Common name: Sea Lavender
Botanical name: Limonium perezii
This mounding shrub will reach about 3' high and has large, dark green leaves with small blue and purple flowers that bloom in spring and summer. Very hardy and outstanding perennial for water wise gardens. Tall clusters of tiny, deep mauve flowers are produced throughout much of the year. Ornamental foliage is evergreen and forms an attractive, rounded mound.Can be mass planted for low maintenance areas or low, edging borders.
Common name: Mexican Sage
Botanical name: Salvia leucantha
The Mexican Sage is a bushy shrub that grows 3'-4' tall and wide. It has hairy white stems, grey-green leaves and velvet-like purple flower spikes that bloom summer through fall. This shrub tolerates sun, light shade, little water, and is hardy to 15 degrees F. The Mexican Sage attracts hummingbirds. Be careful not to overwater. -Cornflower Farms
Common name: Pencil Tree
Botanical name: Euphorbia tirucalli
In frost free areas, Euphorbia can become a 30' tree but in colder areas, it is often knocked back by frost. It can be single or multiple trunked. It has green cylindrical branches that are about the diameter of a pencil. Leaves are not usually present. Some people are allergic to the sap. It is tolerant of salt, full sun, part shade and quite drought resistant. It is a great accent plant for a container. This form has light green branches if in full sun. Also known as: Pencil Bush, Milkbush
Common name: Mexican Marigold
Botanical name: Tagetes lemmonii
This larger perennial will grow to 6' tall and has small, light green leaves with yellow mustard colored flowers that bloom in winter and spring. Cut back to within 6" of the ground to refresh and reduce the size of the plant.
Common name: Hedge Cactus
Botanical name: Cereus hildmannianus
Cereus hildmannianus is an imposing plant with many dull green to bluish-green branches, reaching a height of 30 feet (9 m) or more. The stems usually have 5 or 6 ribs and a diameter of about 6 inches (15 cm), with slight constrictions which mark the end of one year's growth and the start of the next. Older plants usually have a short woody trunk below the lowest branches, but sometimes this is lacking. The spines are variable, with most plants in cultivation having very short spines, while some forms have longer ones.
Common name: Fan Aloe
Botanical name: Aloe plicatilis
This wide succulent shrub grows 3'-6' tall and wide, with fan-like clusters of the bluish-gray round tipped leaves. From each fan emerges an open terminal cluster of tubular, orange red flowers in late winter to early spring. Plant in full sun if on the coast or in shade if inland. It is hardy to about 23 degrees F. It needs winter and spring irrigation if grown where does does not receive adequate water from rainfall.
Common name: Kleinia
Botanical name: Senecio mandraliscae
Kleinia is a spreading succulent and ground cover that grows to about 6" to 18" tall with florescent blue green foliage. The ice plant like leaves are long and slender.It is from South Africa and works well in Mediterranean gardens. It is good in most sun conditions and can take very little watering or regular garden watering making it very adaptable for garden design. It performs best with full sun and regular water. Once it is established it is very drought tolerant. It is easy to propagate as are many succulents. Any section of the plant broken off and dug into the soil will reroot.
Common name: New Zealand Flax, Purple
Botanical name: Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum'
Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum' is an evergreen perennial. Big, dramatic plant composed of many swordlike, stiffly vertical leaves can reach 5' tall. Leaves are purple red. Flowers stems reach high above leaves, bearing clusters of 1"-2" blossoms in dark red.