3 minSyringa x persciaEvery spring for the past eight years, I have been searching for this shrub. And every year, I am both disappointed and bewildered why...
2 minArctostaphylos densiflora 'Howard McMinn'Go seriously local! This species of manzanita was originally introduced by our own Saratoga Horticulture Foundation way back in 1955,...
4 minPittosporum tenuifoliumIt is easy to dismiss some of the more Plane Jane plants of the ornamental landscape, but for landscape architects, they can play key...
3 minPrunus laurocerasusFor formal and informal hedges, Prunus laurocerasus is a competitive option. They treat us with deep green and lustrous foliage, perfect...
4 minRhododendron occidentaleA native azalea that's deciduous? When we think of rhododendrons, their evergreen boughs with pastel clusters of showy flowers might...
3 minVaccinium ovatumEvery winter, retail nurseries fill with a variety of bareroot plants including blueberries that at times I have specified in designs but...
2 minLantana montevidensisNeed a colorful ground cover that is also drought tolerant? Consider Lantana montevidensis. Unlike its sibling, Lantana camara that...
5 minLantana camaraLantanas continue to grow in availability offering a wide variety of colors and sizes among hybridized cultivars. For this post, we will...
3 minRosa californicaCalifornia has everything, even its own rose. No, it is not a fancy multi-petaled cut flower coveted by lovers, but it certainly has...
4 minMyoporum laetumThere are two trees I can think of that leave me unenthusiastic about giving them my time here. The first is Ailanthus altissima, which...
3 minCistus x skanbergiiIt was not until finding this photo that I realized the petals were in the shape of true love, reminding me to admire the details if not...
5 minRosa (ground cover forms)Roses are available in countless shapes, forms, scented or unscented, simple or complex, even for their drought tolerance. There are...
4 minCalluna vulgarisOne minor regret I have from my college years studying landscape architecture was not taking enough photos while studying for a semester...
4 minHibiscus rosa-sinensisIf a landscape design calls for tropical plant species, one cannot go wrong with including Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. Its genus, Hibiscus,...
4 minMyoporum parvifoliumNeed a lawn alternative that is drought tolerant? Myoporum parvifolium might be the plant for your design, but it includes some caveats....
3 minStyrax japonicusDesigners may already be familiar with Japanese maples and flowering cherries, but this Japanese snowdrop or snowbell tree offers a...
3 minClerodendrum trichotomumThis large shrub, small tree came my way from generous owners of a small resort in Guerneville. I would occasionally talk with them...
3 minHydrangea macrophyllaHydrangea macrophylla is the quintessential representation of Victorian gardens. At least, its association with the Victorian era, for...
3 minChilopsis linearisIn the past decade, Chilopsis linearis has started to pop up in Northern California as a viable, colorful option in the landscape ...
4 minPunica granatumWe moved to Palo Alto when I was child, so I was amazed to learn that we had our own pomegranate tree in the front yard, already well...