Gardening with Western LA Native Plants

1/6/2013

Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Radiant Reds / Perfect Pinks

C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve

Madrona Marsh Preserve
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants May 7 & 10, 2011
Project SOUND – 2011 (our 7th year)
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND

Maybe you have a lovely, water-wise
Most of our gardens include ‘Heritage Plants’
pomegranate


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1/6/2013

…or maybe you’re
blessed with a
‘heritage’ camellia

Perhaps you have a favorite red rose…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23295039@N02/2551951823/

Whether you want to add some color - or
Red occupies and interesting
need to complement existing plants - we
position on the color wheel
need to understand the ‘color’ red

http://www.fineartuniverse.com/2010_12_01_archive.html

© Project SOUND http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/Clothes%20Articles/Color%20Coordination.htm © Project SOUND

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1/6/2013

Cool reds look cool; warm reds, warm Is this the felling you want to create?

http://www.house-painting-info.com/the-scarlet-letter-the-
lovehate-relationship-with-red.html#axzz1LfMVJp2b

http://bettyla.com.au/2010/12/how-to-wear-red-this-season/
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/il-giardino-rosso-guido-borelli.html

…or is this your idea of heaven? Warm reds looks best with other
warm colors; cool reds with purples

http://joe-kelly.net/2008/05/
http://doves2day.blogspot.com/2011/04/pink-saturday-native-pink.html
http://www.mooseyscountrygarden.com/garden-journal-05/spring-garden-journal-113.html

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1/6/2013

Fortunately, flowers come in a wide range My suggestion: see it in flower before you
of from magenta to red-orange purchase (particularly for cultivars)

Cercis occidentales

http://www.bakati.net/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gingermaddy/3778792586/

http://www.ginnysherbs.com/

Keckiella cordifolia catalog/product_info.php?pro
ducts_id=197&language=en

http://www.traderscity.com/board/products-1/offers-to-sell-and-export-1/red-flower-field-garden-oil-painting-fine-art-from-china-57588/
http://doves2day.blogspot.com/2011/04/pink-saturday-native-pink.html

Let’s brighten up this very green front yard * Baja Fairyduster – Calliandra californica


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1/6/2013

Baja Featherduster has a Baja look… Flowers are weirdly
beautiful
 Size:
 4-8 ft tall; may be more
 Blooms:
 4-5 ft wide; sprawls
 On and off throughout the
 Growth form: year
 Evergreen woody shrub (may  Peak after rains (spring &
fall) in native environment
lose leaves when stressed)
 Many crossing branches –  Flowers:
airy look; sprawls  Brillant red stamens
 Hummingbird magnet; also
 Foliage:
butterflies & bees
 Bright green
 Nothing quite like it
 Many small leaflets; lacy/ferny
look  Seeds: in pea pods that explode
 Unique and pretty; doesn’t look when ripe; will need to be
like a drought-tolerant plant creative to collect them
 Larval food for Marine Blue http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/bajafairyduster.html

http://www.theodorepayne.org/gallery/pages/C/Calliandra_californica.htm © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

Fairydusters add a unique
charm to the dry garden Complementary colors

 Most often used as an accent  Are opposite on the
or specimen plant (both for color wheel
foliage and flowers)
 Have the most contrast
http://www.fiber-
images.com/Free_Things/Reference_Charts/color_wheel.ht

 Can be used as an informal
m

in hue (color) of any
http://www.wildscaping.com/plants/plantprofiles/Calliandra_californica.htm
hedge or screen color combination
 For a lush, tropical look  Make a bold graphic
 Fine for public areas if statement
maintained  Make the brighter hue
seem to “advance”
 As an attractive pot plant
 Lively – seem to be
constantly in motion
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/TEACH/floral/complements.jpg

http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/calcal.htm

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1/6/2013

Complementary color schemes in nature Complementary colors can brighten up this
can be dazzling! very green front yard

http://www.hypermedic.com/colors/colortable.htm

But what is this is a camellia bush? * Pink Fairy Duster – Calliandra eriophylla

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAER

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1/6/2013

Fairydusters of the CA Desert * Pink Fairy Duster – Calliandra eriophylla
 Sonoran Desert from CA & Baja to
W. Texas
 Dry, gravelly slopes & mesas ; often
in beds of intermittent streams,
bajadas, washes, etc. - rocky, sandy
 In Spanish, Cabeza de angel refers
to an angel's head or angel's hair
http://www.graniteseed.com/seeds/seed.php?id=Calliandra_eriophylla

C. californica C. eriophylla
more vase shaped, low growing,
form
open more dense
size 2 to 4 times larger (smaller)
bloom bright red flowers whitish or pink
fruit seed pod seed pod (same)
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Calliandra_eriophylla.html

