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More information »	Sisyrinchium californicum (yellow-eyed grass) Native mostly to coastal areas where this easy perennial thrives in moist locations. From spring through to the end of summer, the bright yellow flowers rise above narrow, pale-green, iris-like leaves. Grows 6 to 12 inches tall and about a foot wide. Plant in sunny areas with regular water. Reseeds readily. Occurs from San Luis Obispo County north to British Columbia.
More information »	Solanum umbelliferum (blue witch) A perennial subshrub from chaparral and oak woodland plant communities, often growing on the edge where they may receive some relief from the full sun. Grows quickly, to as much 3 ft. high with pale green oval leaves on green stems, often sprawling widely. Blooms over a long period with a multitude of blue-purple saucer shaped flowers followed by small tomato-like fruits. Plant in full sun to partial shade with little to no summer water. May go summer deciduous with drought, becoming twiggy and leafless until the rains return. All parts of the plant are poisonous which should make them dependably deer resistant.
More information »	Solanum xanti 'Mountain Pride' (purple nightshade) Outstanding selection by Carol Bornstein from the hills surrounding Santa Barbara,following the wildfires of 2008. Chosen for its particularly dark purple flowers, this subshrub grows 3 ft. tall and 3 ft. or more wide. Clusters of rich purple one inch blossoms with bright yellow stamens bloom over a long period but heaviest in spring. In nature it is often found growing along the borders of coastal scrub,chaparral and woodlands. Plant in full sun along the coast with a little shade inland, where it will be drought tolerant once established. Prune to promote bushy habit. A good container subject. Should be deer resistant as all parts of the plant are poisonous.
More information »	Solidago lepida v. salebrosa (western goldenrod) Golden-yellow, pyramid shaped inflorescences sit atop stems flanked with bright green leaves on this unusual native goldenrod. This selection is more compact and refined than the California goldenrod, with flower stalks reaching only about 2 feet tall and a spreading habit which is less aggressive. A superb plant to attract all sorts of bees and butterflies when it blooms in late summer and into autumn. Plant in full sun to light shade and water moderately to occasionally. This variety grows throughout western North America but is rare in California, only occurring in the northeast part of the state.
More information »	Solidago spathulata (coast goldenrod) Native to coastal strand and coastal scrub communities where it forms low mats of spreading bright green foliage. Summer brings flower stems a foot or so tall made up of small bright golden-yellow daisies. Full sun to light shade with some summer water. Tolerates heavy soils. The flowers support native bees, honey bees, beneficial insects and butterflies. It is a larval food source for the northern checkerspot butterfly.
More information »	Solidago velutina ssp. californica (California goldenrod) A showy and easy to grow late blooming native perennial. Spreads by creeping rootstocks where it can form a good-sized colony. Has spread slowly in our heavy clay soils with minimal water, but has the potential to spread aggressively in lighter soils especially with regular water. Late summer through fall brings slender wand-like flower stalks of golden yellow daisies 2 - 3 ft. tall which are visited by bees, butterflies and other insects. Plant in a sunny area where it is drought tolerant, but some supplemental summer water keeps it blooming longer.
More information »	Sphaeralcea ambigua (apricot mallow) Native to desert plant communities, apricot mallow is a showy evergreen shrublet growing 2-4 foot tall and wide. Soft-green, woolly, scalloped leaves provide the foil for long wands with an abundance of small hollyhock-like flowers in delicious shades of orange. Plant in full sun with good drainage and occasional summer water. Adaptable, tolerating cold, dry conditions but not heavy wet soils. When happy can bloom for months- trim back flowering stems after bloom for repeat performance. A beautiful addition to the dry sunny garden, ideal for inland gardens. Relatively short lived but grows rapidly and occasionally reseeds. Honeybees, native bees and hummingbirds are attracted to it's flowers.
More information »	Sphenosciadium capitellatum (ranger's buttons) We are excited to offer this denizen of mountain meadows and forests known for its clusters of white flowers or “buttons” on tall stalks reaching up to 5 feet in height. Lance-shaped leaves of bright green form upright mounds at the base of the stalks. Ranger buttons are easily identified by the hairy stems within the inflorescences. Provide regular water and dappled shade. This unusual member of the carrot family combines beautifully with ferns, lilies and other forest dwellers.
