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More information »	Aster (Symphyotrichum) foliaceus (leafybract aster) Native to the western United States where it grows in open woods, mountain meadows and along streams at mid to high elevations. An important pollinator plant, offering pollen and nectar late in the season to bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Grows 1 - 2 ft. tall from a leafy base that slowly increases. The erect flower stems hold daisies of light blue to violet blue with yellow centers, surrounded by leafy bracts. Prefers full sun with regular to moderate moisture. Winter deciduous.
More information »	Astragalus nuttalii var. nuttallii (ocean bluff milkvetch) Plant description coming soon.
More information »	Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern) Native to much of North America, lady fern grows in moist shady places. The newly emerging fiddleheads in the spring are particularly attractive. The graceful, delicate looking fronds grow 4 foot or more tall by 2 - 3 ft. wide. Lovely in a forest setting, as a background plant, or around a pond. Goes dormant in the winter. Plant in full to part shade with regular water.
More information »	Athyrium filix-femina 'Minutissimum' (dwarf lady fern) A miniature form of the lovely lady fern, growing up to one foot tall and two feet wide. Forms compact mounds of finely divided light green fronds. Perfect for the small spaces, rock gardens or containers. A vigorous and hardy fern needing only shade and moisture to thrive. Dies back to the ground in the winter. The new unfurling fiddleheads adds charm in the spring. Deer resistant.
More information »	Atriplex lentiformis (quail bush) This native bird favorite is a tough and useful shrub with beautiful silvery gray foliage. Growing 5 ft. or more tall and spreading widely, quail bush is valued for its ability to deal with difficult sites where it tolerates wind, salt spray, saline and alkaline soils. A terrific habitat plant, providing food and cover for a wide array of birds and mammals. Native from the coast to the desert. Excellent for erosion control and is fire resistant. Benefits from annual shearing and occasional aggressive pruning to rejuvenate. Plant in full sun with occasional to little summer water.
More information »	Atriplex lentiformis 'Naomi' (quail bush) Quail bush is a large evergreen shrub with attractive silver-gray foliage, native to salt flats, desert scrub and coastal areas of California, the Southwest US, and Northern Mexico. A tough shrub tolerant of poor, saline, or alkaline soils, often used in restoration or large plantings that can accommodate its size and spread. Excellent in dry gardens, hedgerow plantings and for erosion control where it grows quickly and is extremely drought tolerant once established. Growing 5 - 7 foot tall and wide, it can be clipped to keep dense and in bounds. 'Naomi' is a female selection of this dioecious shrub, selected for its allergy resistance due to the lack of pollen. Plant in full sun to light shade with moderate to little or no summer water once established.
More information »	Baccharis 'Centennial' (coyote bush, desert broom) This tough evergreen is a hybrid between coyote bush, Baccharis pilularis and desert broom, Baccharis sarothroides and is extremely heat and drought tolerant. Growing 3 - 4 foot tall by 4 - 5 ft. wide with a mounding growth habit. An excellent choice for low maintenance areas, useful for erosion control on slopes and tough sites where it requires full sun and little water once established. Being a female selection, it produces small, inconspicuous creamy-white flowers followed by fluffy seeds. Good habitat plant offering cover for animals, nectar for pollinators and seeds for birds. Deer resistant.
More information »	Baccharis glutinosa (douglasii) (marsh baccharis, false willow) This native perennial is a powerhouse for pollinators, luring small butterflies, predatory wasps and other beneficial insects to its dense, white, flat-topped, nectar rich flower heads. Found in wetland and riparian habitats such as salt marshes and stream edges along the coast and interior valleys of California. An erect perennial, growing 3 ft. or more tall, with long, lance-shaped, resinous, leaves and spreading by rhizomes. Blooming in late summer to early fall, the flowers lack petals and are dioecious, with male and female disc flowers occurring on separate plants. Plant in full sun to light shade with moderate to regular water. Deer resistant.
More information »	Baccharis magellanica (Christmas bush) Ground hugging evergreen shrub from Southern Chile. Bright-green, glossy foliage forms a low mat under a foot tall spreading to 4 ft. wide. Tiny cream-colored male flowers winter - spring attract pollinators. Plant in full sun to light shade with moderate to occasional water once established. Well behaved ground cover, tolerant of wind and dry conditions. Hardy to around 17 degrees.
