In the few years we’ve lived here we have become huge fans of California’s Native Plants, and this week, April 17-23, we’re celebrating the first California Native Plant Week!
California Native Plant Week
Despite having hoards of projects to accomplish, we took some time over this last weekend to participate in some of our local native plant events.
California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica)
On Saturday morning, as California Native Plant Society members, we attended our local chapter CNPS native plant sale. We picked up two cultivars of California Fuchsia (Epilobium Canum), ‘Everett’s Choice’, and a local variety ‘Pogonip’. Our hope is these plants will help to add a splash of red color to the gardens when most of our native plants are in summer dormancy. They’re not blooming yet, but we expect them to be covered in red tubular flowers in summer.
California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum 'Everett's Choice') will be covered in red flowers in summer
Thanks to Barbara’s recent post at Weeding Wild Suburbia about various species of Flannel Bush (Fremontodendron sp.), we ventured into picking up a low-growing mounding cultivar F. californicum ssp. decumbens ‘Ken Taylor’ from the UCSC Arboretum. Their plant sale was next to the CNPS sale on Saturday.
Fremontia 'Ken Taylor' flower bud
Actually, we picked up two. Fremontias can be a little persnickety apparently, so this way if one doesn’t make it, we hope at least one will thrive.
Fremontia 'Ken Taylor' blossom
We’d avoided planting Fremontia previously as some members of this genus are quite large, and can overwhelm a small space, but ‘Ken Taylor’ should fit in perfectly. This lovely shrub resents summer water, and seems like a perfect candidate for our dry slope around the bee hives.
On Sunday, continuing the theme of our native plant weekend, we attended the Going Native Garden Tour. With so many gardens on display it was impossible to visit them all, but we did manage to squeeze in a few. Some of our favorite plants this year were this 30 year old, 4 foot high, Ceanothus ‘Carmel Creeper’, which was also clearly a hit with the bees.
Ceanothus 'Carmel Creeper'
I personally thought this specimen of seep monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus) was also very dazzling!
A dazzling specimen of Mimulus guttatus
During the tour we acquired a few additional plants for our own garden from some of the nurseries participating in the event, including this Silver Bush Lupine (Lupinus albifrons) that promises to bloom shortly…
Silver Bush Lupine (Lupinus albifrons)
Flower buds on Silver Bush Lupine (Lupinus albifrons)
At the end of the Tour we stopped by Town Mouse’s garden, and dropped in for a refreshing cup of tea.
A town mouse quietly tending succulents in the garden
We had a lovely visit with the Meeces, Town Mouse, Country Mouse, and Mr. Mouse, and it was great fun catch up on the changes and additions to the garden since last year’s tour.
The front garden was awash in these beautiful Phacelia flowers
If we can make our native sage plants half as happy as Town Mouse’s, we’ll be thrilled! We have a plain Salvia mellifera here, but nothing nearly as lovely as this ‘Shirley’s Creeper’ cultivar.
The Salvia mellifera 'Shirley's Creeper' was delighting the bees
The lighting at the end of the day was illuminating some of Town Mouse’s poppies in the garden perfectly.
A luminescent California poppy in Town Mouse's garden
We’re hoping that our new plant acquisitions from this weekend’s plant sales and garden tours will blend in nicely with the host of California natives that already call Curbstone Valley home. We currently have Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’ in full bloom…
Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita BOP'
and our Ceanothus thyrsiflorus are in peak flower too.
Ceanothus thrysiflorus
These plants are near the apiary, along with a Salvia clevelandii hybrid ‘Allen Chickering’.
Salvia clevelandii 'Allen Chickering'
Once established they all should do well without much in the way of summer water. We hope the Fremontia ‘Ken Taylor’ pictured above will help to bring a splash of yellow to the blues in this dry part of the garden.
Another plant sale acquisition was this delightful Ceanothus ‘Midnight Magic’.
Ceanothus 'Midnight Magic' only grows 2-3 feet in height, and 5-6 feet wide
As rich blue as Ceanothus ‘Dark Star’ this variety is a lower growing, spreading variety of Ceanothus that we hope will bring some variation in height to the garden.
Ceanothus 'Dark Star' grows 6-8 feet tall, and 8-10 feet wide
Honestly, I could have a garden filled with Ceanothus, and it still wouldn’t be enough.
Other natives in full flower at the moment include our Iris fernaldii which are multiplying beautifully across the slope.