Note: the two species will hybridize http://www.saguaro-juniper.com/i_and_i/flowers/fairy_duster/fairy_duster.html
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAER

Pink Fairyduster is a nice sized accent shrub Flowers: ooh-la-la!!
 Size:  Blooms:
 3-5+ ft tall (depends on water)  Just after the rains - usually
 4-6+ ft wide Jan-Apr in Western L.A. Co.
 Will bloom off and on
 Growth form: depending on watering
 Woody shrub schedule
 Mounded/upright to sprawling;
can grow around existing
http://www.calflora.net/losangelesarboretum/whatsbloomingmay07C.html
 Flowers:
http://www.public.asu.edu/~camartin/plants/Plant%20html%20files/calliandraeriophylla.html
shrubs  Pink: bright to very pale
 Light-colored bark  The long, pink filaments of
the stamens that make the
 Foliage: showy display
 Bright to medium green  Plant has a fluffy pink
 Binnately pinnate – small pinna appearance in full bloom
(like Acacia)  Big attraction for large
butterflies & hummingbirds!
 Roots: nitrogen-fixing bacteria;
rhizomatous – will slowly spread
© 2005 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
http://www.fourdir.com/p_fairy_duster.htm © Project SOUND © Project SOUND
http://www.sagebud.com/fairyduster-calliandra-eriophylla/

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1/6/2013

A plant of desert washes  Soils: Showy accent plant
 Texture: loves sandy/rocky soils
but fine in any well-drained  As a foundation plant
 pH: any local  A water-wise accent shrub
 As an informal hedge – or for
 Light: erosion control on slopes
 Full sun for best flowering
 Even in large containers
 Will take light shade
 Consider for Asian or Desert-
 Water: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36517976@N06/4307505066/
themed gardens
 Winter: needs adequate
 Summer:
 Best looking with occasional
water (Zone 1-2 or 2) but
very drought tolerant
 Some water in Aug.

 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils;
inorganic mulch

Glenn and Martha Vargas © California Academy of Sciences © Project SOUND © Project SOUND
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Calliandra_eriophylla.html

Shaping Fairydusters
So, we can deal with a camellia bush….
 Have a good natural shape – can
leave as is

 Tip-prune during growing season
to produce fuller shrub

 Lightly prune to shape in late
spring

http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/299/calliandra-
http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/caleri.htm SOUND
© Project eriophylla-fairyduster/ © Project SOUND
http://www.avondale.watersavingplants.com/eplant.php?plantnum=1346&return=b_aC

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1/6/2013

Let’s add a little water-wise height & interest Scarlet Larkspur – Delphinium cardinale

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vsny/2597287552/


Scarlet Larkspur – Delphinium cardinale You may have seen it in the Santa Monica Mtns
 Coastal CA & Sonoran Desert from Monterey
Co to Baja

 Locally in Santa Monicas & San Gabriels

 Chaparral & sage scrub in dry open slopes,
away from immediate coast to 5000'

 Likes north facing slopes
http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=6040&flora_id=1

http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Delphinium_cardinale.htm
http://biology.csusb.edu/PlantGuide/detail.php?id=Delphinium_cardinale&ref=1
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6434,6462,6469 http://doves2day.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html

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1/6/2013

Scarlet Larkspur: a Flowers are majestic
 Size:
bold statement  3-6+ ft tall
 Blooms: usually late spring/
 2-3 ft wide
summer (April-July) – when
 Growth form: ground starts to dry
 Herbaceous perennial  Flowers:
 Upright, branched form  Cardinal to red-orange with
 Dies back to ground in late yellow
summer/fall  Flowers large – 2-3”
 Foliage:  Spread along a tall flowering
stalk – typical of Larkspurs
 Medium to blue-green
 Much larger & bolder than
 Deeply incised leaves – typical
our purple-blue Larkspurs
for Larkspurs
 Attracts hummingbird
 Roots: all parts of Delphiniums – pollinators
especially roots – are toxic if http://www.plantscomprehensive.com/category/tags/san-diego-native-landscaping
 Makes a showy, long-lasting
eaten cut flower

http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/viewplant.php?pid=0253

http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Delphinium_cardinale.htm © Project SOUND http://www.flickr.com/photos/anniesannuals/4439583858/
© Project SOUND
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/DelphiniumSpeciesOne

 Soils: Glorious red for dry
Dry & some shade  Texture: well-drained; rocky
shade!
 pH: any local
 On dry hillsides
 Light:
 At the backs of dry mixed beds
 Full sun only in coolest gardens
along coast  For a water-wise cottage garden
 Part-shade (morning sun) or  Under oaks
dappled shade is perfect  Spectacular massed!

 Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: needs summer dry period
after flowering – Zone 1 (maybe 1-
2)

 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils

 Other: protect from slugs & snails;
summer water encourages fungal
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/205893/ diseases; may need to stake - tall
http://www.plantscomprehensive.com/category/tags/san-diego-native-landscaping

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1/6/2013

Delphinium
* Red (Canyon) Larkspur – Delphinium nudicaule
from seed
 Let seeds ripen/dry on
the plant
http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/sp
ecies/Delphinium_cardinale.htm  Collect dry pods when
they begin to split;
remove seeds

 Fresh seeds need no
pre-treatment

 Stored seeds may
benefit from ½ to 1
month cold-moist
treatment

 Plant in warm weather
of fall http://www.vertograd-s.ru/catalog/mn/Delphinium/Delphinium_nudicaule_Fox.html


Analogous colors: because they’re from ‘Hot colors’ garden theme uses
the same ‘family’ they always look well analogous colors
together

http://dundeeunited.us/color/color_3.html

http://garden-photos-com.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Backyard-Deck-Patio-Stock-
Images/G0000cU2.IvH6QQM/I0000pg.rlII4gcE
http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/general/lst.gen.asp?prodid=324
http://dundeeunited.us/color/color_3.html
http://sbwildflowers.wordpress.com/wildflowers/ranunculaceae/delphinium/delphinium
-cardinale/

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1/6/2013

Penstemons: pale blues to red hot reds…
Remember: hardscape
can also be used to add
garden color

http://www.nurseriesonline.co.uk/Garden/Garden_Design.html

http://garden.onsugar.com/tag/flower+garden
© Project SOUND http://lightbrightandsparkling.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html © Project SOUND

* Palmer’s Penstemon – Penstemon palmeri * Palmer’s Penstemon – Penstemon palmeri
 Mojave Desert foothills/mountains to UT,
AZ, NM
 Washes, roadsides, canyon floors in scrub
to pinyon-juniper
 AKA ‘Wild Pink Snapdragon’

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7177,7483,0,7541

http://www.flickr.com/photos/facilitybikeclub/3609173980/

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1/6/2013

Palmer’s Penstemon: one tall penstemon Flowers are out of an
English garden
 Size:
 3-5+ ft tall  Blooms:
 2-3 ft wide  late spring to summer
 Long bloom season – 4+
 Growth form: weeks
 Herbaceous perennial
wildflower  Flowers:
 Erect stems with leaves  Light pink to light lavender
primarily basal with magenta markings – very
striking
 Foliage:  Flowers on tall, showy stalks;
 Distinctive blue or gray- remind many people of
green hollyhocks or snapdragons
 Fleshy; shapes typical or  Flowers more open than most
penstemon (triangular & penstemons; sweet scent
toothed)  Make a great cut flower
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Penstemon_palmeri

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Penstemon_palmeri © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

 Soils: Great choice for water-wise
Penstemons like dry  Texture: well-drained; likes sand flower beds
but even clays are fine in most
years  Grow at the backs of dry beds, like
 pH: any local (up to 8.5) Foxgloves, for cottage garden look
 In desert themed of rock gardens; hot, dry,
 Light: full sun; fine in hot places
hard-to-water places
 Water:  Massed with native grasses, shrubs
 Winter: adequate  In the habitat garden (hummingbirds;
 Summer: none to little (Zone 1 or butterflies; bumble bees
1-2) once established; taper off http://bloominrs.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/palmers-penstemon/

after flowering


 Other:
 No mulch or use an inorganic
 May need to tie up the tall stalks
 Let it go to seed to replace itself
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/1874/penstemon-palmeri-palmers-penstemon/  Prune back the dead stalks
© Project SOUND http://www.alplains.com/Catalog9.html © Project SOUND

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1/6/2013

Cool color scheme with reds All colors have a somber & a light-hearted
aspect
 Shades (Tones):
 Are darker/more somber
versions of a color
 Created by adding black to
the color (hue)
 Tints:
 Are the lighter/more
frivolous versions of a hue
 Created by adding white to
the hue
http://www.justbynature.com/images/HDColor33a.gif

http://fastflowers.co.uk/product.php?xProd=95&xSec=3
http://www.mooseyscountrygarden.com/perennial-plants/perennial-verbena.html

You can combine many colors in your garden as long as
http://agardenplace.com/G/pc/garden-globe-magenta.html
they are light enough tints or dark enough shades

Pastels can be used to integrate.. But maybe we need a mid-height warm red


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1/6/2013

Firecracker Penstemon – Penstemon eatonii Firecracker Penstemon is a typical Penstemon
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall
 2-3 ft wide

