Our Plants

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More information »	Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen) From mountain meadows and hillsides across the Sierra Nevada comes this iconic native poplar. Smooth, white bark and rounded leaves which quake in the wind make this slender tree highly ornamental. Reaches a height of at least 20 ft. and spreads by underground roots to form groves. While the fall color may not be quite as stunning in lower elevation gardens as it is in the mountains, colder parts of our area will still see leaves of yellow, orange and red in the autumn. Easily grown at lower elevations, this form is reported to be particularly disease resistant. Needs full sun to light shade and regular to moderate irrigation once established. Lower irrigation should slow aspen’s ability to multiply.
More information »	Populus trichocarpa (black cottonwood) Description coming soon!
More information »	Potentilla gracilis (slender cinquefoil) Prolific displays of bright yellow flowers resembling buttercups make this little cinquefoil a hit from spring through autumn. Flowers are held on two foot stems above low mats of dissected,dark green leaves. Native to mountainous areas throughout California. Provide full sun to light shade and give occasional to regular moisture. Will spread slowly by seed if exposed soil is nearby. A favorite of bees and butterflies. Deer resistant.
More information »	Potentilla (Dasiphora) fruticosa (shrubby cinquefoil) A popular landscape subject, valued for its long bloom period, hardiness and carefree nature. A member of the rose family, this deciduous shrub can be found across the northern hemisphere, often growing at higher elevations. Here in California, it ocurrs in the Sierras, the Klamath Mountains and the Warners. Grows 2 -3 ft tall and wide with handsome, pinnately compound leaves. Cheerful, rich-yellow, saucer-shaped flowers bloom over a long period, summer into fall. Plant in full sun to light shade with moderate watering. Drought tolerant once established. Attracts bees and butterflies. Great in a pot. Deer resistant.
More information »	Prosartes (Disporum) smithii (largeflower fairybells) Description coming soon!
More information »	Prunella vulgaris v. lanceolata (self heal) Native to moist areas usually near coniferous forests and woodlands. Creeping perennial forms a low dense mat of foliage. Upright spikes of purple flowers over a long period summer - fall. Give some thought to placement because if happy it will reseed vigorously. Plant in full sun or light shade with regular water.
More information »	Prunus emarginata (bitter cherry) Description will be available soon.
More information »	Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia (hollyleaf cherry) Large evergreen native shrub 10 - 25 ft. tall and wide. Often used for background or screen plantings. Can be clipped into a formal hedge, pruned to be treelike, or left to its own natural gumdrop-shaped habit. Glossy holly-like leaves with showy displays of creamy white flowers in narrow spikes late spring to early summer. Robins, finches, towhees, Cedar waxwings and mockingbirds eat its cherries. Plant in full sun to very light shade. Requires good drainage but is tolerant of heat, drought, wind and oak root fungus. Looks best with occasional deep waterings, but can tolerate very dry conditions once established. Excellent habitat value, offering food and cover. Generally deer resistant.
More information »	Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii (Catalina cherry) Evergreen shrub or small tree. Creamy white flower spikes in March. Reddish purple half inch fruit is edible. Does best in well drained soil with occasional deep watering once established. Moderate growth rate to 10 ft. or more. Can also be trimmed into a 6 or 10 ft. hedge. Robins, finches, towhees, Cedar waxwings and mockingbirds eat its cherries.
More information »	Prunus virginiana v. demissa (chokecherry) Large, deciduous shrub or small tree with red-purple bark and dark green foliage. Growing 8 foot or more tall and spreading slowly to form a thicket. Striking racemes of fragrant white flowers in the spring followed by dark red fruits which can be sweet but astringent. Foliage can take on nice fall color before dropping its leaves. Fabulous habitat plant drawing bees, butterflies and other pollinators to its flowers. Birds, especially bluebirds, adore the fruits and are known to swoop in and finish them off quickly. Where summers are hot, light or part shade is best, with regular to occasional water once established. They often grow where there is seasonal moisture in the spring, but somewhat dry as the season progresses.
More information »	Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) We are not currently growing this plant due to flammability and reduced demand.
More information »	Ptelea crenulata (California hoptree) This interesting California endemic deserves wider use in California gardens. Hoptree is a deciduous, large shrub/small tree, growing 6 - 15 ft. tall, in the citrus family. Native to hot, interior coast ranges and the Sierra Nevada foothills, often growing in canyons where residual moisture can be found. Glossy, green, fragrant, trifoliate leaves with panicles of small creamy-white flowers decorate the branch tips in spring. Handsome, circular, flattened, fruits which look like hop seeds, start out green and age to tan and may hold on after the leaves have fallen in the autumn. Plant in full sun to light shade with occasional, deep summer watering. The fragrant flowers are attractive to a variety of pollinators including butterflies. A larval host for the two-tailed swallowtail butterfly.
