Drosanthemum speciosum
“Showy Dew Flower” ”Municipal Workers”

The epitome of HOT! THIS is one of the showiest drought tolerant plants you can grow! Making a dazzling, traffic-stopping display of hot colored flowers in the Spring and beyond, it forms a low growing shrub with sparking succulent leaves,from 1-3' tall and slightly wider. This is the first year we've been very lucky to have a crop big enough to share with (almost) everyone, but we've been gushing about this plant for years! Longer lived and longer blooming than another of our favorites, Drosanthemum bicolor, it also sports a wider range of fiery colors – we've yet to find one that's been disappointing! We've seen reds, yellows, oranges and pinks and flowers are often two toned! Each bloom is comprised of many glossy petals and the blooms open at around 9 and close around 5, which has earned them the very charming nickname of “Municipal Workers” in their native South Africa. Once established, it should need no Summer water and will be longer lived if you let it go dry during this time. Bloom time is primarily Spring, but for us, we see blooms appear off and on all the way through Summer. Neat, huh? Poor soil is fine! Well drained soil is preferred, but not required.

Sun. Low/Avg. water. Perennial.
USDA zones 9-11

Adenophora polyantha

We're BIG fans of this beautiful, ever so charming cottage-gardeny Campanula relative – strong growing and long blooming in the Bay Area! Charming and lovely and blooming for *months* in late Spring and thru Summer, with sweet lavender delicate but good-sized bells in profusion. Long stalks are beautiful cut for a romatic bouquet. Growing upright to 2’ tall and slow to spread, i.e. NOT INVASIVE. For an even longer bloom, keep plants deadheaded and side dress with compost after the first bloom for a new flush of growth. Adenophoras are very easy to grow in part-sun, part-shade with rich, well drained soil. May self sow.

Sun/Pt. Shade. Avg. water. Perennial.
USDA zones 5-10

Cephalophyllum pillansii

Year round, I appreciate this plant's dense grey-green succulent foliage, but when the fire-work-like blooms appear, smothering the foliage, it is especially delightful! Cephalophyllum pillansii is a mat-forming succulent from South Africa that has very pretty shiny primrose yellow flowers with many petals in a star burst arrangement, some with dark centers. Bloom time is usually only in the Spring, but sometimes the plant will put on a show later in the season as well. The flowers are each about 2 1/2” wide, & open only during the sunniest part of the day. Foliage is grey green & forms long finger-like leaves. Floriferous & very cute! Makes a great groundcover for a dry bed or parking strip, or as a trailer in pots or at the edge of a rock wall.

Sun. Low/Avg. water. Succulent.
USDA zones 8-10

Impatiens fischeri

Devilishly cute! Rare as can be with luscious red flowers, Impatiens fischeri's blooms have charming detail as well – each appears to have little “horns.” This very hard to come by species does not reseed and is a bit shrubby with licorice red stems and glossy emerald leaves. It produces lots of blooms in late Spring & Fall and fewer in hotter and colder weather. It grows about 2 1/2’ tall & wide, and prefers being grown in the ground in loamy soil. Make sure and plant in well-drained amended soil & top dress with compost for best performance. Native to tropical Africa. Like its cousin Impatiens tinctoria, this species prefers a cooler climate like San Francisco – hot, humid zones not so much! Our crop this season is particularly nice andwe do not have this beauty often, so get one while you can!

Shade. Average water. Perennial.
USDA Zones 9b-11

Mimulus naiandinus
'Mega'

The most monkey for your money! Seriously, this juicy perennial Mimulus has the largest, most luscious flowers I've seen on any Mimulus. We're
big fans of the bloomiferous and girly Mimulus naiaindinus (the straight species) but when one of our crops last year unexpectedly started showing a larger, more succulent leaf and a larger, glammier flower, we were quick to set them aside to collect seed for this special plant. We now are able to offer this selection for sale. Lucky you! A strong grower, blooming through Spring and Summer, especially if you occasionally shear plants back to rejuvenate growth. Tolerant of damp soil, but it doesn't require this much moisture to thrive and is happy with just an average amount. Best in rich soil and Winter deciduous.

Sun/Shade. Avg. water/Moist. Perennial.
USDA zones 9-11, annual elsewhere