Water Wise Plants

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California Buckeye

Tree

Can grow 10 - 25 ft. or more, and spread 30 ft. or wider

Very Low: water deeply several times a summer

Full to half sun, shade

White to pink

The California buckeye is an unusual native because it is summer deciduous. It will naturally drop its leaves with the heat of summer, but with regular watering it may hold leaves longer. Its nectar/pollen is poisonous to European honeybees, but not to native bees. The flower has a candy or perfume-like scent, and blooms in very early spring.

The tree produces a large nut that resembles a buck's eye, thus the name. The nut is poisonous to eat. The nuts easily reseed where they fall, so collect them if new sprouts are not desired.

Without summer leaves, the pale bark of the California buckeye offers interest and structure in the garden and is very easy to prune and shape.

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Spider Aloe

Succulent

2-3 ft. high, 2-4 ft. wide

Very Low: water deeply several times a summer

Full to half sun, shade

Red-orange

Spider aloe is a slow-growing succulent, making it unlikely to outgrow its space or crowd its neighbors. This low-maintenance plant is an excellent specimen for a small low-water garden.

It’s a striking plant with an interesting form – it almost looks like a piece of modern sculpture. Spider aloe is frost-tender so be sure to protect it on cold winter nights.

PADG notes: In the winter, spider aloe is rumored to have red flower spikes that are attractive to hummingbirds. Unfortunately, this cannot be confirmed because the plant has never bloomed in our location.

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Douglas' Sagewort

Perennial

4 ft (1.2 m) wide x 8 ft (2.4 m) tall

Moderate: water weekly until the root ball is wet

Half sun to shade

Cream, White, Yellow

Artemisia douglasiana is an aromatic shrub in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family, although plants in this genus don't look like it. It is commonly called California Mugwort or Douglas' Sagewort. Found in virtually every county of California, this plant has been used as a ceremonial plant in many Native American cultures, for use in treating a minor injury or as a dream potentiator. The plant is native to the western United States and into Baja California where it is often found in moist areas such as drainages. It's often riparian in the drier parts of its range. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, often not producing viable seed. It spreads by rhizomes, especially in damp areas. This plant is not often seen in residential gardens but is sometimes grown for medicinal purposes. It is also useful in restoration projects and for erosion control.

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Wild Ginger

Groundcover

7-10 inches high and spreading

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Shade

Maroon, generally hidden by leaves

This California native boasts large, shiny, heart-shaped leaves that give the plant a lush, almost tropical look. The leaves can be up to seven inches wide, which can hide the interesting maroon flowers that bloom in late winter or early spring.

Asarum caudatum grows naturally in the coastal redwood forests and prefers a cool, moist environment. In Santa Clara County gardens with coastal influences, wild ginger can do well on a low water diet if given a shady spot and rich soil full of organic material. In drier landscapes, it may disappear in the summer months and reappear after the winter rains. 

This plant is extremely low maintenance. All it seems to need is the occasional removal of old leaves.

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Foothill Sedge

Grass

2 ft. tall and 1 ft. wide

Very Low: water deeply several times a summer

Full to half sun, shade

No flowers

Foothill sedge makes a lovely informal ground cover in shady areas. With occasional watering, this plant stays green over the entire summer. It will survive full sun but can begin to look ratty in the summer.

This plant was once considered a California native, but that has recently been disproven. The new name is Carex divulsa, but it may still be sold in nurseries as Carex tumulicola.

PADG notes: At the end of winter, many people cut this plant back to several inches above the ground, but that has not been necessary at the demonstration garden. Because plants are in the shade, they don’t become tattered. Reseeding has also not been a problem, probably because of extensive bark mulch and drip irrigation in the water wise garden.

KOR-ree-uh

Australian Fuchsia

Shrub

6 ft. to 8 ft. wide and 2 ft. to 3 ft. tall

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Full to half sun, shade

Reddish pink to red, cream, orange, and greenish yellow

Correa has many attributes that make it ideal for Bay Area gardeners. It thrives in sun, partial sun, or shade; is deer resistant and bird friendly; has pretty, long-lasting flowers that provide winter color; does well with moderate to occasional water; does not get too big; tolerates our alkaline soil; and is evergreen.

Also, the shrub requires no deadheading or pruning, so it is practically maintenance-free. Look for some of the newer cultivars of Correa that have been bred to produce more visible flowers above the foliage.

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Australian Fuchsia, White

Shrub

8 ft. high and wide

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Full to half sun, shade

Correa alba looks very different from the more commonly grown Correa ‘Dusky Bells’. The flowers are more open and less downward facing than other Correas. The foliage is fuzzy on the back side and the stems are bronzy brown. This shrub can grow to 8 feet by 8 feet without regular pruning.

