California's Garden Plants
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California is the native habitat of over 6,000 different species and varieties of plants. The third largest state in America, California presents a diverse array of growing conditions. Northern California offers an abundance of rain, cool nights, fertile soil and lots of sunshine. Gardeners in southern California are often challenged by a shortage of water and windy, dry conditions. - Desert rose (Adenium obesum) is an attractive addition to rock gardens and planting beds. Native to the desert regions of Africa, Desert rose is a very slow growing plant with a very long life span -- in the wild, desert rose plants live to be hundreds of years old. Prized for its graceful form and dazzling array of flowers, desert rose is available in a diverse range of colors. Grumbley's White, which presents brilliant while flowers, and Singapore, a deep pink variety, are popular favorites. Desert rose requires full sun. If planted in a semi-shaded location, the plant will grow spindly and fail to flower. The plant requires excellent drainage. In overly wet conditions, the roots will rot and the plant will die.
There are more than 60 succulent plant families and over 300 different varieties. From tiny rock garden plants to massive specimen plants, there are succulents that will thrive in any California garden. The San Francisco Succulent & Cactus Society offers classes, displays and a wealth of information for new succulent growers. There are literally hundreds of different species of drought tolerant succulent and cactus to choose from that will flourish in California. - Yucca, (Yucca filamentosa) is a popular addition to many California landscapes. There are several varieties of yucca including Golden Sword and Bright Edge, two of the most common yucca species. There are over 50 different species and 24 subspecies of yucca. Yucca, also known as Spanish Dagger, Soapweed, Spanish Bayonet and Adam's needle is grown for its shape and form. The plant presents small white flowers from mid-summer through late autumn.
The plant is native to Central and South America and is adaptive to hot, dry locations in California gardens. Easy to care for and slow growing, yucca is often used as a specimen planting.
Yucca grows best in full sun. The plant requires good drainage and does best in gravelly soil. - In springtime, many areas of California present spectacular displays of native wildflowers. San Joaquin River Gorge, the Mojave Desert and the Carrizo Plain attract thousands of visitors to view the springtime color. California aster (Lessingia filaginifolia), Arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus), California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium) and California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are but a few of the better known varieties found thriving throughout the state. In the cooler conditions of northern California, Checker Lily or Mission Bells (Fritillaria lanceolata) are found. Many savvy California gardeners have added wildflower displays to their home landscapes. Seeds and starter plants are available from local plant nurseries and garden landscape contractors. Do not harvest wildflowers in the wild.
