The delicate beauty of the Alum Roots, particularly in full bloom, belies the hardiness of this plant.  The leaves are somewhat maple shaped, pale green, soft, and slightly hairy. The plant forms a mounded rosette, about two feet wide. In late spring, Heuchera maxima sends up numerous flowering stalks, creating an airy cloud of tiny greenish to white flowers. The flowers attract hummingbirds.

Heucheras are most effective in the garden when planted in drifts. They are at home in the shade of trees; perfect under the canopy of native oaks since they need only occasional water during the summer months. A deciduous tree creates the ideal situation to promote profuse flowering; plenty of sunlight during the cooler months, and partial shade during the summer.   

In their natural habitat, Alum Roots grow in rocky outcroppings, often on very steep slopes that are inaccessible to deer. In a garden they need protection from the deer.  

Tufted Hairgrass is native to the cool, coastal bluffs, and as such performs best in gardens with a little extra water. In inland gardens, it will also appreciate some shade. The foliage is a vibrant dark green, and typically forms clumps about a foot tall and wide. The graceful flowering stems appear in late spring or early summer, sparkling in the gentle spring sunlight. All the bunchgrasses, with their extensive fibrous root systems, are great for erosion control on hillsides.

Deschampsia cespitosa could be used in a meadow planting, combined with other coastal species such as Iris douglasiana, Sisyrinchium bellum, and Sidalcea malviflora. Hairgrass could also be planted with water-loving natives from riparian plant communities like Columbine, Wild Ginger, and Chain Fern. Bunchgrasses provide cover for all sorts of insects, and caterpillars of some species of Grass Skippers will use the plant.

Grasses also provide both seeds and nesting materials for birds. Deer do not browse any of the native bunchgrasses!

Festuca californica is native to brushy or wooded slopes, particularly those with a north-facing exposure. Established wild stands are a beautiful sight to behold; a billowing blanket enveloping the understory of a mixed forest. It is believed that individual plants may be decades old! There are a number of named varieties that exhibit either deep green, grayish, or more bluish foliage. The blooms occur in early summer, and slowly change to a lovely golden color.

Festucas can be planted as specimens, but are most effective when planted in drifts. Use them on slopes, particularly under native oaks where they could be combined with Sword Ferns, Alum Roots or Fringecups, and Hound’s Tongue. Or plant them as groundcover under Manzanitas, pruned up to reveal their beautiful structure.

This bunchgrass is care-free and productive in a habitat garden. The seeds are large and plentiful; food for numerous creatures. The grass also provides ample nesting materials for birds, and cover for over-wintering insects. 

All bunchgrasses are deer proof!

This herbaceous perennial spreads by underground stems to colonize an area. The leaves are dark green, and triangular with a toothed edge. Flowering stalks appear in summer and can reach 6 feet tall. The tiny reddish flowers are profuse, and attract many beneficial insects and hummingbirds. The flowers are loved by native bees, and the seeds that ripen in small hard capsules in fall are eaten by ground-feeding birds.

California Bee Plant is at its best in a wildish garden, where it can be allowed to spread. It thrives in the dry shade under oaks, but also establishes nicely in moister situations close to riparian zones. Scrophularia can be the common element that ties together a mixed hedgerow planting of Ceanothus, Rosa californica, and Sambucus mexicana.

Occasionally, in summer, this plant will support the larvae of the Variable Checkerspot and Buckeye butterflies.

Pink-flowering Currant grows best in partial shade; perfect in the summer-dry conditions of an oak woodland. Drooping racemes of pink to red flowers emerge just as the scented leaves unfurl in late winter or early spring. The plant has a tall vase-shaped form which lends itself to espaliering; it can also be pruned to a rounded shape. It is adaptable to many situations and not fussy about soils; with additional water it will tolerate full sun in all but the hottest areas.

Combine Ribes sanguineum with a shade loving Ceanothus such as ‘Ray Hartman’, which blooms at the same time, to create a lovely pastel picture. All the Ribes species are ideal shrubs in an oak woodland garden. Pink-flowering Currant can also be planted stream-side or in a mixed evergreen forest.

The flowers attract hummingbirds, and berries produced in the fall are favored by songbirds. The berries are edible, though not tasty; native peoples harvested and dried the fruits to make a type of “pemmican“.

The bright pink flowers of Salvia spathacea form on stems that rise about 12 to 18 inches above the large fragrant leaves in late spring to early summer. This Salvia prefers a little shade in inland gardens; it creates a wonderful groundcover in the dappled light of an oak woodland; or use it to weave together a mixed hedgerow planting.

Hummingbird Sage needs no water in the summer, but will look a bit shabby in the intense dry heat of late summer. It is not fussy about soil and appreciates mulch, which helps facilitate the spread of its underground stems. The highly scented, sticky leaves are so reviled by deer that this groundcover can be planted as a barrier around more desirable deer browse.

The flowers of Hummingbird Sage are a magnet for hummingbirds. ‘Avis Keedy’ has lemon yellow flowers

This lovely native of coastal bluffs is a reliable evergreen perennial that blooms prolifically in the garden in late spring. ‘Cape Sebastian’ is a dense, low-spreading selection, ideal for use as a ground cover, with pale lilac flowers; ‘Wayne Roderick’ is larger in stature and spread, with deeper lilac flowers.

Plants require good drainage, and perform best with a richer soil and average water. Some afternoon shade in an inland garden keeps plants from scorching in the summer. As with most Aster family plants, butterflies and beneficial insects are attracted to the flowers for nectar and pollen.

This plant can be used at the front of a mixed border. Create a mixed planting with other members of the Coastal ‘Soft Chaparral’ community such as Eriogonums, Eriophyllums, and Dudleyas. Seaside Daisy can add color to the edges of a meadow or no-mow lawn planting. It also does well in a container!