Like Correa ‘Dusky Bells’, Correa alba thrives in sun, partial sun, or shade; is deer resistant and bird friendly; and has long-lasting flowers. The plant does well with moderate to occasional water, tolerates alkaline soil, and is evergreen. The plant is sensitive to overwatering and overfertilizing.

PADG notes: Some find Correas to be short-lived but at the Palo Alto Demonstration Garden, this plant is still going strong after several years in the garden. The beds in garden are mulched with wood chips, but not fertilized and watered deeply with drip irrigation once every three weeks.

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Pig's Ear

Succulent

3 ft. tall and 2 ft. wide

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Full to half sun, shade

No flowers

Cotyledon orbiculata has large, bright green, red-edged leaves. Many summer-dry plants have small, fine leaves so these brightly colored, fleshy leaves add a much needed punch to the garden. This is especially important during the quiet months in the fall and winter when not much is blooming.

Like many succulents, Cotyledon orbiculata is easily propagated from cuttings and does well in containers. It is cold hardy to 20–25°F.

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Succulent

Less that 1 ft. tall and wide

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Half sun to shade

Pink, red with yellow tips

Echeveria is a good filler or edging plant for the summer-dry flower border and also does well in pots. The sculptural quality of the fleshy leaves provides a nice contrast to the more delicate leaves of many perennials.

Echeverias are sometimes called ‘Hen and Chicks’, but so are Sempervivums, another succulent. It's one of the problems with using common names. In this case, it is better to use the botanical name, Echeveria.

PADG Notes: Echeveria ‘Imbricata’, a UC Davis Arboretum All-Star, is featured in the Demonstration Garden. Some Echeverias do well in full sun, but Imbricata seems to do better in half shade and with a drip very close to the roots.

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Monkey Flower

Perennial

2 1/2 ft. tall and wide

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Full to half sun, shade

White, cream, yellow, orange, copper, salmon, red, maroon

Mimulus is a cheerful California native that adds bright color to the garden. This shrubby perennial has been hybridized heavily to produce a rainbow of colors. In the wild, different species of Mimulus can be found from southern Oregon to southern California.

Happy in sun or part shade, these plants prefer good drainage. With supplemental water, you can expect some repeat bloom all summer. Mimulus is a favorite in native plant gardens because of its color range.

When new foliage appears at its base in late winter, the plant is ready to be pruned back to the new green growth. This hard pruning will rejuvenate the plant. If there is no growth at the base, then gently pinch the tips to encourage new growth. The scientific name of this plant was recently changed from Mimulus guttatus to Erythranthe guttata.

PADG notes: Some Master Gardeners have found this plant to be short-lived; other Master Gardeners have Mimulus plants in their personal gardens that are over five years old and doing just fine. These plants are easy to propagate from cuttings and seeds.

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California Fescue

Grass

2 ft. high and wide, with inflorescence 2 - 3 ft. high

Very Low: water deeply several times a summer

Full to half sun, shade

Golden

Festuca californica is a commonly planted California native grass. It is larger than many of the Festucas, reaching two feet or more in height and has a softer more arching habit. Unlike many California natives, this plant can take moderate water and will stay green and lush with regular watering. Without regular summer watering, it will go dormant. Festuca californica is tough and resilient. To prevent reseeding, be sure to deadhead in early summer.

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Idaho Fescue

Grass

1 ft. to 2 ft. tall and wide

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Shade

No flowers

Idaho fescue is common native grass in California and many other western states. Without summer water, they turn brown and scraggly. Even with occasional summer water, Festucas do better shadier areas than in full sun. Miscanthus, another type of grass, does better in full sun, but is larger than Festucas.

PADG notes: The Palo Alto Demonstration Garden is still searching for a grass that is low growing and does well in full sun with limited water.

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Cranesbill ‘Biokovo’

Groundcover

6 - 8 in. tall and spreading

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Full to half sun, shade

Pale pink

This pretty ground cover is good for dry shady areas. The pale pink flowers have a long season and complement a variety of plants, from roses to California native shrubs to coast live oaks. It's easy to propagate and transplant to new areas. Just cut off a small piece, plant it directly in the soil and keep it wet until the plant roots. Shear in the fall to get fresh growth in the spring.

Be aware that geranium ‘Biokovo’ can become aggressive and spread quickly if planted in soil that is fertilized and watered regularly. 

