A dramatic plant with striking, pale blue-green, aromatic foliage and tall spires of white flowers. Very adaptable as long as the drainage and air circulation is good. Cut back in winter. Excellent pollinator plant; deer proof. Full sun, low water, 4 x 4 feet or more when mature.

White Sage is a strikingly beautiful shrub with very aromatic leaves, and flowers that, though small, are profuse and loved by the bees. It’s a plant native to the much drier, hotter chaparral of Southern California. 

Tarweed is in full bloom from late summer through fall, providing pollen and nectar when little else is available for bees and beneficial insects. A great choice with asters, goldenrod and grasses; heavy bloomer, reseeds readily. Usually 4 to 6 ft. tall, full sun, very low water needs.

A beautiful Western perennial, perfect for the border or in a meadow blended with bunchgrasses, poppies, clarkia and flowering bulbs. Summer blooming, flowers open over a long time; full sun, low water, 12-18” tall, needs good drainage, deer ignore it.

Growing Blue Flax from Seed

Blue Flax is ordinarily seen growing wild in meadows and grassy fields, and in these conditions it is a small plant, usually no more than a few linear stalks with a cluster of flower buds that open daily. In a controlled garden situation the plant becomes much more substantial, with multiple stalks emerging from an enlarging clump.

The seeds are a medium size, so they can be tamped down into a starter mix and very lightly covered with a sprinkling of vermiculite or perlite.  I sow the seeds in a 4” pot, outside in a protected situation, either in late summer or in early spring. The seeds germinate within two weeks, and then need another two or three months to develop into a sturdy seedling ready to transplant to a garden bed, or a container. 

Deer Grass is one of the most impressive of the native bunchgrasses. Established plants are large, and sometimes flowering stalks reach well over five feet. It is dramatic as a specimen and stunning when planted in a large drift. Be sure to give plants enough space  between them to allow for the graceful spread of the foliage. Deer Grass is easy and carefree, and also useful for erosion control on slopes.

This bunchgrass needs full sun and little water; but will adapt to regular water in a mixed border planting. Flowering stalks appear in late summer. Use deer grass with large leaved shrubs, such as Saint Catherine’s Lace or Silk Tassel Bush for maximum contrast. I also like to plant something small and flowery, like Bidens at the edges of this big grass.

Native grasses provide lots of seed in the fall for birds and nesting materials in the spring.  All year long insects find cover within the dense foliage. This plant is totally deer proof; they do not eat grasses, but do find cover, and a place to rest in amongst large drifts of Deer Grass.

Coyote Mint displays masses of purplish flowers in dense rounded heads all through the summer. The deer avoid this plant because of the minty fragrance of the leaves. Native bees, butterflies and hummingbirds are drawn to the flowers. Finches and sparrows eat the seeds in the fall.

Mature specimens are about 2 feet by 2 feet, with a nicely rounded shape. The main stems of a young plant are somewhat brittle, and break easily in a strong wind; when several are planted together the stems intertwine, and the plants suffer less damage in a windy site. Coyote Mint needs full sun and good drainage. It needs very little water, but will respond to additional water;  particularly if continual bloom is desired.

In the wild Coyote Mint is often seen in chaparral growing on rocky outcroppings, or at the edges of grasslands. In the garden it can be nicely tucked in between rocks, or allowed to spill over a short retaining wall. Good companions in the garden are Eriophyllums, with bright yellow flowers, or Zauschnerias, with their reddish orange flowers. Plant Monardellas towards the front of a mixed border, or at the edges of walkways to fully enjoy the fragrant leaves. 

Milkweeds are wonderful habitat plants that provide resources for a host of creatures. Various Asclepias species grow throughout the northern hemisphere; some are restricted in range, and others are widespread and adaptable. Diverse cultures during the course of human history have discovered many uses, including medicinal, for all parts of these plants. The genus name is derived from Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine.

In the wild Asclepias speciosa is often found growing in seasonally wet low spots. It is a plant that spreads by underground stems to colonize an area; so be sure to allow it room in the garden. It is drought tolerant, but will respond to water. It can sometimes take a frustratingly long time to establish a blooming stand, but it is well worth the wait!

Flowers in large, showy clusters are produced from late spring to summer. They are beautiful and fragrant, and attract an array of interesting large insects and pollinators, including of, course, the Monarch butterfly. An often, unwanted guest of Milkweeds is the imported orange Oleander aphid.  Although this aphid is host specific, it is best to control populations right away; this can be done by simply washing the bugs off the plant with a strong spray of water. Large aphid populations weaken the plant and lessen the resources available to the Monarch butterfly larvae.

