Designer: Nan Simonsen Nanscapes | Garden Tours: Garden Rooms Extravaganza Riverside |
Photographer: GardenSoft |
Common name: Strawberry Tree
Botanical name: Arbutus unedo
This plant is either a small tree or large evergreen shrub. It has a red-brownish trunk and branches that are twisted with age. The dark green leaves have red stems. It has clusters of small, white or greenish-white urn shaped flowers and small, red and yellow fruit that has a strawberry like texture from which the common name is derived. It has slow to moderate growth to 15' with the same spread. It can become damaged in severe winters.
Common name: Shrimp Plant
Botanical name: Justicia brandegeeana
This shrub will reach 3' x 3'. It has small, light green leaves. Unusual flowers with with red orange and yellow bracts form at the tips of branches. Blooms appear spring through fall. Needs partial shade and may require additional water to make it through the summer in the low desert. Excellent container plant.
Common name: Dazzler Flax
Botanical name: Phormium 'Dazzler'
Dazzler Flax is a New Zealand flax with striped maroon and scarlet leaves from 2-3' in height. Can tolerate fairly dry conditions but is best with regular irrigation.
Common name: Sweet Alyssum
Botanical name: Lobularia maritima
Lobularia maritima is an annual. It is a low branching, trailing plant to 1' tall, with narrow or lance-shaped leaves .5"-2" long. There are tiny, four-petaled, white flowers crowded in clusters.
Common name: Dwarf Compact Heavenly Bamboo
Botanical name: Nandina domestica 'Nana'
The ' Nana' is a small, rounded shrub that grows from 12"-15" high. Its growth habit is dense, and the leaves become bright red in color in cold winter areas. It can receive sun to part shade, and is used well as an accent plant.
Common name: Lamb's Ear
Botanical name: Stachys byzantina
This tiny shrub will grow less than 1' tall and has medium-size, greyish-green leaves with blue and lavender flowers that bloom in the spring. This shrub is grown more for its velvety leaves than the flowers. It is drought tolerant once it's established. Be careful not to overwater.
Common name: Heartleaf Bergenia
Botanical name: Bergenia cordifolia
This evergreen perennial has round, heart-shaped, glossy leaves that possess waxy-toothed edges. Its growth is clustered, and flowers that bloom in the spring are in shades of lilac or rose, held on stems above the leaves.
Common name: Blue Lily Turf
Botanical name: Liriope muscari
Grass-like clumps of dark green leaves 1" wide up to 18" long are found on the Liriope muscari. It can reach a height of 12"-15", and dark blue flowers spikes can be seen held above the leaves during the summer. This is an excellent border, accent or ground cover plant that requires part shade exposure.
Common name: Wilhelm's Lance Torch Lily
Botanical name: Kniphofia 'Wilhelm's Lance'
This perennial will grow to about 6' tall and has large green, grass-like leaves with red, orange, and yellow tubular flowers that bloom in summer. Flowers resemble tiki torches. Hummingbirds love the flowers.
Common name: Cornflower, Bachelor's Button
Botanical name: Centaurea cyanus
This plant grows 24"-36" tall and 6"-12" wide. It can come with blue, purple, white, and pink flowers from May-September. They make great cut flowers.
Common name: Yellow Moraea, Fortnight Lily
Botanical name: Dietes bicolor
This clumping perennial Iris relative stands 3'-4' high and 3' wide. It has light yellow, iris-like flowers with maroon blotches that are about 2" wide. It performs best in full sun in coastal areas and appreciates afternoon shade or complete light shade in warm, inland areas. It does best with regular watering and well draining soil. Flowers only bloom one day but another one will bloom the following day, blooming from spring through fall. Foliage is evergreen, long, thin and sword-like.
Common name: Strawberry Guava
Botanical name: Psidium cattleianum
This shrub will reach 12' tall and has medium sized, glossy green leaves with white flowers that bloom in the summer.
Common name: Pink Gaura
Botanical name: Gaura lindheimeri 'Siskiyou Pink'
Pink Gaura is a profusely flowering perennial for all zones that grows 2'-3' tall and wide. It has maroon buds that open to showy, reddish pink flowers in spring through fall. It needs full sun with well draining soil. However in desert areas, it appreciates afternoon shade with regular watering. In non-desert areas, it is drought tolerant once it's established. Prune plant in spring to refreshen and fertilize to ensure more blooms. Looks great in containers.