More information »	Quercus agrifolia (coast live oak) A beautiful and stately evergreen oak, native to many plant communities from Mendocino County south to Baja, seldom occurring farther than 50 miles from the ocean. One of the fastest growing California oaks and a versatile landscape subject as long as space allows. Young trees have a dense rounded canopy covered with thick, dark green, oval and convex leaves with spiny margins. Smooth gray bark becomes furrowed with age. Flowers are produced on short yellow hanging catkins followed by long tapered acorns. In time, develops a magnificent architecture with broad spreading branches. Planting native oaks provides beauty, shade, food and cover to a dazzling array of wildlife. Plant in sun to light shade. No additional summer water required once established.
More information »	Quercus berberidifolia (scrub oak) Description coming soon!
More information »	Quercus chrysolepis (canyon live oak) A handsome evergreen oak with a rounded, spreading crown, 20 - 60 ft tall and wide. The leaves of its broad, low canopy are dark-green and shiny with fuzzy gold or silver hairs on the underside. Native from Oregon to Baja, it is the most widely distributed oak in California. Often grows near creeks, but requires only occasional water. Plant in full sun to light shade where it will be drought tolerant once established. A good choice for bank stabilization. Like other oaks, it is habitat powerhouse, offering food and cover for a huge variety of wildlife.
More information »	Quercus douglasii (blue oak) This is the oak of California’s interior, where hot and dry summer conditions prevail. A small or medium sized oak, often growing 15 to 30 feet tall, it can reach a maximum height of 60 feet. The canopy is compact and round with bluish-green lobed leaves. The acorns are oval shaped with shallow caps. Grows slowly but is long lived. A well sited oak is a gift to future generations of humans as well as a myriad of wildlife. Plant in full sun where it will be extremely drought tolerant once established.
More information »	Quercus durata (leather oak) Plant description coming soon.
More information »	Quercus garryana var. breweri (Brewer's oak) Plant description coming soon.
More information »	Quercus garryana var. garryana (Garry oak, Oregon white oak) Plant description coming soon!
More information »	Quercus kelloggii (California black oak) Beautiful in all its seasons, the native black oak makes a fine specimen, alone or in mass. Found mostly in foothills and low mountains away from the immediate coast, often in association with conifers, from California to Oregon. Growing 35 - 80 ft tall, this graceful, deciduous tree starts the spring with gorgeous, rosy-pink new growth. The soft pink leaves soon mature to a lustrous, shiny, dark green and are deeply lobed with pointed tips. Gold-green catkins dangle from the branch tips in the spring, leading to plump acorns, set deep in their scaly cups. In the autumn, the bold, leathery leaves take on golden hues before they fall. Oak trees are the ultimate habitat plant, offering food and cover for a myriad of species, including invertebrates, mammals and birds. Plant in full sun to light shade where it will be drought tolerant once established.
More information »	Quercus lobata (valley oak) This majestic oak once covered the Santa Rosa Valley and many other fertile valleys throughout the state. Becomes large and picturesque with long drooping branches and beautiful thick, checked bark. Best in deep soils with room to develop. Wonderful planted for wildlife. Deciduous, long lived. Oaks are some of the greatest trees for birds. Oak titmice, acorn woodpeckers, and many other species utilize them for nest sites, cover, insects and acorns.
More information »	Quercus pacifica (island scrub oak) Plant description coming soon!
More information »	Quercus suber (cork oak) Native to the Mediterranean and North Africa, this evergreen oak is very similar to our native Coast Live Oak. Very picturesque with age, its thick corky bark adds much interest and character even to young trees. An excellent bonsai subject or shade tree. Widely adaptable with good drainage. To 30 ft. or more with great age. Drought tolerant.
More information »	Quercus tomentella (island oak) The rarest of all California oaks, an ancient relict of the mainland, now confined to the Channel Islands, off the coast of southern California. Island oak is a small evergreen tree with a rounded canopy, 25 to 40 foot tall. Beautiful dark-green, shiny, leathery leaves with prominent parallel veins are edged with widely spaced teeth. Whitish woolly hairs cover the growing tips, undersides of leaves, and the caps of the 1 inch long acorns. A natural for gardens with coastal influence where it will be drought tolerant once established. Tolerant of many soil conditions, but attains full stature in deeper soils in sheltered locations. Oaks provide beauty, shade and food and cover for a wide array of wildlife.
More information »	Quercus vacciniifolia (huckleberry oak) Description coming soon!