More information »	Baccharis pilularis (coyote bush) This is the upright form of coyote bush, growing 4 - 8 ft. tall and wide. Valued for its ability to flourish in a wide range of conditions. Also valued as an excellent habitat plant offering food and cover to a wide variety of wildlife. Flowers are not showy and the male and female flowers are borne on separate shrubs. This crop of plants are a mix of males and females and one can’t tell until they bloom. Plant in sunn or light shade. Not fussy about soils. Quite drought tolerant once established. Responds well to pruning or shearing, working well as a screen. Deer resistant.
More information »	Baccharis pilularis 'Mayacama Mound' (low coyote bush) This dense, bright green, gumdrop-shaped coyote bush only reaches about 3 ft tall and spreads a little wider. We discovered this heat and drought tolerant selection in a batch of seedlings from inland Sonoma Co.. A great alternative for the ubiquitous ‘Twin Peaks’, which is a coastal selection and less suitable for hot, dry sites. Plant in full sun to light shade where mature plants won’t need supplemental water, but an infrequent deep soak will keep them looking fresh. The small, whitish flowers are relished by pollinators in the early autumn. This selection is female, so the late autumn seeds provide an important food source for birds. A sturdy, low, evergreen shrub for tough situations.
More information »	Baccharis pilularis 'Pigeon Point' (dwarf coyote bush) Adaptable and dependable low growing form of the native coyote bush. Forms a mound of bright green leaves with an undulating habit 2 - 3 ft. tall and 6-8 ft. wide. Able to tolerate many soil types and watering regimes this shrub is best in full sun to light shade. Extremely drought tolerant along the coast but best with moderate to occasional summer water inland. When watered and annually trimmed to keep low and free of debris it is recommended for fire resistance landscapes. A good addition to the habitat garden, coyote bush offers excellent cover to a wide variety of wildlife. ‘Pigeon Point’ is a male selection and does not make seed. Deer resistant.
More information »	Baccharis pilularis 'Twin Peaks' (dwarf coyote bush) One of the fastest, toughest, densest evergreen native large scale groundcovers. Discovered on Twin Peaks in San Francisco. Grows easily to 8 ft. wide and 2 - 3 ft. tall. Extremely drought tolerant along the coast but best with moderate to occasional summer water inland. Shear hard annually in spring to keep rejuvenated. Sun on coast, afternoon shade inland. This is a male selection so it won't produce seeds. Deer don’t seem to eat it.
More information »	Baccharis pilularis - Bodega Dunes form (prostrate coyote bush) Coyote bush is a tough, native, evergreen shrub, forming mounds of dense foliage that hold soil and provide food and cover for birds and mammals. Flowers are small and cream-colored and appear in the autumn. This crop is grown from seed collected in the Bodega Bay Dunes from parents that were under two feet tall and around 6 ft or so wide. Time will reveal the exact form and sex of each plant in this crop. Both male and female plants have significant habitat value, with their combined contributions of abundant pollen, nectar and copious seed late in the season. It will be a surprise as well as a useful addition to the habitat garden. Plant in full sun, though a little shade is helpful in hotter sites. Shear occasionally to renovate and keep dense. Drought tolerant on the coast, but best with occasional water inland. Deer resistant.
More information »	Baccharis pilularis - female (coyote bush) Upright form of coyote brush, growing 4 - 8 ft. tall and wide. Valued for its ability to flourish in a wide range of conditions. Also valued as an excellent habitat plant offering food and cover to a wide variety of wildlife. Flowers are not showy and the male and female flowers are borne on separate shrubs. Theses plants are FEMALE and will produce seed (when male plants are present). An abundance of pollinators and beneficial insects use Baccharis flowers and birds love their seeds. Plant in sun to light shade. Not fussy about soils. Quite drought tolerant once established. Responds well to pruning or shearing and is useful as a screen. Deer resistant.
More information »	Baccharis pilularis - male (coyote bush) Upright form of coyote brush, growing 4 - 8 ft. tall and wide. Valued for its ability to flourish in a wide range of conditions. Also valued as an excellent habitat plant offering food and cover to a wide variety of wildlife. Flowers are not showy and the male and female flowers are borne on separate shrubs. These plants are MALE and produce ivory colored flowers with pollen and nectar. An abundance of pollinators and beneficial insects use Baccharis flowers. Plant in sun to light shade. Not fussy about soils. Quite drought tolerant once established. Responds well to pruning or shearing and is useful as a screen. Deer resistant.