More information »	Spiraea densiflora 'Trinity Rose' (rose meadowsweet) This cultivar hails from the Trinity Alps in northwestern California. A neat looking deciduous shrub growing 2-3 foot tall and wide with a compact habit and pretty bluish-green leaves. Early summer brings flat topped clusters of rosy-pink flowers on the branch tips. Foliage often takes on nice yellow tones in the autumn before losing its leaves. Plant in sun to light shade with regular water. Flowers attract butterflies.
More information »	Spiraea douglasii (western spirea, rose spirea) In summer, wands of violet-pink flower clusters decorate the branch tips of this deciduous shrub. Forms broad thickets 3 - 6 ft. tall with bluish-green leaves. Enjoys regular moisture and full sun to light shade. Great for a naturalistic planting in a woodland garden or along streams. Attracts bees and butterflies and is a larval host for various butterflies and moths in its native range. Native to the coast and into the mountains from northern California to Alaska.
More information »	Spiraea splendens (rose meadowsweet) Description coming soon!
More information »	Sporobolus airoides (dropseed sacaton) A robust, warm season bunchgrass, which was common in California’s Central Valley prior to agricultural conversion. This western native is found in the Sierra foothills, South Coast Ranges as well as deserts from eastern Washington to Mexico. Forms a dense bunch of fine textured, grey-green blades, 1 to 3 foot tall and wide. Graceful flowering stems carry airy, pinkish flower heads that produce a pink-hued haze, which age to tan. The abundant seeds are relished by birds, but do not tend to reseed in gardens. Tolerant of many soil types and water regimes. Best with full sun to light shade. This grass will be drought tolerant, but does best with some summer water in dryer inland sites. Leaves turn butter-yellow in autumn prior to winter dormancy. Deer resistant.
More information »	Stachys albens (hedgenettle) Plant description coming soon.
More information »	Stachys bullata (California hedgenettle) A native perennial from the mint family, found primarily near the coast from San Francisco southward, where it inhabits oak, pine and fir woodlands. Medium-green leaves are softly fuzzy with scalloped edges, growing around 2 ft. tall and spreading by underground rhizomes to form a colony. Blooming spring through summer, with lavender-pink tubular flowers in whorls, which attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Tends to grow in somewhat drier areas, but responds well to moisture and also tolerates inundation. A natural with rushes, ferns and snowberries. Useful for partly shaded bioswales and oak/mixed conifer woodlands. The underground rhizomes make it a good choice for erosion control. Deer resistant.
More information »	Staphylea bolanderi (bladdernut) Description coming soon.
More information »	Stipa (Nassella) cernua (nodding needlegrass) A beautiful native grass said to be a more impressive horticultural subject than the tough and useful Stipa pulchra. Forms a tufted bunch of foliage with elegant flower stems to about 2 ft. tall. The panicles of thin, fine, nodding awns have a silky aspect and are purplish at first drying silver. They glimmer when backlit. Prefers full sun (but will tolerate light shade) and well drained soils, but has proven adaptable. Drought tolerant. Often self sows. Deer resistant.
More information »	Stipa (Nassella) lepida (foothill needlegrass) The native foothill needlegrass is a fine-bladed, medium-sized, perennial bunchgrass perfectly adapted to our Mediterranean climate. Growing vegetatively during the cool season and flowering in mid to late spring, going dormant with the dry of summer. Tufts of fine-textured blades 8 - 12 inches tall, give rise to slender, graceful flowering stems, 2 ft or more tall with panicles of silky awns which shimmer when back lit. Well suited for the dry garden, open woods, meadows and rocky slopes. Easy to grow, disease and pest resistant, tolerating more shade than other Stipa species. A strong re-seeder and deer resistant. Host plant for a number of butterflies. Deer resistant.
More information »	Stipa (Nassella) pulchra (purple needlegrass) Purple needlegrass is a major species in California grasslands. An excellent choice for naturalistic settings, native plantings, meadows or dry slopes in full sun. Handsome in mass where its purple awns shimmer. The entire plant turns golden come summer then goes dormant, reviving with the rainy season. Very drought tolerant. Can reseed vigorously. Deer resistant.