Fernald's Iris (Iris fernaldii)
The Two-eyed Violet (Viola ocellata) is forming delicate drifts in some of the shadier areas of the garden…
Two-eyed Violet (Viola ocellata)
Our dwarf rose (Rosa gymnocarpa) is just beginning to bloom…
Rosa gymnocarpa
and our solitary Blue Witch (Solanum umbelliferum) has returned. I wish we had more of these, but so far I’ve only found a single plant growing on an east facing slope. It was a volunteer though, and we’re happy it’s here.
Blue Witch (Solanum umbelliferum)
We also have the promise of more flowers later this spring including our favorite endemic globe lilies Calochortus albus.
Calochortus albus will bloom in May
Not to be outdone, even our Redwood Sorrel is lighting up the darkest and shadiest areas under our Coast Redwoods.
Redwood Sorrel (Oxalis oregana)
As California is home to more than 6,000 varieties of native plants, we have so many more plants to choose from as we continue to improve the gardens here. If you live in California, and haven’t yet made space for some of our beautiful natives in your own garden, this week is a perfect week to get to know some of the plants and flowers that call California home.
We have a lot of planting to do this week!
I better head off to the garden…I seem to have some more planting to do!
I hadn’t heard of many of these plants so was fun to read about them. I’m interested to see the California Fuchsia when it blooms. Ceoanthus reminds me of San Francisco. Last time we were there visiting and were by the cable car turnaround, they were all in bloom with hummingbirds visiting them.
I wish NY had a week dedicated to natives. They had their Green initiative but the support was less than positive. NYC is like a different planet to here in Western New York, but slowly there are groups touting planting natives where they can occupy lost landscapes. It would be great to have a tour like you attended, ending with the garden of a fellow blogger. And taking home a truck load of plants too.
Wow, so many beautiful pics! I am going to be checking out a few of these, to see how they adapt to the PNW. I am loving the Fremontia’s hope they do well for you, I’m crossing my fingers =)
A host of gorgeous plants~Some of their names sound familiar and I even recognize one or two. You and the Meeces have helped educate me! Plus, we have our own phacelias, salvias, penstemons and other pretties. I do love the ceanothus; such a lovely blue~ Isn’t nature grand! gail
Amazing photos! I’m so impressed by how much I’ve done for Native Plant Week. I’ve pretty much collapsed after the tour….But by Saturday I’ll be ready for a hike and will enjoy the plants in Mother Nature’s garden.
Love that Iris, BTW.
what a wonderful celebration and as always I love seeing your beautiful and different wildflowers
I really believe that there is nothing more beautiful than native plants in spring. My favorite is the California poppy because I love orange flowers.
So many beautiful natives to choose from Clare! I’m looking forward to seeing that California Fuchsia flower and am really very taken with the Ceanothus. That is one beautiful photo with the little pollen laden bee visiting!
Now I’m off to catch up with the posts I’ve missed and catch up with the Curbstone bee news 🙂
Wow! What a terrific variety of native plants you have to choose from. The different varieties of ceanothus as well as the other flowers you highlighted are all gorgeous!
A native plant fair is such a wonderful idea but so many of your natives are plants I hanker after, particularly Phacelias. Thus I shall have to break with the cult of avoiding aliens! All beautiful images but especially the poppies
Great photos for all these, Clare and this looks like a shopping list to me! These will keep your bees happy.
Your comment awhile ago about aiming for year round color from natives made me think about planting a few purchased natives together or in front of some of the existing ones here where a little color would be nice. I believe I’m ready for a trip to the native plant nursery this weekend, too.
I in CNPS too but I’ve been letting things slide a little with doing the Master Gardener course. I’m looking forward to rejoining the rank and file of my CNPS buddies again. Your natives look great – happy and healthy!
Clare – could you hear my *sigh* from there?! Between the photos and the links to your resources, it was a little bit of garden ‘Heaven’! In 2 weeks a local garden club is having a “Natives” plant sale… you should see my list! ;D
Happy first Cal Native Plant Week! You have some beautiful hardy selections that I think you’ll be very happy with. Margarita BOP penstemon is always a reliable stunner, and the Ken Taylor fremontia will be too (mine is at the end of the driveway and just starting to bloom). ‘m totally green with envy that Calochortus albus is native to your site 🙂
A week to celebrate native plants is such a great idea — especially when it is timed to coincide with Earth Day. I hope the week was successful in raising consciousness and educating people about all your beautiful native plants. -Jean
Clare, I can see why just one Ceonanthus would never be enough. 🙂 They are gorgeous shrubs, and I can understand the bees’ enchantment. I’m loving the flower form of the Salvia clevelandii, and the silver bush lupine is lovely, as well. I can see you have a very pleasant and busy Earth Day week ahead of you, planting these lovely additions to CV Farm. 🙂
Happy belated Earth Day!