More information »	Baccharis salicifolia (mule fat) This native shrub looks something like a willow in foliage and is found in similar habitats in California and the southwest US. Not a willow at all, but a member of the aster family, this evergreen shrub blooms nearly year round, making it a powerhouse for pollinators. The profusion of small, creamy white, fuzzy flowers, tinged with pink or red are highly attractive to butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects. Extremely tough and easy to grow in full sun with summer water, where it will grow 6 - 12 feet tall and wide with rich, green foliage. Able to survive drier conditions than a willow could handle, but it will look rough if it gets too dry. Responds well to pruning and can be cut down to six inches to refresh. Excellent screen, windbreak and for soil stabilization. Stellar for attracting pollinators.
More information »	Balsamorhiza deltoidea (deltoid balsamroot) A bold and beautiful western native perennial, with bright-yellow, sunflower like blooms. Large, triangular shaped leaves rise from a deep taproot, forming a rosette a foot or so tall. Flower stalks rise mid to late spring, carrying large, yellow daisies which attract a myriad of pollinators. Best in full sun or light shade with good drainage, where it will be very drought tolerant once established. Care should be taken to allow plants to become dryish between waterings, though well established plants require no summer water. Historically used by native people for food and medicine. Attractive to bees and butterflies, and the seeds are relished by birds.
More information »	Berberis (Mahonia) aquifolium (Oregon grape) This attractive, western native evergreen has a long history in cultivation for good reason. Erect stems rise 5 foot or more tall, spreading slowly by underground rhizomes to form dense clumps. Bronzy-red new growth gives way to dark-green, glossy leaves with spiny margins that are prickly to the touch. Cold winters can darken the foliage with purple-red tones. Late spring brings clusters of bright yellow, sweetly scented flowers. Edible blue-black fruits follow and are pretty and tasty. A useful and adaptable shrub in a hedge or a shrubby border. Takes full sun to part shade. Performs best with some afternoon shade in hot areas and moderate to infrequent water. A great habitat plant which provides cover, nectar rich flowers and fruits relished by all. Deer resistant.
More information »	Berberis (Mahonia) aquifolium var. repens (creeping Oregon grape) This little cousin of the much larger Oregon grape only gets 1 - 3 ft. tall and spreads underground to create dense, evergreen drifts. The divided leaves have a matte finish with a grey-green color which turns purple-red with frost. Clusters of bright yellow flowers open in spring and are followed by deep blue "grapes" much loved by birds. The sweet-scented flowers are enjoyed by bees and butterflies. Provide full sun to shade and moderate to infrequent irrigation. Deer resistant.
More information »	Berberis (Mahonia) nervosa (longleaf mahonia) A handsome species with especially long, leathery, evergreen leaves. Grows to around 2 ft. tall (sometimes more) and spreads by underground stems. Yellow flowers in spring are born in upright clusters, followed by blue berries. Great woodland groundcover for full or partial shade with occasional to regular summer water. Deer resistant. Fruits eaten by robins, finches and towhees. The flowers have nectar for hummingbirds and bees.
More information »	Berberis (Mahonia) nervosa var. mendocinoensis (Mendocino longleaf mahonia) The rare Mendocino longleaf mahonia comes from moist coniferous forests around Fort Bragg. Differs from the more diminutive longleaf mahonia in its unusual size: growing slowly to 5 ft tall or more and spreading to form narrow colonies. The pointed, leathery, deep green leaves, bronzy orange when young, provide a striking contrast to the bright yellow flower clusters produced in the spring. Attractive deep purple berries are a food source for birds. Needs shade and moderate moisture. Deer resistant.
More information »	Berberis (Mahonia) nevinii (Nevin's barberry) Nevin's barberry is a very rare southern California shrub with rigidly arching stems densely clothed in pointy silver gray leaflets. Heavy blooming with clear yellow flowers followed by heavy fruiting with bright red translucent fruit. 8 ft. by 8 ft. Does well in sunny well drained locations in the Bay Area. Great companion to matilija poppy and Salvia clevelandii. Very drought tolerant but best with occasional water. Deer resistant.
More information »	Berberis (Mahonia) pinnata (California barberry, shiny leaf mahonia) Description coming soon!
More information »	Berberis (Mahonia) pinnata 'Ken Hartman' (California barberry, shiny leaf mahonia) Similar to Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) but leaves are more crinkly and spiny. New growth often shows lots of red and orange. Grows upright to 6 ft. or more, particularly in ideal coastal sites. Handles drought better than the Oregon grape. Tolerates sun to shade. Best with a little shade in hot areas. Fruits eaten by robins, finches and towhees. The flowers have nectar for hummingbirds and bees. Deer resistant.