Hydrangea macrophylla is the quintessential representation of Victorian gardens. At least, its association with the Victorian era, for...

In the past decade, Chilopsis linearis has started to pop up in Northern California as a viable, colorful option in the landscape ...

We 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...

Another popular plant for ornamental landscapes, its hardiness and prolific blooms add an informal charm to the landscape. When used...

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

Euryops pectinatus is another favorite among homeowners, landscapers, and by extension, every local big box hardware store looking for a...

"Fabulous!" is not exclaiming enough about these showy flowers on a very large "perennial" plant. Usually when I think of perennials,...

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...

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...

There are three Arbutus species that every California landscape architect should know: A. menziesii, A. 'Marina,' and this one, A. unedo...

Smokin'! This is the first word that comes to mind when I see this unusual plant in bloom. What could be an ordinary large shrub or...

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. ...

What was once an exotic rarity found in greenhouses or temperate San Francisco's Victorian landscapes, sago palms have been making their...

Does the world need another oleander? When I ask myself this question, I immediately think of my time attending Monticello's Historic...

If there was ever a botanical plant name to cause confusion, it is this one. This is of particular consequence to me, because West...

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

Spiraea prunifolia 'Plena', as I recall, has graced nearly ever home garden I remember. A curiosity in my youth, the first time I saw...

Most visits to our favorite retail nurseries usually means seeing grevilleas that we have not seen before. This time, Big Bird presented...