California native plant interest list II

Updated:
01 May, 2008
03 April 2008
21 Mar 2008
10 Feb, 2008
05 Feb, 2008



This is a list of (mostly) California native plants that I'd like to know more about or that I know I'd like to try gardening with.


Venegasia carpesioides (Canyon Sunflower) - might be fun, 5-6' tall, bushy, sand to clay, part shade to sun, semi-dry to regular water. Las Pilitas will have this in the summer.

Dodecatheon clevelandii clevelandii "Shooting Star"- no widely acknowledged common name. I've seen some references to "Padres Shooting Star". Grows to 18", spring flowers, wide soil range, semi-dry soil. I've ordered seeds from the Payne Foundation 5 Feb 08 and planted them. No visible growth as of 21 Mar, or as of 1 May. I read somewhere that the seeds are hard to germinate, requiring cold stratification, so it's perhaps not surprising that I haven't seen any germination from this plant. "One of the most most stunning wildflowers" according to calflora.net (not to be confused with also excellent calflora.org)

Linum lewisii (Blue Flax) evergreen, blue summer flowers, arching branches to 18", sand to clay, sun to part sun, dry to regular water. I've ordered seeds from the Payne Foundation 5 Feb 08 and planted them. No visible growth as of 21 Mar. Some growth in the 4" pots that I seeded. 2" to 4" plants as of 1 May 08.

Thysanocarpus spp. (laciniatus, curvipes) - lacepod or spokepod. Annual flower 15" tall with distinctive wheel shaped seed pod.

Castilleja exserta (Owl's Clover) - annual

Claytonia perfoliata (Miner's lettuce aka wild Purslane) - for my vegetable garden or let it naturalize around the flower beds. One reference had clatonia perfoliata mexicana called out, but subsequent search of the web didn't turn that up. Payne Foundation has seed in their current seed list. I've ordered seeds from the Payne Foundation 5 Feb 08. Got more seed 15 Mar. Remains to be seen if I can naturalize it in my yard. 01 May: Failed. Peat pots, scattered seed, and 12" One Pot project all failed. Maybe it really needs earlier sowing.

Wyethia angustifolia (southern mule ears) - Sun to partial shade. Heavy soil preferred. Slow (even glacial) to initially establish and spread. Could go along fence in back. Hmm - fence comment and earlier was apparently when I thought this was a different plant. A little more sleuthing turns up awhole bunch of different Wyethia at Calflora.org I should use Calflora more often, it is a bit more sophisticated than the nursery info sites. When I first wrote this, I must have been thinking of...

...Wyethia ovata, which has a really distinctive broad and vertical leaf. It's also native to LA County. Feb '08 - I have asked local native plants people to see if traded seed can be found. Appears not to be available in any nursery.

Aster chilensis (Coast aster) - Native to SB County and parts north. Will stabilize hills. Use on Upper 40?

Madia elegans, Tarweed. Apparently has indescribably good scent, yellow flowers, 6-36" tall (Larner Seeds has it at 4' to 6' tall!) Stover Seed has it in their database. Not available at the Payne Foundation as I write this.

Digitalis (Foxglove) - not native, but interesting to me because of historic medicinal use. This is in my "edible" plants category.

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Here's the list of plants that were formerly on the interest list.


Fraxinus dipetala (Flowering Ash, no widely accepted common name) shrubby tree. Native in Los Angeles County chaparral / transverse ranges, requires excellent drainage so not suitable for my garden.

Fraxinus velutina Torrey (velvet Ash, Arizona Ash) is also native to Ca and grows locally in the wild. Not interested in using it at this time.

Salix exigua? (Narrowleaf Willow as seen in the Madrona Marsh demonstration garden). Western states native if it's really exigua. Bamboo-like. Elegant screen. 10'. Don't really have a place for this in my yard, but I really like its growth habit.

Sidalcea malaeflora (Checkermallow) - This is on my list from some time ago when I missed out on the sole example at the fall Payne Foundation plant sale. Got some at TPF 15 Mar. Planted two in meadow.

Symphoricarpos mollis (Southern California Snowberry, Dwarf Snowberry, Creeping Snowberry) to 1' high, shade to coastal sun, tolerates clay. Purchased at TPF 15 March and installed in garden as experiment. Very nice delicate looking leaf and growth habit. Under pepper tree. Very elegant looking.

Betula occidentalis (sometimes identified as water birch, but no widely accepted common name) shrubby tree. Not wild in Los Angeles County, so of less interest.

Salvia apiana (White Sage) - Want to use in place of Morea off front porch. Purchased at ToL Nursery on 9 Feb and planted in front yard. Died. Lack of water during establishment period?