How to Grow Some Showy California Native Flowers

Early spring is the time when the chaparral flowers that are native to Southern California put on their best display. Here are some of the showiest California native flowers that will perk up a drought tolerant garden. These are the kind of plants that teach people that native gardens can be exciting and full of brilliant color - even in the hot, dry desert or chaparral.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. The Wooly Blue Curls (Tricostemma lanatum)

   Wooly Blue Curls (Trichostemma lanatum)
   This flamboyant bloomer is painted with brilliant indigo and purple fuzzy flowers with cat-whisker bright blue anthers. The shrubs grow 4' - 5' tall on brittle woody stems thickly coated with small green leaves. This plant is a show-stopper that can compete with any cultivated flower. It takes hot, dry summer sun and cool rain in the winter. The Wooly Blue Curls will grow well for you only if you give it impeccable drainage.

2. Matilija (Romneya) Flower

   Matilija Poppy (Romneya coulteri)
   Huge crepe paper-like flowers with big yellow centers are how the flowers became known as fried-egg flowers. If you find the right location for this plant, it will grow 6' tall and spread wide with its tall blue-green stems of foliage. Use the Matilija Poppy as a focal point in the flower garden or create a decorative hedge. In partial shade this flower can take a lot of drought, but in full sun it is happier with a bit more water than many California other chaparral natives.

3. Salvias are sages and come in all sizes and shapes.

   Salvias
   There is a horde of wonderful native Salvias that grow from a few inches to 5' tall. Most offer unusual blue flowers from pale blue to rich, dark blue. More salvias come in soft whites, pale lavenders, pinks, purples, reds, and even a few rare yellows. Many lovely cultivars have been bred from the native black and white salvias that smell wonderful and handle the hottest and driest conditions. Happy in meager and stony soils, there are low ground covers, tall shrubs and all sizes in between.

4. California Poppies

   Actually, there is a wealth of showy California natives for hot, dry areas. There are the sunny orange cups of the California Poppies (Eschscholzia), the feathery blue or white clusters of scented California Lilac (Ceanothus), and the bright scarlet trumpets of the Penstemon centranthifolius that can paint your native landscape with color. Look for the dazzling orange-flowered Flannel bushes (Fremontedendron), purple, blue and white Lupins and the cheerful Acton Daisies for more color. These are just some of the amazing tough plants you can grow that are eco-friendly and low maintenance yet prove that a native garden is not dull or boring! In fact, some of the showiest flowers I've seen are produced by California native plants in the hot inland areas of Southern California.

Resources

• Landscape design and gardening information