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Coral Bells ‘Rosada’

Perennial

3 ft. to 4 ft. wide with 1 ft. flower stalks

Moderate: water weekly until the root ball is wet

Half sun to shade

Pink

There are many kinds of Heuchera, but Heuchera ‘Rosada’ is a favorite. Introduced to the nursery trade by the UC Davis Arboretum, it is a cross between two different western U.S. native species.

Heuchera ‘Rosada’ prefers light shade and occasional to moderate water. With beautiful rosettes of low growing foliage and stalks of pink blooms, it is a favorite of woodland gardens. Removing the flower stalks when the plant finishes blooming is all the maintenance needed. Although these plants will grow in full sun, they will need more water to look their best. Plants grown in the shade can tolerate less water.

UC Davis Arboretum selected Heuchera ‘Rosada’ for its Arboretum All-Stars designation, which identifies plants that are easy to grow, reliable, do not need a lot of water, and have few pest or disease problems.

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False Solomon Seal

Perennial

1 - 2 ft. (0.3 - 0.6 m) wide x 2.5 ft.(0.8 m) tall

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Shade

White, Red

Maianthemum stellatum (False Solomon's Seal) is a species of flowering plant in the family Ruscaceae, native across North America generally from Alaska to California. In California it is found primarily in the Coast Ranges and Sierras. An everchanging seasonal plant with little white buds in the spring, followed by delicate starry flowers, then stripy berries and deep red berries in the fall. It is a woodland herbaceous perennial plant, smaller than its close relative M. racemosum. This is a plant for full shade.

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Celery Scented Pelargonium

Groundcover

12 - 18 in. high and 15 -24 in. wide

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Half sun to shade

Magenta pink

Pelargonium ionidiflorum blooms throughout the year with bright pink flowers. Attractive when grown in front of border plants, it stays low and compact and seems to do well in partial shade. Unlike other Pelargoniums, this plant does not get leggy. Maintenance is minimal, and occasional deadheading is all that is needed.

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Western Sword Fern

Perennial

3 - 5 ft. tall and 3 - 4 ft wide

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Shade

No flowers

Western sword ferns are found in in forests throughout California and much of the west. These ferns help give shady landscapes a natural woodsy look. These plants are very tolerant of competition from tree roots. To keep them looking attractive, remove older fronds. Keep in mind that sword ferns provide forage for elk, deer, and black bears, should you wish for any of these animals in your garden.

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Coffeeberry 'Mound San Bruno'

Shrub

5 ft. tall and wide

None: avoid summer water

Full to half sun, shade

Inconsequential pale yellow

Coffeeberry isn't a flashy shrub, but it does add much needed structure to the native plant bed. The berries on the plant are attractive and beneficial for birds and small mammals.

There are many different varieties of coffeeberry. They can be used as an informal hedge or screen or gently pruned to be a bedding or foundation shrub. 'Mound San Bruno' has a compact growing habit that works well in a perennial bed.

PADG notes: The California native coffeeberry 'Mound San Bruno' was planted in a native plant bed that receives both sun and shade. The amount of sun the bed gets varies depending on the time of year and time of day. That's a common condition in many gardens and not all shrubs do well in both sun and shade.

The coffeeberry was watered once a week to get it started, but now that it is established, it is only watered once or twice over the summer to wash the dust off the leaves.

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Pink Flowering Currant

Shrub

5 ft. to 12 ft. tall and wide

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Half sun to shade

Pink, red, yellow, white

Ribes sanguineum is a useful landscape plant because it is one of the few shrubs that shine in dry shade. Pink Flowering Currant is one of the first plants to awaken in the spring with a beautiful display of pendulous pink flowers and green maple-like lobed leaves. Ribes, a deciduous shrub, loses all its leaves in the late fall.

This plant can be used as a focal plant in the garden surrounded by smaller perennials or as an understory plant when combined with large trees with low water usage, like California Oaks. It can get by with very little water but looks fuller when a moderate amount of water is applied in the summer. When using Ribes under a California Oak, avoid summer water.

There are many different cultivars of Ribes available with flowers ranging from red to pink to yellow to white. Some types of Ribes work well in full sun.

Hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers, especially since they bloom when not much else is flowering. In the fall the shrub has blue-black berries that attract fruit-eating birds including mockingbirds and cedar waxwings. Ribes sanguineum is found along the Pacific coast from California to British Columbia, Canada.