More information »	Styrax redivivus (snowdrop bush) A beautiful but little known California native. Slow to mature but worth the wait. Develops into a graceful multistemed deciduous shrub. Dark green rounded leaves clothe the smooth gray branches. Late spring brings dangling clusters of pure white, waxy, bell-shaped blossoms. Grows 6 to 10 ft. tall for sun to light shade. Drought tolerant. We have observed hummingbirds and pipevine swallowtail butterflies nectaring on styrax blossoms.
More information »	Succulent Plants There are many good sources of information on the web for succulents. Some of our favorite urls are listed here: http://crassulaceae.net/ http://www.sedumphotos.net/main.php http://ucanr.edu/sites/scmg/Top_Plants_Category_Parent/Succulents/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/996/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1441/ http://sempervivoscope.voila.net/ http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.semperhor... http://www.xericworld.com/forums/home.php http://www.agavaceae.com/agavaceae/agavhome_en.asp http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/199/ http://www.sfsucculent.org/
More information »	Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus (snowberry) Snowberry is a deciduous, native shrub for dry or moist shade. Reaches about 4 ft. tall and spreading. Clusters of tiny, pinkish, urn-shaped flowers are followed by showy white berries on arching branches. Responds well to shearing. A good choice for under native oaks. Fruit may be toxic to humans. Hummingbirds like the flowers. Berries are palatable to hermit thrush, Swainson’s thrush, robins and other birds. Also creates good cover for birds.
More information »	Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus 'Bartlett Springs' (snowberry) Snowberry is a deciduous, native shrub for dry or moist shade. Reaches about 4 ft. tall and spreading. Our own selection from Lake County, has particularly large oval leaves on graceful arching branches with exceptionally big fruits. Clusters of tiny, pinkish, urn-shaped flowers are followed by showy white berries on the branch tips. Responds well to shearing. A good choice for under native oaks. Fruit may be toxic to humans. Hummingbirds and bees like the flowers. Berries are palatable to hermit thrush, Swainson’s thrush, robins and other birds. Also creates good cover for birds.
More information »	Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus 'San Bruno Mountain' (snowberry) This attractive low-growing form of our native snowberry is a Cal Flora Nursery selection from San Bruno Mountain. Its dimensions are about 8 inches tall and spreading. Indeed the spreading nature of this plant is robust & it should be included in areas where that is an asset rather than a liability. The wiry arching branches hold light green rounded leaves & the effect of the new growth is delicate and appealing. Tiny pink urn-shaped flowers decorate the branch tips, followed by small white fruits. Perfect for a lightly shaded bank or the light shade of a tree where it will be very drought tolerant. With total drought it may go summer deciduous but occasional summer water will keep it looking fresh. The flowers attract bees and hummingbirds.
More information »	Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus 'Tilden Park' (snowberry) Here is a particularly fine selection of the native snowberry, notable for its dependable crop of showy white berries on arching branches. A deciduous shrub, snowberry grows to about 4 ft. tall and spreads to form drifts. A good choice for a shady bank, woodland edge, or under oaks. Appreciates and responds to moisture, but once established will tolerate dry conditions. Fruit may be toxic to humans. Hummingbirds like the flowers. Berries are palatable to hermit thrush, Swainson’s thrush, robins and other birds. Also creates good cover for birds.
More information »	Symphoricarpos mollis (creeping snowberry) Low growing, spreading groundcover, usually staying around a foot tall by 3-4 foot wide. Rounded blue-green leaves on arching stems makes an excellent low growing thicket which competes well with tree roots. An amenable plant, able to grow in full sun in coastal areas and different depths of shade elsewhere, even fairly deep shade. The tiny, pink, bell shaped flowers are attractive to bees and hummingbirds and the white fruits that follow are eaten by birds. Good for erosion control and does well under oaks. Offers excellent habitat value with its flowers and fruits and provides cover for ground nesting birds. Drought tolerant once established. Deer often leave it alone.