Common name: Tree Aloe
Botanical name: Aloe arborescens

This succulent is large, full of branches and produces deep red orange blooms in fall and winter. The flowers produce a nectar that is attractive to many different birds; this plant is grown all over the world. This succulent can reach 8' tall and 5' wide. Leaves are narrow, recurved and tooth margined and can be green or yellowish or blue green, depending on how much sun it receives. It tolerates sun or shade.

Common name: Aloe Vera or Medicinal Aloe
Botanical name: Aloe vera

The rosette of this plant consists of fleshy gray green leaves, which are narrow, succulent and erect with soft spines on margins. This Aloe is a slow to moderate grower. Flowers are spikes of yellow, 2'-3' tall and bloom late winter to summer. This aloe can form large clumps. It will tolerate full to partial sun, needs some supplemental water in heat and good drainage. It attracts hummingbirds. This aloe is a Mediterranean native. The sap is used for burns and abrasions.

Common name: Calla Lily
Botanical name: Zantedeschia aethiopica

This perennial will grow 2'-4' tall and has large, glossy green leaves with beautiful cream or white flowers with a central yellow "finger" that bloom in spring and sometimes even summer. Calla Lily prefers full sun or afternoon shade in warm, inland areas. It prefers rich, moist soil and does well near water features or boggy conditions. Cally Lily is beautiful for cut flowers.

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.

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: Spanish Bayonet
Botanical name: Yucca aloifolia

This shrub becomes a large sprawling plant, reaching 10' tall and 10' wide. Growth is slow. Stiff dense leaves are medium green with sharp points; they reach 2.5' long and 2" wide. Slightly fragrant, white blooms on vertical stalks appear in spring and summer. After bloom period, oval brown, edible fruit appear. Leaf margins are smooth. Weevils can damage this plant. This shrub tolerates full sun to full shade, well draining soil and little water. Does well in coastal areas.

Common name: Santa Barbara Daisy, Mexican Daisy
Botanical name: Erigeron karvinskianus

This low mounding perennial is used as a ground cover since it reaches 2' tall and spreads 5'. It has fine textured, green leaves and white to pinkish, daisy-like flowers with gold centers that bloom spring through fall in coastal areas. In warmer, inland areas, the plant appears to be semi-dormant but will perk up as soon as the weather starts to cool. Control its growth with watering as it can be invasive in some areas. It looks best in full sun in coastal areas but prefers afternoon shade in warm, inland areas. It attracts bees. This is a great plant for rock gardens, planters, containers, or spilling over walls.

Common name: Noell's Grevillea
Botanical name: Grevillea 'Noellii'

This low, compact evergreen shrub reaches 3'-6' tall and 6'8' wide. Dark pink flowers apear in the spring. Its bright green foliage is needle-like. Full sun is required for growth. Prune after bloom period to keep this shrub looking dense. Grevillea is sensitive to salt accumulation so it's important to drip irrigate for hours on this plant to leach out salt once a month. Do not fertilize with phosphates.

Common name: Edible Fig
Botanical name: Ficus carica

This small tree reaches 20' tall and wide. It does best in rich, fertile, well draining, moist soil with full to part sun. It does not tolerate frost however, there are some cultivars that may survive cold winters. Leaves are deciduous, green and large and lobed. It produces wonderful figs that are green, turning brownish red color in late summer or early fall. Fallen fruit is messy. Mature trees have smooth, silvery bark. Considered invasive in California.