Gilia tricolor

The sweetly innocent Springy-fresh scent of this charming California native wildflower brings a sense of contentment and peacefulness whenever I get close to it. Though it looks somewhat delicate, it’s an easy and rugged annual, and a must have in my Spring garden. Tres-romantic with roses, and self-sows easily for lots of free plants each season. Good cut flower too.

Clarkias

All the native California Clarkias we grow are wonderful in the Spring to late Spring garden. So easy, lovely in form and they put on such a long show! Though I love them all, my favorite is probably Clarkia speciosa ssp. immaculata. Gorgeous in containers or trailing out of a bed. “Pismo Clarkia” forms a 12” tall by 13” wide dense, multi-branching mound of solid bloom, mid to late Spring to early-mid Summer. The 2” across, white eyed, cup shaped, flowers are edged in bright rosey-pink, and when ours are in bloom in the nursery everyone goes ga-ga and wants to buy them – but alas, it’s too late then! They are “hardy annuals” and are best planted during the cool weather of late winter and early Spring. Full sun.

Leptosiphon androsaceus ‘French Hybrids’

As we sell our plants in a pre-bloom state, this delightful native annual is easy to overlook. Once it’s in bloom in our gardens everyone wants one, but again, it’s too late. Each plant forms a dense, ferny mound, 7” tall and 15” across, and bears a profusion of small, star-shaped, flowers in “Fruit-loop” colors of rose, cream, soft yellow and orange. The flowers appear to float above the foliage. Another excellent trailer for containers, garden beds, rock walls or path edging. Stunning combined with Stylocomen heterophylla “California Wind Poppy” and Viola “Black Accord”. Hardy annual – Sun.

Limnanthes douglasii “Meadow Foam”

Blooming as early as December, if planted in the Fall, this darling California annual wildflower just exudes Springtime freshness! Masses of 5-petalled, yellow flowers with white tips, rise 5”-12” above the low and matting, bright green foliage. Scented too!! Fast, easy and long-blooming, “Meadow Foam” can be planted anytime between October to April here in California. Another good edger or container plant. Very fun when combined with Nemophilia menziesii “Baby- Blue-Eyes and Papaver “Greek Poppy”. Self sows easily, and will often sprout here in late Summer (with water) to bloom again in Fall. Hardy annual. Sun-Part shade.

Nemophilia menziesii “Baby Blue Eyes”

My ultimate “must have” in the Spring garden. Glorious, sky blue (not lavender blue), five petalled, flowers with white eyes are borne in profusion for 6-8 weeks in Spring. Forming a mounded shape, it eventually trails beautifully over the edge of garden bed and becomes covered with blooms. “Baby Blue Eyes” combines so well with all the Spring colors. Here’s some of my favorite choices: Malcomia maritima “Virginia Stock”, Omphalodes linifolia “Venus’ Navelwort”, Papaver ‘Greek Poppy’ and Papaver commutatum, California poppies, “Alba” and “Apricot Chiffon”. Makes an excellent bulb cover and is heart melting when planted in the foreground of yellow, pink or white roses. Self-sows too! Hardy annual. Full sun

Lupinus succulentus ‘Rodeo Rose’

So many Lupines – so little time (and room!). This rare, light pink and cherry version of the commonly blue “Arroyo Lupine” is quite amazing in several ways. It begins to bloom while small – only six inches tall in March-April. By May it is blooming like crazy and has grown to a bushy 30” x 30”. In June it is still going. And no mildew! The bluish- green foliage is quite attractive too. And, if it’s happy, it will self-sow and return each Spring in greater numbers. A top performer!

Penstemon heterophyllus “Blue Springs"

Luminous, almost turquoise 1”-1-1/2” blooms burst forth in Spring on many 12”-20” spikes. The foliage is low, dense, and bluish green, and remains nice-looking all year if cut back after bloom. Here in USDA Zone 10, I can get it to bloom (with watering) again in Summer and Fall, by adding some compost around the base, after cutting back the spent spikes. Absolutely stunning combined with California Poppy ‘Apricot Chiffon’. Penstemon heterophyllus needs no Summer water once established and is a reliable perennial to -10° when planted in the ground. Long lived up to 20 years (!) in well-drained, average soil with no additional watering or fertilizer. Sun.

Coreopsis maritima

The large (4” across), almost Dahlia-like, lemon yellow blooms of this rare California native wildflower are sweetly fragrant and appear atop 12” to 15” stems in Spring, Summer or Fall, depending when you plant them, here along the coast of California. Super easy and fast growing, “Beach Dahlia” will bloom soon after planting. Overall, it is a pretty and cheerful plant with lively rich green ferny-looking foliage. Here in USDA Zone 10 it self sows readily (with watering) as soon as the seeds drop to surprise you with 2 or 3 more performances each year. Combines nicely with Linaria reticulata ‘Velvet Red’ and Convoluvus tricolor ‘Blue Ensign’. Though best show is with rich moist soil, it easily tolerates non-fertile, well-drained soil. Once it self sows, the seedlings are happy with just Winter rains, so it’s perfect for a no-water native garden. Deer resistant too.

Deschampsia flexuosa

Looking for a beautiful evergreen, no care native grass? This is my favorite! In Summer, the frothy looking flower spikes make up a shimmering cloud that sparkles in the sun. The slender, bright green foliage forms a tidy and dense attractive clump, 7” tall and almost 15” across, and looks great in the garden year ‘round. Thrives in rich, irrigated garden soil, as well as dry gardens and makes lovely, airy cut flowers. Sun – Lt. Shade. Perennial. Hardy. USDA Zones 4A-10.

California Poppy “Apricot Chiffon’ Eschscholzia californica

Well, this can’t quite be called a true California native, but it is a variant of our California poppy, and it’s so gorgeous- I have to include it in this list. The double, wavy petals are bright apricot, brushed with gold, and are borne numerously above the ferny, bluish-green foliage. Here in coastal California, it can be planted year ‘round, except mid Summer. I love this poppy for how stunningly it combines with blue and purple bloomers, especially Penstemon heterophyllus “Blue Springs”. It does self-sow but will usually revert to the common orange California Poppy. No water needed once established.