What's not to love about Lagerstroemia indica, or crape myrtles? Right about now, mid to late summer, their ubiquity is obvious along...

Many California natives are exclusively indigenous to California or the West Coast, but Achillea millefolium has broadened its reach to...

Masses of Digitalis purpurea, or common foxgloves, put on a stunning show with their tall stalks of flowers, but there are some things...

Abutilons do not fit into a clean category for landscape architects. When we think of evergreen shrubs in California, boxwoods and India...

I have been driving around our 1950s to 1970s neighborhoods for the past month looking to no avail for a quality specimen of this large...

If you are unfamiliar with Southern magnolias, then you are unaware of its deep ties to the American South. The genus, Magnolia, honors...

Lavare. Just writing this Latin derivative meaning 'to wash' evokes spas filled with lavender bathing soaps and oils. Relaxing. If...

This cheerful cultivar of a native species is on my wish list to personally grow, but so far my success has been limited. My first...

The coast live oak is among other tree species noted for their size, often achieving heritage status within communities... witness trees...

Large stands of Romneya coulteri, or Matilija poppy, at West Valley College, show their true beauty when students are not actively...

Apparently, no two teddy bears are alike. At least, this is my first-time experience growing Teddy Bear sunflowers. I planted six seeds...

Meet my buddy, David. That might be a way to remember the Latin name, but it can also be called by its common name, butterfly bush. ...

Say that name ten times fast! Or skip the tongue twister knowing that its common name, Russian sage, is even funnier when learning it is...

Meet Miss Agnes. She's "vital to chastity." That's how I remember her name...both the plant's botanical and common names. Students...

Summer is here, and I love chocolate, so let's dive right into a tree that does not receive too much attention. Meet the velvety...

Albizias fly in and out of favor as the wind blows, or more succinctly, whenever we find California's droughts in the news. Their...

The non-cultivar, P. atriplicifolia (above), can reach 5' when in bloom, so we opted for this compact cultivar that only reaches about 3'....

It is not often I think about brambles! Either something that conjures up something surrounding a witch's den, or brambles remind me of...

Considered a native of the West, but this is a cultivar of unknown origin (to me). Most online sources avoid using the species epithet,...

Strawberry blooms are primarily white, some are pale pink, such as F. 'Pink Panda', but this “product” by Proven Winners® is strikingly...