 Growth form:
 Herbaceous perennial
 Drought deciduous
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=5964  Most of foliage in a mounded
clump at the base

 Foliage:
 Thick, leathery leaves;
somewhat coarse looking
 Lance-shaped; dark green

 Roots: deep taproot

Patrick J. Alexander @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Flowers are just Garden uses for
fantastic Firecracker Penstemon
 Blooms:  As an attractive pot plant; be
 Summer; usually May-July in sure pot is deep enough
coastal S. CA
 Long bloom period – blooms
 Great for dry banks and
open sequentially slopes

© 2008 Thomas Stoughton  Flowers:  Nice with other Zone 2
 Scarlet red; tubular perennials and shrubs
 Along stems above foliage  Good bet for the
 Extremely showy when massed hummingbird and butterfly
 Cutting of spent stalks may garden
encourage more blooms
 Attracts hummingbirds and  Spectacular when massed
butterflies (all Penstemons)
 Excellent choice for dry
 Vegetative reproduction: easy shade under oaks and other
Al Schneider @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database by divisions © Project SOUND
© 1996 Christopher L. Christie native trees © Project SOUND

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1/6/2013

Scarlet Bugler – Penstemon centranthifolius Scarlet Bugler – Penstemon centranthifolius
 CA foothills from Lake Co. to Baja
& foothills of the Mojave Desert

 Dry, open or wooded places,
generally in chaparral or oak
woodland but also in other
communities, below 6500 ft.

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7177,7483,7494

http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/species/Penstemon_centranthifolius.htm
http://homepage.mac.com/cjbowdish/ManzanaTrailandFigueroaMtMay2008/
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College

A flash of color, perennial style Flowers are showy
 Size:
 2-4 ft tall  Blooms: mid- to late spring -
 2-3 ft wide usually Apr-June in our area, but
may be later.

 Growth form:  Flowers:
 Herbaceous perennial  Bright red to red-orange
 Upright form (less common) – glow in the
 Dies back in late summer/fall sun
 Narrow, tubular shape –
 Foliage: hummingbird flower
 Attractive blue-green color  Along tall, rather narrow
 Simple leaves – many basal flowering stalks – somewhat
like large Heuchera
 Foliage looks nice &
succulent even before it  Long-lasting & showy
blooms
http://homepage.mac.com/cjbowdish/ManzanaTrailandFigueroaMtMay2008/

© 2003 Charles E. Jones

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1/6/2013

Penstemons shine
Penstemons need summer dormant period
in dry areas
 Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained incl. clays  Dry hillsides; lovely massed
 pH: any local  With local native grasses
 Paired with Salvias, other
 Light:
penstemons
 Full sun to part-shade – dappled
shade fine  Under oaks or other water-
wise trees & shrubs
 Water: http://xasauantoday.com/2009/05/04/spring-at-the-indians/

 Winter: adequate until flowering
commences
 Summer: begin to taper off
watering as flowering peaks – no
water after flowering


 Other: use only inorganic mulches like
gravel or crushed rock.
© Project SOUND http://www.flickr.com/photos/amarguy/2388294009/ © Project SOUND

Use Penstemons to add medium height in the Let’s add some wildflowers and bulbs to
driest parts of your yard brighten up our cool color scheme


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1/6/2013

* Godetia/Farewell-to-spring – Clarkia amoena * Godetia – Clarkia amoena

 CA and OR coast north
of San Francisco Bay
 Generally open, drying
places, < 1500 ft.
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-
bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5263,5341,5343
 Found in coastal scrub,
prairies and dry open
coastal slopes & bluffs
 A staple of cottage
gardens world-wide
since the 1800’s

http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/images/garden_weekly/amoena_cu1_wk12_big.jpg
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences

Godeta is similar to our local Clarkias Flowers: C. purpurea
on steroids
 Size:  Blooms:
 1-3 ft tall  Spring/summer: usually Apr-June
in our area but may be later into
 1-2 ft wide
summer with water – 2-4 months
 Growth form:
 Flowers:
 Annual wildflower
 Glorious two-toned colors: usually
http://www.americanmeadows.com/godetia-seeds?___store=default

 Upright, branched form featuring magenta, but may be
more purple or more pink
 Foliage:
 Incredibly showy – like Elegant
 Leaves simple
Clarkia but larger and often more
 Typically blue-green to bright
gray-green – may be tinged
 Attracts butterflies,
with red or magenta
hummingbirds

 Seeds: many small seeds in capsules –
will reseed on bare ground or
gravel/crushed rock mulch; edible
© 2002 George Jackson © Project SOUND © 2002 George Jackson http://www.rampantscotland.com/colour/supplement070818.htm © Project SOUND

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