Angelica stricta ‘Purpurea’
“Black Angelica”

I have never scooped a Plant of the Month for two months in a row before, but I feel compelled to turn you on to this unknown garden star. SO RARE, SO COOL AND SO ABSOLUTELY LUSCIOUS, I’m declaring it a “Super Must Have!” We are so lucky that Mendocino Botanical Garden once again has deemed us worthy of a gift of their seed. The last time we received seed was 3 years ago and it may be another 3 years before our next batch. Or this might be our last batch ever, for all I know, as the birds always get to my seed mothers before I do! So what I’m saying is HEADS UP GARDEN LOVERS! Take advantage of this awesome opportunity to snag this bodacious beauty while it lasts!

Three years ago, I planted “Black Angelica” front and center in two of our demonstration beds, hoping to collect seed. During the next year we fended off folks with “lust in their heart,” directing them to add it to their “Wish List” on our website. So besides its rarity factor (try Googling it), why is this large monocarpic herb so desirable you ask? Elegant and stately, “Black Angelica” grows fairly quickly into a well balanced branching form, anchored by a thick, strong central stalk and strong upwardly angled side branches topped by a foliar umbrella. But here’s the first thing – the stalks and stems are all an intensely rich deep ruby in color. Mmmm! And then we have the leaves - large and tropical and so luxuriously deepest purple-black, we’ve been asked if it’s a black palm! Bringing magnificent contrast to the garden, it draws the eye, grabbing center stage wherever its planted. Even before it blooms you’ll be rewarded with that “gardener’s glee” we all so love to experience. Now, you’d think with all this foliar and architectural fabulosity it just has to have boring flowers, but ho-ho! Mother Nature decided to make Angelica stricta a gardener’s dream, bestowing her beautiful large umbels 4-7” across. Held for maximum visablity 6-12” above the foliage and emerging from dramatic large buds, the flowers start out as rich ruby-purple and age to a lovely rosey-purple, attracting a variety of butterflies and other enchanting pollinators. Peak Summer bloom lasts at least a month but the flower heads remain attractive until Fall, providing popular tasty birdy treats. Ever-so-cute bouncy little Bushtits partied on my plants for several days. Who would have the heart to shoo them away to protect the seed? Not me! Fortunately, they must have knocked some to the ground resulting in a few new plants each year ever since. Very easy to grow, just provide rich soil, full sun and average water. Hardy too, down to USDA Zone 5!

Cussonia paniculata
“Cabbage Tree”

What plant is more fun and funky than the South African “Cabbage Tree?” A perfect focal point for the small garden, front yard or even parking strips, it can even be grown in a large container for a long while.
Looking so much like Dr. Seuss’s “Truffula Tree,” Cussonia paniculata forms a single thick trunk – no more than 12’ tall. And sprouting from the top, a cartoonish blue-grey mop-head of beautiful deeply divided palm-like leaves complete the fanciful silhouette. Add to that, neat-o corky tan colored bark, vertically patterned with amber fissures. Our Cussonia tree looks so cool in our dry succulent bed here at the nursery, underplanted with silvery grey leaved "Pig's Ear" Cotyledon orbiculata, the almost everblooming Calandrinia spectabilis and other dry loving friends (do check it out if you’ve never seen it before). A must for the xeriscape garden, cactus garden or any well-drained patch. It’s drought tolerant for sure, but if you give it regular to occasional water for the first few years and an annual layer of compost you can make it grow quicker (several feet a year) than in its natural habitat. Then, surround it with lower growers where it can stand out in style! Now is the perfect time to plant one and take advantage of the coming rainy season.

Sun. Avg./No Summer water. Tree.
USDA zones 9-10
(said to be hardy to mid-20’s F)

Lampranthus sp.
‘Cherry Bomb’

THE DEFINITION OF EXPLOSIVE COLOR! And probably the most terrific, tight and tidy colorific drought tolerant groundcover I’ve come across so far! Thanks to a lovely visitor who dropped off a small plant for us to propagate – we can now offer it to you! Coolness plus! Growing 6-12” tall and no more than 2' across ‘Cherry Bomb’ bursts into a solid mass of bright, almost florescent pink in May and June. After its finished blooming, shear it back severely (to promote densest growth) and you’ll get another round of lesser bloom and a chance to enjoy the handsome contrast between the colorful flowers and the highly attractive small, slim blue-grey foliage. Just the best for edging or groundcovering a drier garden or parking strip and wonderful as a low maintenance container plant, too!

Sun. Avg./Low water. Perennial.
USDA zones 8a-11

Philadelphus mexicanus
‘Flore Plena’
“Mexican Mock Orange”

Are you a fragrance floozie? Wouldn’t you love a “Mock Orange” that’s evergreen, highly fragrant and blooms almost year around? Of course you would! And good news brothers & sisters, we finally have another good sized crop of our favorite – “Mexican Mock Orange.” Quite rare in the trade, Philadelphus mexicanus ‘Flore Plena’ is a fast growing, undemanding shrub reaching 5’ x 6’ within a year or two and can eventually climb its way up to 15-20’ if it has something to lean on - if you let it, of course! Deliciously scented and unlike any other Philadelphus, the flowers smell tropical-y, LIKE TUBEROSE! Truly! Creamy white, 1.5” cup shaped and frilly-double, with a good sized boss of golden stamens, the flowers are really quite lovely, too. Forming long, arching, branching canes with pretty oval mid-green leaves, you can espalier it on a wall or arbor or let it mingle with taller roses like ‘Altissimo’ or ‘Climbing Sparrieshoop.’ So easy-going, you can prune it back severely, shaping it into a smaller bushy form. Or let it go wild in that little-used skinny walkway on the side of your house, the better for its sexy scent to waft its way into your bedroom – hubba hubba! Philadelphus can be grown in full sun or part shade here along our foggy coast – best in part shade for you inland folks. Rich soil, an annual layer of compost and regular water will make it grow fast and lush. It’s happy with only occasional Summer water once established.

Sun/Pt. Shade. Avg/Low water. Perennial.
USDA zones 9-10. Hardy to 20 F

Phlomis aurea
“Sinai Jerusalem Sage"

FABULOUS DRY GARDEN FOLIAR CONTRAST! And woo-hoo - it's not “grey,” the most common color used in xeric gardens for foliar contrast.
(It can get boring, I think). I'm thrilled to have in our possession – for the first time - this outstanding , extremely rare & desirable TOUGH AS NAILS “Sinai Jerusalum Sage.” Bright and golden and fuzzy, the leaves are to die for and the compact 3’ x 3’ mounding form is attractive and useful as well, especially in drier gardens where herbacious plants can look shaggy after awhile. Making an opportune debut just as many folks are focusing on waterwise gardening, Phlomis aurea is also more cold hardy than the more commonly available species – down to 0-5 degrees F. More cool features: it's heat tolerant (as in “Sinai”), deer proof and snail proof and totally tactile, plus it makes nice yellow phlomis-y flowers in interrupted whorls on upright sturdy stems in Summer. Get arty like the more accomplished garden designers and take advantage of this colorful contraster! Well drained soil of course and an occassional bit of water and compost for best show. Cut back to 6-8” whenever you want for a fresh new appearance.

Sun. Low to No Summer Water. Perennial.
USDA zones 7-10