The seed pods produced in fall are also large and showy; especially when they split open to reveal rows of flat seeds, each with a delicate silken parachute. Many invertebrates eat the seeds, and I like to collect the silk, to make it available as nesting material for the songbirds in spring.  Milkweeds are poisonous plants; the deer do not eat them.

In the wild Narrow-leaf Milkweed can be seen growing in meadows, sometimes in large, spread out stands. In the garden it is equally effective in drifts or scattered stands, blending and mingling with other drought-tolerant perennials. The flowers are not large, but there are many flowering stalks, and the plant is somewhat wispy; so it looks good combined with larger leaved sturdier plants and native bunchgrasses. It needs full sun, and little to no water. The plant is not long-lived, but reseeds itself readily; in my Novato garden it often dies out where I’ve planted it, but persists vigorously where it seeded itself! It is drought tolerant and deer proof.

Milkweeds are wonderful habitat plants that provide resources for a host of creatures. Summer blooms attract an array of pollinators, and the plant can host both Milkweed bugs and beetles; as well as the larvae of the Monarch butterfly.  All these living creatures on a Milkweed plant also attract a number of interesting predatory insects, including the large and spectacularly colored Tarantula Hawks.

An often, unwanted guest on Milkweeds is the imported orange Oleander aphid. This aphid is host specific, and will not show up on other garden plants; but try to reduce populations on the Milkweeds right away. This can be done by simply washing them off the plant with a strong spray of water. Large aphid populations weaken the plant and lessen the resources available to the Monarch butterfly larvae.

The flowers of this native penstemon are almost an electric blue, and very profuse. It blooms in spring, and creates quite a show in the garden when planted with California poppies and other spring wildflowers. Plant this small perennial close to the front of the border. The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Penstemon heterophyllus needs full sun. It can tolerate average garden water, and most soils as long as the drainage is good. It grows naturally in Chaparral and forest openings in the Coast Ranges, and at lower elevations in the Sierra.

While traveling the forest roads through Mendocino National Forest, we came upon a recent road cut where the steep slopes on either side had been colonized by Foothill Penstemon — It was a memorable and breath-taking spectacle!

Instructions for Growing Penstemon from Seed

The seed is small but needs no pre-germination treatment when sown outside in early fall. Prepare your seed-starting mixture, tamping it down solidly into the pot; rough the surface just a bit and sprinkle the seed on the surface. Then cover it with a thin layer of perlite or vermiculite, and tamp that down over the seed.

Germination is somewhat slow; it can be 6 to 8 weeks before the first seedlings appear. I usually use plastic nursery pots or flats to start seeds, but they keep the soil really moist and sometimes also soggy at the bottom; this may be detrimental to the early growth of the seedlings. I’ve been using a clay “bulb” pot (large in diameter, but shallow) to germinate and grow on the Penstemon seedlings, and getting better results.

I set my seed pot outside in a somewhat shady and protected place, either watering only once when I set it all up and then letting the rainy season take over, or I’ll put the pot on my seedling bench where I have systems set for a light watering once a day. Within two months or so after germination, the seedlings will be large enough to transplant to individual pots. Note the nice reddish color on the healthy young stems. 

The flowers of Purple Sage are actually more pink than purple, and lovely against the silvery foliage of this evergreen shrub. Purple Sage needs full sun and good drainage. It is tolerant of clay soil, and needs very little water once established. This salvia is great for use on slopes. The highly scented leaves of most Salvias are distasteful to the deer.

Salvia leucophylla blooms from March to May, and provides nectar for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Ground feeding birds appreciate the cover created by the shrub, and relish the seeds produced in late summer. 

‘Pt. Sal’ has a prostrate form; a mature plant is 2 to 3 feet high with a spread of 6 to 7 feet. ‘Figueroa’ has a compact upright shape; reaching 3 to 4 feet tall, with a spread of about 3 feet.

The flowers of Salvia brandegei are white with lilac tones, and profuse when this Salvia gets full sun exposure. It requires good drainage and does fine in poor soils with little to no water when established. Most Salvias are deer proof.

This Salvia blooms from February to April providing nectar early in the season for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. I’ve seen the Golden-crowned Sparrows nibble at the petals in spring, and later in the year finches flock to this shrub for seeds. A mature specimen of Brandegee’s Sage is a woody stemmed shrub with arching branches that can be 5 feet high and as wide. The interior spaces of this plant provide nesting sites and cover for birds.

Salvia brandegei is native to the Channel Islands, and has naturalized in the southern California coastal scrub.