino Counties. While often dwarfed in its native terrain, this species can grow quite happily off of serpentine and may reach up to 60 ft. tall. The small, dark-green, scale-like leaves form a bushy canopy against the gray-brown trunk. A good medium-sized tree for hotter inland areas, but will also tolerate coastal conditions. The sargent cypress can grow fairly rapidly, useful as a high privacy screen or wind break. Plant in full sun to light shade and water occasionally. Will be very drought tolerant once established. Needs good drainage. Deer resistant.
More information »	Hesperoyucca whipplei (Our Lord's candle) Bold and dramatic architectural accent plant native to southern California coast and mountains south to Baja. Forms a dense rosette of rigid silver-blue blades, 2 foot tall by 3 - 4 foot wide. Each blade has a VERY SHARP tip and careful thought should be given to its placement to avoid injury. Plants can take 3 to 15 years to bloom with impressive stalks rising 6 foot or more above the rosette with drooping, creamy white, bell shaped, fragrant flowers. The flowering rosette dies after blooming often being replaced by vegetative offsets. Best with good drainage in full sun to light shade. No water once established. Deer resistant
More information »	Heteromeles arbutifolia (toyon) Toyon is a handsome native evergreen shrub 6 - 10 ft. tall and wide (or more). Sun to part shade, drought tolerant. Clusters of lacy white flowers bloom in summer and areattractive to pollinators. Spectacular bundles of red berries are relished by birds and are a great winter decoration. Valuable as a specimen, screen, hedge or bank plant. Birds attracted to the fruit include the following species: Cedar waxwing, California towhee, spotted towhee, Western bluebird, robins, mockingbirds, bandtailed pigeon, waxwing and quail.
More information »	Heteromeles arbutifolia 'Davis Gold' (gold fruited toyon) An interesting cultivar of the native toyon which bears bright golden yellow berries rather than the more common red-colored fruits. A handsome evergreen shrub 8 - 12 ft. tall and wide (or more). Sun to part shade, drought tolerant. Clusters of lacy white flowers bloom in summer and are attractive to pollinators. The showy clusters of orange-yellow berries are relished by birds and are great winter decoration. Valuable as a specimen, screen, hedge or bank plant. This selection is considered more disease resistant than most toyon.
More information »	Heterotheca sessiliflora ssp. bolanderi 'San Bruno Mountain' (hairy false goldenaster) Versatile and tough native perennial well suited for the rock garden front of the border or container plantings. Evergreen foliage forms low mats topped with bright yellow daisies in summer - fall. For sunny sites and dryish conditions. Flowers are appealing to bees and butterflies.
More information »	Heuchera 'Canyon Duet' (coral bells) A Santa Barbara Botanic Garden selection, part of their Quartet Series of hybrids. This charming, diminutive coral bells forms low, sturdy clumps of small rounded leaves slowly spreading to about 10-12 inches wide. Bi-colored flowers of dark pink and white rise 12 to 18 inches above the dense foliage in spring and early summer. Heuchera's require good light to bloom well but resent full sun, especially inland. Moderate to occasional water. Excellent small scale perennial for mixed border, edging or rock garden. Good container subject too.
More information »	Heuchera 'Lillian's Pink' (coral bells) An exceptional hybrid forming tidy mounds of foliage 12 - 18 inches wide. Topped with slender stems of shell pink flowers for a long period in the spring. Best with shade from the hottest sun and moderate summer water. Lovely in drifts. This species attracts hummingbirds.
More information »	Heuchera 'Old La Rochette' (coral bells) Here is a wonderful, often hard to find Heuchera hybrid. Grows into robust clumps of rounded leaves to around 1 ft. tall and 1 - 2 ft. wide. 2 ft. tall flower stalks carry hundreds of soft pink blossoms in the spring, and often intermittently through the summer. Sturdy perennial for part shade and a little summer water. This species attracts hummingbirds.
More information »	Heuchera 'Rosada' (coral bells) Listed as one of U.C. Davis Arboretum’s “All Stars”, this heuchera hybrid is tough and dependable. Forms an attractive mound of evergreen foliage 10 - 12 inches tall. A long display of tall flower stems covered with creamy-pink dainty bells begin in the spring and often continue into the summer. Best with part shade and moderate to occasional summer water. Attracts hummingbirds.
More information »	Heuchera 'Santa Ana Cardinal' (coral bells) An outstanding hybrid that is vigorous and free flowering. Compact clumps of foliage topped with 2 ft. tall flowering stems with vibrant rose-red blossoms over a long period. Plant in cool full sun to light shade with moderate to occassional summer water once established. This species attracts hummingbirds.
More information »	Heuchera 'Wendy' (coral bells) One of the prettiest hybrids from Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens. Large light green leaves, branched stems about 2’ tall carry hundreds of light pink, rather plump, blossoms in spring. Sun near the coast, part shade inland. Reasonably well drained soil and moderate to little water when established. This species attracts hummingbirds.
More information »	Heuchera cylindrica (roundleaf alumroot) Native to the northern mountains of California, the roundleaf alumroot is distinctive for its dense clusters of white to cream-yellow flowers held on vertical stems reaching 1 to 2 ft tall. Round leaves grow in tight mounds up to 8 inches high and 2 ft wide. Combine with pink Heucheras, Iris and small ferns for an attractive woodland display. Needs part shade and decent drainage. Attracts hummingbirds. Drought tolerant.