Plants + Flowers
Native and other drought-tolerant plants have low-water needs in this Palos Verdes, California, yard. 4. How much water does it get? Does your climate get regular rain throughout the growing season, like the Northeast? Or are you in an area with dry summers, like Southern California? By selecting plants adapted to your climate and rainfall patterns, particularly regionally native species, you can avoid supplemental watering. Otherwise you must be willing to add supplemental water, or invest in an irrigation system, for when it’s too dry.
17. Bigleaf Hydrangea(Hydrangea macrophylla)Growing in colors that range from blue to baby pink and purple, bigleaf hydrangea is a garden staple in cottage or traditional-style gardens, but it can find a place in garden spaces of all styles. Reaching 4 to 8 feet tall and wide, shrubs produce long-lasting blooms from summer to fall. Bloom season: Summer to fall Cold tolerance: Hardy to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 28.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 9)Origin: JapanWater requirement: RegularLight requirement: Partial shade or full sun in the morningWhen to plant: Spring to early summer or in fallSee how to grow bigleaf hydrangea
15. Coneflower (Echinacea spp.)While coneflower comes in a range of colors, from white to pale pink, purple coneflower (E. purpurea) is still one of the most popular and beautiful. These prairie natives are extremely versatile, growing well in mixed flower gardens or woodland-style gardens. They’re also boons to wildlife, as flowers attract butterflies, seeds attract birds — they even attract some beneficial insects. Their seed heads also add interest to a winter garden. Bloom season: Summer to fallCold tolerance: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9)Origin: Eastern and central United StatesWater requirement: Regular; can handle some drought when establishedLight requirement: Full sunWhen to plant: Spring or fallSee how to grow coneflower
8. Blue Wild Indigo(Baptisia australis)Blue wild indigo is a garden specimen that brings purple-blue spikes 3 to 4 feet tall and wide to the garden, as well as beneficial native bees. Its low maintenance and ability to thrive in the drier parts of the garden make it a useful and attractive garden workhorse. Bloom season: SpringCold tolerance: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9)Origin: From the U.S. Midwest to the East CoastWater requirement: Medium to dry Light requirement: Full to partial sunWhen to plant: Spring to fallSee how to grow blue wild indigo
6. Lavender (Lavandula spp.)If you’re looking for a fragrant, resilient and wildlife-friendly shrub for your Mediterranean-climate garden, there’s no need to look beyond lavender. This familiar herb is at home in gardens of all styles, also finding great use inside the home. You can grow many varieties of lavender, but those grown most often are English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia or L.officinalis), lavandin (L. x intermedia) and Spanish lavender (L. stoechas). Bloom season: SummerCold tolerance: Hardy to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 28.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 10)Origin: Throughout the MediterraneanWater requirement: Regular to establish, then minimal Light requirement: Full sunWhen to plant: Spring through fall, except during the hottest summer daysSee how to grow lavender
5. Cleveland Sage(Salvia clevelandii)Southern California gardeners know the distinct herbal scent of Cleveland sage, as the plant grows wild in the native landscape. These deer-resistant pollinator-attractors stand 3 to 5 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide, doing well as a backdrop or landscape anchor plant. Their blue-purple flowers provide a nice contrast to warmer-hued California natives like California poppies (Eschscholzia californica). Bloom season: Spring through summerCold tolerance: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 degrees Celsius (zones 8 to 11)Origin: Southern California and northern Baja California, MexicoWater requirement: LowLight requirement: Full sun When to plant: Spring or fallSee how to grow Cleveland sage
P. parryi; photo from the National Park Service4. Phacelia(Phacelia spp.)These annuals appear every spring, unfurling flashy bell-shaped flowers that attract pollinators with pollen and nectar. Since these flowers self-sow, plant once and you’ll have flowers year after year.Caution: The hairs on the stems and leaves may produce dermatitis in those who are sensitive. Wear long sleeves and gloves when working near phacelias. Bloom season: SpringCold tolerance: Hardiness varies by species (zones 3 to 10)Origin: California; some species are also native to other statesWater requirement: Low to moderateLight requirement: Full sun When to plant: Sow seeds in fall or early winter; put in plants from fall to early springSee how to grow phacelia
Plants like rhododendrons, hostas, ferns, forest grasses and spring ephemerals will grow well in the shade under these mature trees.
Q