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Manzanita ‘Howard McMinn’: a Tender Beauty

If your garden were a kingdom, Manzanita ‘Howard McMinn’ (Arctostaphylos ‘Howard McMinn’) would be a charming and delicate princess who makes you fall in love as soon as you lay your eyes on her! Beautiful and easy to incorporate with most gardens, this evergreen shrub has been adored by generations of gardeners ever since it was […]

Arroyo Willow: the Cultural Pillar of your Native garden

To many gardeners, when it comes to choosing plants for their native garden, aesthetic pleasure is not the only thing that matters. Sometimes, historical value and practical use are also taken into consideration. If you’re the type of gardener who appreciates history and the wonderful world of ethnobotany, Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis) should be a good choice […]

Desert Lavender: the Charm of your Native Garden

If you’re looking for an elegant, eye-soothing color for your native garden, Desert Lavender (Hyptis emoryi) should be among your top choices. Not only does this plant lights up your garden with charming silvery foliage and lovely purple flowers, it brings delightful lavender fragrance to your home as well. Desert Lavender belongs to the family […]

California Buckwheat: Wild, Strong, & Beautiful

It’s July in California! All the annual wildflowers that had covered the Southern Chaparral have gone to seed. Driving on the road, you get that mid-summer feel as your view is dominated by largely grey-brown scrub, except for this one native beauty: California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum). This plant brings delight to gardeners on hot summer […]

Otay Mountain lotus

chaparral

Chaparral gardens are appropriate for sites with full sun, little or no summer water, and well drained, often rocky soils. Besides a plethora of evergreen and semi evergreen shrubs, a number of perennials bloom in spring and summer. Southern California Chaparral with Manzanita Plants for this community are some of the showiest of our native […]