Tough, Low-Maintenance Shrubs for Southern California

These plants tolerate poor soil, low water, and high heat while still providing flamboyant flowers

Even if we have a wonderful year of rain , we involve to rethink our Southern California garden . It ’s likely we will have many dry , hot years before . So permit ’s utilize this time to plant wisely . Here are some beautiful shrub that will add glamor to any garden while demanding little from our challenged environment ( and our water peak ! ) . All of these plants acquire well in Zones 8 - 11 .

Caesalpinias are brilliant bloomers with hot-colored flowers

Species ofCaesalpinia(Zones 8–11 ) declare oneself outstanding flowers . Desert bird of paradise ( C. gilliesii , Zones 8–11 ) is your best wager for the dry , hot Interior Department of Southern California with its barren soil . The brilliant red snort of paradise ( C. pulcherrima , Zones 9–11 ) , also visit pridefulness of Barbados , can handle idle hoar and very high heat , but it prefer a shade more wet and a slightly richer soil than desert bird of paradise does . Although these caesalpinias grow larger in idealistic conditions , expect both of these bush to unfold roughly 4 to 5 feet wide and to top out at 5 to 7 feet tall .

Rock roses come in a variety of flower colors, staying low and spreading wide

Rock roses ( Cistusspp . and cvs . , Zones 8–11 ) are respectable performers in Southern California and would have a go at it to be planted in your garden in late fall . Most miscellany boom in poor soil , have low water needs , and come in a wide natural selection of growth drug abuse and colors .

For eye - catching magenta bloom , you ca n’t do well than ‘ sundown ’ rock candy originate ( C.×pulverulentus‘Sunset ’ , Zones 8–11 ) . This is a tough shrub whose habit vary with local conditions but pretty much stick gloomy and disseminate wide , get roughly 2 to 3 feet grandiloquent and 6 feet broad . This adaptable plant will thrive all across Southern California .

‘ Little Miss Sunshine ’ has daisy - like bloom that crop up against variegated foliage . video recording : Jane Gates

Another preferred careen rise up of mine is ‘ Little Miss Sunshine ’ ( C.‘Little Miss Sunshine ’ , zone 8–11 ) . It prefers a picayune more body of water than many of the other rock rose varieties but is still drought tolerant . Due to the leaf diversification , it can cover a act more spook , too , especially in the hot area . But it ’s still not a bush for louche post . The yellow foliage diversification strengthens with sunshine . grunge amendments are unnecessary ; it is n’t crabbed . ‘ piddling Miss Sunshine ’ stays low at 2 human foot tall and 5 feet wide , making it a mulct , woody ground cover .

rock and roll roses also burn slowly , which make them good choices for attack - resistant landscape gardening .

Matilija poppy is a knockout native that demands room to grow

Matilija poppy ( Romneya coulteri , Zones 7–10 ) , also known as California Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree poppy , is a honest conversation opus with huge , papery lily-white flowers with yellow centers . Water it on occasion , or let it bask in the sun . The one matter it does n’t like is having its ascendant disturbed . Even in my own garden I tried it in multiple billet where it refused to maturate , until I forgot about it and left it in a pot on top of a cement ditch . It decided that that was the perfect spotlight . If you ’ve got a decent patch of land for it to fill up , this bold , 6 - foot - marvellous California native can distribute up to 20 base wide with its industrious rhizomes .

‘ Robyn Gordon ’ grevillea has burnished scarlet flowers that contrast well with its wakeful green leafage . Both the leafage and flowers come in to life when shaking in the jazz . Video : Jane Gates

‘Robyn Gordon’ grevillea has feathery foliage and bottlebrush flowers

Australia has a climate similar to that of much of Southern California . Some of Australia ’s woody plants do well here without being invasive . Grevilleas ( Grevilleaspp . and cvs . , Zones 9–11 ) kitchen stove in size of it and drug abuse from decorative ground covers to lofty trees . I like the low - growing , dry land - cover varieties , but I ca n’t assist being catch by the curious , colourful , curly flower petals of ‘ Robyn Gordon ’ grevillea ( Grevillea‘Robyn Gordon ’ , Zones 9–11 ) . This plant grows 4 feet tall and 8 feet broad . avert atomic number 15 if you choose to fertilize , although fertiliser are n’t necessary for this plant . Grevilleas have specialize root systems already adapted to poor grime like ours !

Feathery cassia lights up in midwinter

Another Australian native that has become popular due to its ease of care and gay flowers is feathery cassia ( Senna artemisioides , zone 8–11 ) , also called wormwood senna . It grows 3 to 6 feet tall and just as wide ( although occasionally big in idealistic conditions ) . hail from South Australia , this evergreen forms a spherical read/write head of feathery foliage that smothers itself with vivid chicken , round flowers in winter when nothing else in the garden can compete .

These are just some of the showy shrubs that can create an interesting and coloured foundation for your garden . They will look decorative yet boom as our climate gets hotter and has more periods of drouth . found them in fall and winter so they can settle in before next year ’s high temperature make it !

— Jane Gates is the possessor of Gates & Croft Horticultural Design in Los Angeles and is the writer ofAll the Garden ’s a microscope stage : Choosing the Best Performing plant for a Sustainable Garden .

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