“Covered California”

Satureja douglasii
"Yerba Buena"

CLAY, SAND and SHADE TOLERANT, it makes a lush, flat, evergreen groundcover even under oaks. Fantastic used as a trailer over a shady wall. NOT invasive. Produces little tubular, white to purple flowers summer thru fall. EASY, tough and long lived, it smells heavenly and makes a healthful and tasty, mint-like tea. Drought tolerant, but best with some summer water.


Perennial USDA Zones 7-10
 

Arctostaphylos
'Emerald Carpet'

This Manzanita hybrid is one of your best lawn replacement choices! Super-dense, compact, ever green foliage (16” tall x 3-5’ wide), use it in rock gardens, hillside beds and wide parking strips too. Small white bell-shaped flowers in early spring attract bees and butterflies. Not clay tolerant, it wants rich, well-draining soil. Drought tolerant once established but provide some summer water in hottest areas for lushest appearance. Deer resistant.

Perennial USDA Zones 6-10a
 

Ceanothus hearstiorum
"Hearst Ranch Buckbrush"

A beautiful and useful evergreen groundcover that tolerates even heavy clay! Grows 1’ high and up to 8’ wide, its fragrant periwinkle blue flowers emerge in spring attracting native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Deer and drought tolerant once established but best with occasional summer water in hotter areas. An excellent choice for under native oaks or pines. Does not like sandy soil.

Perennial USDA Zones 8-10
 

Grindelia hirsutula

ITS BACK! An attractive, unusual summer blooming native that’s rare in gardens although common throughout California. Growing 2’ tall x 3’ across, it forms a dense multi-branching mound of bright green foliage topped by a profusion of 2” golden yellow daisies. EASY, fast and reliable with absolutely NO SUMMER WATER. Attracts butterflies and bees. An excellent choice for native gardens or anywhere your hose won’t reach!

Perennial USDA Zones 8-11
 

Lippia repens
(syn. Phyla nodiflora)

Feet, paws and fire proof! This carefree CA native is one of the best lawn substitutes for difficult areas where nothing will grow! Highly adaptive to most soils: wet, dry, even clay. Plant 2’ apart for a quick, dense, creeping turf or use it for erosion control. Pretty 1/2” lavender-pink flower clusters appear spring thru fall, attracting many small butterflies and bees. Shear flowers periodically if bees are a problem. Evergreen, but after cold winters, toss about some compost for lush, new growth. Edging prevents it from spreading into unwanted areas.

Perennial USDA Zones 8-11
 

Eriogonum umbellatum aureum
'Kannah Creek'

NEW & RARE this award winning “CA Buckwheat” blankets itself in 15” tall canary-yellow flower clusters all summer long! This extremely low-growing selection only reaches about 6-10” tall, spreading to cover up to two feet with dense, attractive foliage. It’s perfect for edging a low-water or CA native bed! It provides interest all year with the yellow blooms aging to rusty-red and eventually producing seedpods that are highly attractive to birds. In late fall, the small, elliptic, grayish-green leaves acquire an attractive burgundy blush. Provide good drainage and avoid over-watering. “California Buckwheats” are one of the best plants for sustaining a wide range of local pollinators (especially butterflies), with seeds and leaves alike harvested by local critters.

Perennial USDA Zones 3-11

 

Baccharis pilularis
'Pigeon Point'

Grows rapidly into a large and dense groundcover shrub 6-8’ wide and 1-3’ tall. It is imminently suitable for slope stabilization and fire resistant landscaping* It accepts many kinds of soils from clay to sand and watering regimes from moderate to none. A male selection, ‘Pigeon Point’ avoids the seedy fall looks of female coyote bushes. Can be kept shorter with annual shearing. A good habitat plant providing cover for birds, yet resistant to deer. Plant 6-10’ apart for a good quick fill in.

Perennial USDA Zones 7-10

 

Artemisia californica
'Canyon Grey'

This prostrate form of “California Sagebrush” features silvery aromatic foliage that is delightfully fuzzy to the touch. Tough as nails, it adds a silvery glow to any sunny bed and has small white flowers in summer. This sagebrush is highly adaptable to a wide range of habitats if given good drainage. Plant in light shade inland to full sun on the coast in average to rocky soils. Deer resistant.



Perennial USDA Zones 7-10

 

Lessingia filaginifolia
'Silver Carpet'

Tough as nails and happy under a wide range of conditions, including CLAY, HEAT and DROUGHT, this fantastic native groundcover is also salt spray and deer resistant! Quickly spreading to 3' or more, you get a lovely, dense, flat, weed suppressing silvery carpet only a few inches tall – a great choice for parking strips! Summer and fall bring a multitude of sweet 1" lavender daisies on short stems. Quite beautiful trailing over the edge of a bed. Grows well under oaks and attracts butterflies! Provide occasional summer water inland for best appearance.

Perennial USDA Zones 8-10