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Fuchsia Flowering Gooseberry

Shrub

4-8 ft tall x 6-10 ft wide

Very Low: water deeply several times a summer

Full to half sun, shade

Red

This California native is a large, spiny shrub that can exist with no summer irrigation. Ribes speciosum will go fully dormant during the summer, therefore it is not recommended as a summer focal plant. As soon as the winter rains begin, the plant will unfold glossy green leaves and fuchsia-like red flowers that bloom all winter. The flowers that hang along the undersides of the long arching branches are loved by hummingbirds.

Because of the spiny branches, this shrub should be kept away from walks. It makes a formidable barrier.

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Thimbleberry

Shrub

4 - 8.2 ft. (1.2 - 2.5 m) tall

Moderate: water weekly until the root ball is wet

Half sun to shade

White, Yellow

Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry) is a species in the Rosaceae (Rose) family native to western and northern North America, from Alaska east to Ontario and Michigan and south to northern Mexico and widespread in California. It grows from sea level in the north, up to 2,500 meter altitude in the south of the range. It is a dense shrub up to 2.5 meter tall with canes 3-15 millimeter diameter, often growing in large clumps which spread through the plant's underground rhizome. Rubus is the genus of raspberries and blackberries, but unlike most other members of the genus, this has no thorns. The soft, fuzzy, palmate leaves measure 5-20 cm across, with five lobes. The flowers are 2-6 cm in diameter, with five white petals and numerous pale yellow stamens. It produces a tart edible composite fruit 10-15 millimeter diameter, which ripen to a bright red in mid to late summer. Like other raspberries it is not a true berry, but instead an aggregate fruit of numerous drupelets around a central core; the drupelets may be carefully removed separately from the core when picked, leaving a hollow fruit which bears a resemblance to a thimble, perhaps giving the plant its name.

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Creeping Raspberry

Groundcover

6 ft. wide and 6 in. to 12 in. tall

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Half sun to shade

Small white flowers

Rubus pentalobus is a tough, low maintenance ground cover that does well in dry shade--a rare combination. Its dense, spiny branches discourage weeds. The tiny fruit of Rubus pentalobus is edible, although you'll probably only get enough to sprinkle on a bowl of cereal.

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Sage 'Christine Yeo'

Perennial

12-18 in. high and 24 - 36 in. wide

Low: water every three weeks until the root ball is wet

Full to half sun, shade

Salvias microphyllas is a shrubby perennial that come in a wide variety of colors and will bloom many months with deadheading. It stays a manageable size in the garden and will not overwhelm neighboring plants.

The flower pictured here is Salvia hybrid 'Cristine Yeo'. It is a cross between Salvia microphylla and Salvia chamaedryoides.

PADG Notes: Salvia microphyllas prefer full sun, but this plant is doing well with morning sun and afternoon shade in our garden. It seems a little floppy, which might be a shade issue or just its natural form. 

With a little work, the  Salvia microphyllas can be kept in top form in your garden. At PADG, all flowers are sheared off in early summer and again during fall clean up. This keeps the plant more compact and encourages repeat blooming. In the spring, one third of is oldest stems are pruned out to keep the plant from getting woody. A nice bonus for pruning work -- the leaves of these Salvias smell wonderful.

SAL-vee-a spa-THAY-see-a

Hummingbird Sage

Perennial

1-2 ft high x spreading

Very Low: water deeply several times a summer

Full to half sun, shade

Red

Salvia spathacea is a California native plant with an unusually (for California natives) lush appearance. The leaves of this plant are large and can grow up to a foot in length.

The plant spreads by underground rhizomes and can eventually cover a large area. Hummingbird sage can make a colorful ground cover in dry, shady conditions.

From spring until fall, flowering stems appear above the foliage. The flower clusters are spaced evenly along the stems creating a bold vertical accent. Light pruning after blooming will help keep this plant neat.

PADG Notes: In the PADG Water Wise Garden, we found that too much summer sun burned the leaves and made the plant unattractive. Also, our hummingbird sage spread more aggressively than had been anticipated. A few runners were replanted to shadier spots under oak trees and will be monitored carefully. 

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Snowberry

Shrub

3 - 5 ft. tall and wide

None: avoid summer water

Full to half sun, shade

When fall and winter come, shrubs with berries and fruit add interest to the garden. Snowberry, a California native, has white berries that show up in the fall and last through winter. These berries are attractive to birds too.

One of the best features of snowberry is it does well in dry woodland conditions. It is a rare shrub that will thrive under a thicket of oak trees.

Some people find the branching structure of snowberry to be messy. California Native Plants for the Garden recommends occasional coppicing to improve its appearance. Coppicing means to cut back a plant to about one foot from the ground. This usually works best right before a plant puts out new growth in the spring.

PADG Notes: Our snowberries grow in a shady area that gets no summer irrigation.